Single Best Exercise for Each Major Muscle Group—Your One-Move Gym Cheat Sheet

From Arnold training with Sam Sulek before a red-carpet premiere to Farhanna Farid deadlifting over 4x her bodyweight, this week in strength sports was stacked with record lifts, high-volume experiments, and no-nonsense wisdom from legends.

June 17, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Imagine trimming your routine down to one move per muscle group without losing gains. This deep dive breaks down the top single exercise for chest, back, quads, hamstrings, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and calves—based on efficiency, activation, and real-world impact. Each pick is backed by expert insight and anecdotal evidence, making it clear why this move reigns supreme. Whether you're limited on time or gym space, this piece is your shortcut to optimized muscle growth. Get ready to retool your program with purpose. [Discover Your Go-To Moves!]

Mike Sommerfeld just performed a brutal experiment: two intense push workouts in a 24‑hour window, 17 weeks out from Mr. Olympia. He crushed chest dips, incline presses, and overhead work twice, and tracked his recovery, pump, and fatigue. Spoiler: results showed both brutal muscle soreness and promising hypertrophy trends, but only when recovery was dialed in. If you're chasing strength and size without crossing into overtraining territory, this deep dive is full of cautionary tales and takeaways. [Push Harder—Read How!]

Three legends, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, and Sam Sulek, took a detour from red‑carpet glam to hit the gym ahead of the FUBAR premiere. Arnold and Sam dove into a high‑energy session packed with sets of bench press, rows, and curls, while Ronnie soaked it all in. The session had metal clanging, laughter, and even a surprise cameo by Schwarzenegger’s signature positivity. It’s proof that no matter how big the spotlight gets, the grind never stops. [Witness the Session!]

Legendary coach Charles Glass didn’t mince words: whey protein is the single best source for muscle growth, fast-digesting, amino acid–rich, and scientifically proven. His “#1 exercise” pick? The single-arm cable row is for perfect lat activation and mind-muscle control. Glass breaks down why protein timing matters and how unilateral rowing keeps your back symmetrical and firing on all cylinders. If you’re building smart, this is your blueprint. [Optimize with Glass!]

Swapping weight for tempo, one lifter slowed down reps across all movements for a month, and the results weren’t subtle. Muscles felt deeper fatigue, muscle fullness increased, and total time under tension spiked. Bench, squat, and deadlift all benefited from slowed eccentric and controlled concentric phases. Joyful gains? Maybe. But the pump and control were. If you’ve plateaued, this experiment could show you how strategic tempo tweaks reignite growth. [See the Transformation!]

Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates boiled fitness success down to three essentials: intensity, consistency, and nutrition. No gimmicks, just serious workouts pushed to failure, a habit of showing up, and fuel that supports recovery. He lays out a no-nonsense approach: train hard, eat well, and don’t quit. Yates also calls out social media noise and trend-chasing routines that distract from fundamentals. It’s old-school wisdom with modern evidence, spot-on for anyone chasing real, lasting shape. [Get Dorian’s Tips!]

Take HIIT to the sand for workouts that torch calories and test stability. Think sand sprints, lateral bounds, burpee‑broad jump combos, and resistance-banded runs—short, savage, and sweaty. This article gives exact drills, timer cues, and progression advice for anyone wanting extreme conditioning without weights. Bonus: the unstable surface cranks core engagement and joint demand. Perfect for those looking to shred fat fast while making their abs work overtime. Beach body, meet dead-set grit. [Suit Up for Sand!]

Singapore’s half‑mass monster Farhanna Farid hit a stunning 209.5 kg (461.9 lb) raw deadlift in the 52‑kg class at the June 9, 2025, IPF Worlds in Chemnitz, shattering her own world record by half a kilo. She opened with 195 kg, then 205 kg, before locking in the world‑record pull on attempt three—all sumo, mixed grip style. It didn’t win her the overall title, but it might be one of the lifted journal entries you’ll remember. The lift proved once again that Farid is not just consistent—she’s rewriting the record books with surgical precision. [Feel the Power!]

In Chemnitz on June 12, 2025, bench specialist Jonathan “Mr. Bench” Cayco registered a new IPF world record with a 246 kg (542.3 lb) raw bench in the 93 kg class. He started strong with 232.5 kg, then hit the record-setting lift for attempt two, before failing at 248 kg. His 893.5 kg total (307.5 squat, 340 dead) secured a podium finish. Cayco’s form was textbook, with a pause-and-press that left no room for judges' doubt. Bench bros, brace yourselves—this one’s legendary. [See the Lift!]

Brittany Schlater (+84 kg) crushed a 737.5 kg (1,625.9 lb) raw total to win the 2025 IPF World Classic in Chemnitz—a new world record. She combined brutal squats, benches, and deadlifts to outlift every other woman by a mile. No breakdowns, just raw human power. It was a clinic in consistency and control, with each lift looking like it had another 5 kg in the tank. This performance lands her firmly in the elite of the elite. [Witness the Total Domination!]

Want to hit your macros without math headaches? FitnessVolt’s new calculator does the heavy lifting—just plug in height, weight, goal, and activity. You’ll get daily targets for protein, carbs, and fats, plus built‑in meal templates. It’s clean, editable, and science‑based, making calorie‑nutrient balancing shockingly simple. Whether you’re cutting, bulking, or maintaining, this tool is the easiest way to keep your diet dialed in without the spreadsheet struggle. Ideal for anyone dialing in diet without losing their mind at the spreadsheet. [Crunch Your Numbers!]

Reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda shares his latest off-season physique update📹💪

Advanced Training Tip of the Day: Lift Odd Objects

Barbells are great, but awkward, heavy things build a different kind of strength. Think sandbags, kegs, or even a loaded backpack—they shift, wobble, and force your stabilizers to work overtime. Odd-object training mimics real-world demands, boosts grip strength, and teaches your body to generate power from less-than-perfect positions. It’s not just strongman cosplay—it’s functional, brutal, and wildly effective.

The Strength Bulletin

  • A new study shows full-body training leads to significantly greater fat loss than split routines when calories and volume are matched. [Rebuild Your Routine Smarter!]

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