Atlas Stone Trainer

How to perform

1. 01This trainer is effective for developing Atlas Stone strength for those who don't have access to stones, and are typically made from bar ends or heavy pipe.
2. 02Begin by loading the desired weight onto the bar. Straddle the weight, wrapping your arms around the implement, bending at the hips.
3. 03Begin by pulling the weight up past the knees, extending through the hips. As the weight clears the knees, it can be lapped by resting it on your thighs and sitting back, hugging it tightly to your chest.
4. 04Finish the movement by extending through your hips and knees to raise the weight as high as possible. The weight can be returned to the lap or to the ground for successive repetitions.

Form cues

• —Brace your core before the first rep and keep it braced.
• —Lead with the elbows and finish by squeezing the target muscle.
• —Keep a neutral spine; stop the set if it rounds.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.
• —Adding weight before the movement pattern is clean.