The following is designed to give you something to work with that you maybe haven't done before. I've found that these exercises are extremely effective, but rarely utilized. The people that I do see using them tend to be men, likely because these are seen as power lifting exercises. However, they are just as effective for women as they are for men. In fact, you could make an argument that they'd be even MORE effective for women since it's probably very different from what they've done before. And don't worry- you aren't going to bulk up from these exercises if you don't want to. Just do less weight and more repetitions.

These exercises tend to focus on the legs and back, but they have many other benefits. Because you will use many other muscle groups to assist your primary movers and stabilize your body, you will get benefits in more than just the muscles they are intended for. For example, complete the following three exercises, and I can almost guarantee you will feel it throughout your core (even your abs), even though these exercises are not intended to be abdominal exercises.

Also, I am not going to focus as much on how to do these exercises, but I will provide helpful tips. Please refer to the videos to see how to properly do the exercises. If you've never done them before, start out light and get yourself a spotter.

• 1) Deadlifts

I cannot say enough good things about deadlifts. Though there are many variations, we'll focus on just the classic deadlift for now. It is very similar to a squat, except that you hold the weight with your arms hanging down instead of loading the weight onto your back. Because you are holding the weight in such a manner, you are actually performing an isometric exercise for your traps as you work your legs and back. One time, when I was increasing weight on my deadlifts, I remember getting more fatigued in my arms and shoulders than I was in my legs. But don't get me wrong- this is a leg exercise.

If done correctly, you should really get a great glute workout. That's right- forget the floor bridges and the butt clenches. This will work your glutes to the max. When straightening up and lifting weights, make sure to push up through your heels and keep your back straight. If necessary, use a belt to keep your back straight. If you cannot perform this exercise without rounding your back, then you need toget a belt or drop everything and hit up the back extensions.

At the top of the exercise (after the concentric part of the exercise), bring your shoulders back and engage your back muscles. Although this is mostly a leg exercise, it works your back as well. So, for those of you keeping track at home- this will work your legs (esp. glutes), your back, and your traps. Pretty complete exercise, huh?

You can do anywhere from 5-15 reps, depending on how much weight you're doing and what your goals are.

• 2) Cleans

Power cleans? Really? Aren't those for Olympic power lifters? Well, yes and no. I recommend using a modified version of this power lifting exercise. Most people will go all the way to the ground for each repetition and take long rests between each set. Instead, do a set of about 10-15 reps, and simply bring the bar back down to about mid-thigh level before performing the next rep.

Although this is mostly a shoulder exercise, it is ok to use your legs. In fact, when you bring the weight up, it is perfectly normal to be up on your toes, and you should feel it in your calves and hips if done correctly. Also, at the top of the motion, you don't have to feel the need to lower your body down as much as the video shows. Just leave enough bounce in your legs to cushion the weight after you bring it up.

Unfortunately, I could not find a video except for the traditional clean. Just remember, don't bring the weight back to the floor (it shouldn't go below your knees if you do it the way I am suggesting), and you don't have to lower yourself as much after you've lifted the bar (although you can if you want). This exercise will work your shoulders (esp. those hard-to-reach rear deltoids), traps, arms, hips, glutes, and calves.

• 3) Bent-over rows

This is another great exercise I rarely see people doing. This one is different from the previous two in that you aren't moving a lot of muscle groups. Instead, many of your muscles are stabilizing your body as you perform the workout. This is good for a couple reasons. First of all, it's very different than what you would normally be doing, and variety is key in working out. Also, your body can handle a lot more stress in an isometric contraction than in a concentric. For example, take a bicep curl. Your arm can handle more weight on the way down (eccentric) than on the way up (concentric). Somewhere between those two is the amount of weight you can handle isometrically (just holding it in place). In this exercise, for your legs and core (esp. lower back), this is just one giant isometric contraction.

Isometrics aside, this is a back exercise. You want to pinch your shoulder blades back at the top of the exercise and breathe out as you exert the force (that goes for every other exercise too). Make sure your back is straight and that you are leaning over far enough to engage the proper muscles. If you're standing more upright, you have just turned this into a shoulder exercise. That's not bad, but not what we're going for. If necessary, you may need to stretch out the relevant muscle groups (often back and hamstrings) in order to do this exercise correctly. Perform about 8-12 reps and feel free to experiment with different grips. As always, keep those abs tight too. This exercise will work your back, arms, shoulders, and legs.

So, we didn't really hit up the chest or arms very much, but this isn't designed as a workout. You can add just one of these exercises to your workout if you like. It's just meant to give you something new that you haven't done before. If you want to get results and you want to work as many muscle groups as possible, try these exercises and see how your body responds to them. Good luck!