The Best Exercises You’re NOT Doing (But Should Be)

The Best Exercises You’re NOT Doing (But Should Be)

In the world of fitness, most people stick to the basics: bench press, squats, curls, and maybe the occasional run. While these exercises are effective, there are hidden gems in the exercise world that rarely make it into mainstream routines—but can offer huge benefits for strength, mobility, and injury prevention.

Here are the best exercises you’re probably not doing—but should seriously consider adding to your training plan.

1. Turkish Get-Up

✅ Why it's great:

This full-body movement challenges strength, stability, coordination, and mobility all at once. It’s especially good for shoulder health and core strength.

🔧 How to do it:

Using a kettlebell or dumbbell, lie on your back and press the weight up with one arm. From there, you’ll rise to a standing position while keeping the weight overhead, then return to the ground. It’s slow and deliberate—perfect for control and total-body awareness.

2. Jefferson Curl

✅ Why it’s great:

This often-overlooked mobility drill strengthens your posterior chain while improving spinal flexibility. It’s a controlled way to build resilience in your lower back and hamstrings.

⚠️ Caution: Start light (or even bodyweight only), and move slowly.

3. Farmer’s Carry

✅ Why it's great:

This simple but brutal exercise builds grip strength, traps, core stability, and mental toughness. Carrying heavy weights across a distance mimics real-world strength better than almost any other movement.

💡 Pro Tip: Use heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, or trap bars. Maintain upright posture, tight core, and steady breathing.

4. Cossack Squat

✅ Why it's great:

This deep side lunge targets your adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quads while dramatically improving hip mobility and balance.

🏋️‍♀️ Add it to: Your warm-up or lower-body strength day for mobility and strength gains.

5. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

✅ Why it's great:

This unilateral movement improves balance, glute and hamstring strength, and corrects imbalances that traditional bilateral lifts might hide.

🎯 Why you need it: Great for runners, lifters, and anyone looking to build functional, symmetrical strength.

6. Sled Pushes/Pulls

✅ Why it's great:

Sled work builds explosive power, leg drive, and work capacity without loading your spine. It’s excellent for conditioning without the joint impact of running.

🔄 Push, pull, drag or sprint—there are endless variations.

7. Hanging Leg Raises (Strict Form)

✅ Why it's great:

This is a brutally effective core exercise that also improves shoulder mobility and grip strength. Unlike crunches, it trains your abs through a full range of motion while engaging your entire body.

🚫 Avoid momentum—control the movement!

8. Reverse Sled Drag

✅ Why it's great:

This quad-dominant movement strengthens the knees, VMO (vastus medialis), and anterior chain while being joint-friendly.

🦵 Especially good for: Preventing or rehabbing knee pain and improving athletic performance.

9. Prone Y-Raises

✅ Why it’s great:

This little-known shoulder movement targets the lower traps and rotator cuff, improving posture and scapular control.

💡 Do it with: Light weights or bodyweight on a bench or floor.

10. Dead Hang

✅ Why it’s great:

Just hanging from a bar decompresses your spine, improves shoulder mobility, and builds grip strength. It’s deceptively hard—but incredibly effective.

⏱️ Work up to longer durations, and use it as part of your warm-up or cool-down.

Why Aren’t These More Popular?

  • They don’t always give you a “pump”

  • They look awkward or unfamiliar

  • They require patience, precision, and coordination

  • They often work small stabilizers, not just big showy muscles

But that’s exactly why they’re worth doing. They make you stronger in ways conventional lifts often miss—and they prepare your body for real-world movement, not just mirror muscles.

How to Add Them to Your Routine

Start small. Add 1–2 of these exercises per week into your workouts:

  • Use Cossack Squats or Jefferson Curls in your warm-up

  • Finish a session with Farmer’s Carries or Sled Pushes

  • Add a weekly Turkish Get-Up challenge

Mix them with your main lifts, and you’ll be amazed at how your strength, control, and mobility improve over time.

Conclusion

The best exercises aren’t always the flashiest. Often, the most powerful movements are the ones done slowly, deliberately, and consistently—with deep attention to technique and function.

So if you’re ready to take your strength and mobility to the next level, don’t just lift harder—train smarter. Add these underrated exercises to your routine and watch your performance, posture, and pain-free movement soar.

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