ATHLEAN-X™

Method · Body

Shoulder-safe pull-up technique

A locally coherent method for pull-ups: (1) at a dead hang, pull down first to depress the scapula, then pull up — that's the ready position; (2) on the way down, maintain tension throughout the scapula and shoulder girdle so you don't fall back into the traction-stress position; (3) treat every rep a little slower on the way down and don't avoid full extension at the elbow. Letting the shoulders ride up at the bottom undoes the stable position and reintroduces traction stress.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Body

Shoulder-safe overhead press setup

A locally coherent method for overhead pressing: (1) keep pressing overhead but do it better; (2) narrow the hand positioning on the barbell to bring the elbows from out to the side to more in front of the body and into the scapular plane, which also adds a bit more triceps contribution and helps you get overhead in a more free and mobile position; (3) with dumbbells, bring the elbows in to about 45 degrees rather than flaring them out to the side; (4) press one dumbbell at a time and lean slightly under the pressing dumbbell so the wrist is supported by the elbow and the elbow by the shoulder, creating a stacked joint for more stability; (5) slow the pressing speed, which combined with joint stacking regains shoulder stability and makes the pain go away.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Body

Correct dip setup and execution

A locally coherent method for shoulder-safe dips: (1) set up by pushing down and engaging the serratus with the chest out rather than sinking down; (2) pull the shoulders down away from the ears to create greater distance between ears and shoulders, the same as with the pull-up; (3) control depth to about 90 degrees at the elbow rather than going all the way down, since going deeper pitches the shoulder more forward and stresses the anterior capsule; (4) at the top, push high rather than letting the shoulders drift back up, and finish with a 'dip plus' by pushing through with an extra plus at the end of the ascent. Getting the chest out allows a better stretch without going too deep.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Principle · Body

Flared elbows on bench press aggravate the bicep tendon

Flaring the elbows out on a bench press causes more internal rotation at the bottom, drifts the bar forward, and aggravates the bicep tendon. Pulling the elbows in closer and dropping them at a 45-degree angle to the sides takes stress off the bicep tendon.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Principle · Body

Narrow bench press grip preserves scapular retraction

A narrower bench press grip lets the shoulder blades pinch back more, allows the arms to drop back, and keeps the blades retracted during the press. Going extra wide prevents that retraction, which is needed to stabilize the shoulder blades for a proper bench press.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Build each meal with the 9:20 clock plate method

Jeff recommends visualizing your plate as a clock and focusing on two times: 9 o'clock and 9:20. Fill the largest portion with fibrous carbohydrates like leafy, crunchy green vegetables; the second largest portion with protein, whether vegan or meat-based; and the smallest portion with starchy carbohydrates. He explains starches get the smallest share because people tend to overeat them when given free rein, but stresses they should not be avoided entirely since they are an important part of a healthy balanced nutrition plan. Include fat incidentally by cooking with it rather than piling it on. Done this way, counting calories is unnecessary, and when nutrition is in check, six-pack abs become much easier to see.

ATHLEAN-X™ · I'm 51. Here's How I Still Have Visible Abs (WORKS AT ANY AGE)

Recommendation from Jeff (Athlean-X host)

Recommendation · Body

Dip form fixes: shoulders back and down, chest out, control depth to 90 degrees, push high with a 'plus'

The host advises not letting the shoulder position drift forward in dips: falling forward pitches the shoulder more and more as you descend, putting excess stress on the anterior shoulder capsule and structures inside the joint. Keep your shoulders back and chest out always, and make the distance between ears and shoulders greater by pulling the shoulders down (the same cue as the pull-up). Set up by pushing down and engaging the serratus rather than sinking into the shoulders. Control depth to about 90 degrees of elbow flexion instead of going all the way down, which he calls 'influencer fitness' and bad advice; pushing the chest forward allows a better stretch even at controlled depth. On the way up, actively push high rather than letting the shoulders drift back up, and perform a 'dip'

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Fix the pull-up instead of skipping it: depress shoulders, slow negatives, full extension

The host advises not skipping the pull-up but fixing it: before the first rep, create extra distance between shoulder and ear by pulling down into a more stable position; on the way down, maintain tension through the scapula and shoulder girdle and treat every rep a little slower; don't avoid full elbow extension at the bottom; and never let the shoulders ride up, which reintroduces traction stress. With these changes the pull-up can stay in the program and build a much bigger back.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Bench press fixes: 45-degree elbows, narrower grip, keep scapular retraction

The host advises tucking the elbows in closer and dropping them at a 45-degree angle to the sides, which feels much better and takes stress off the bicep tendon. Flaring the elbows out causes more internal rotation at the bottom, lets the bar drift forward, and aggravates the bicep tendon. Going extra wide in grip prevents pinching the shoulder blades back, which is needed for a proper bench press; going more narrow lets the shoulder blades pinch back more, allows the arms to drop back, and keeps them there when pressing. Leading with the shoulders loses scapular retraction and sets off a cascade of issues.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Overhead press fixes: narrow the grip, keep elbows in the scapular plane, press one dumbbell at a time

The host advises getting away from a wide grip on the bar when overhead pressing, because a wide position causes the elbows to drift out to the side and out of the scapular plane. The scapular plane is oriented forward, not out to the side, so the arms should sit slightly in front of the body. Narrowing the hand positioning brings the elbows more in front of the body, adds a little more tricep contribution, and helps you get overhead in a much more free and mobile position. With dumbbells, don't flare the elbows out to the side; bring them in to around 45 degrees and press from there. Since shoulder problems are sometimes structural and sometimes just a lack of stability rather than a torn element, press one dumbbell at a time to create a stacked joint in the shoulder for more stability:

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Principle · Body

Forward shoulder drift in dips stresses the anterior capsule

Letting the shoulder position drift forward on dips puts a lot of stress on the anterior shoulder capsule. As the descent goes deeper, the shoulder gets pitched more and more forward, giving excess stress to the structures inside the shoulder joint.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Principle · Body

The upright row wrecks shoulders and is not worth saving

The upright row puts the shoulder into an internally rotated position by having the elbow higher than the wrist, and adding load further drives the aggravation, ultimately causing impingement and rotator cuff inflammation. The creator says the upright row is a bad exercise not worth fixing and is not worth saving, especially for long-term shoulder health.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Principle · Fuel

Don't deprive yourself of sweets; keep an enjoyable food in the plan

Jesse advises not depriving yourself completely of sweet-tasting foods to keep from over-indulging. If you find a food you really enjoy that keeps you on track because you don't feel deprived, it needs to be in your daily eating plan. He has a sweet tooth and eats a tall glass of frozen yogurt with whipped cream every night after dinner, but doesn't eat ice cream daily — he chooses a lower-calorie option with less fat.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Claim from Jesse (Athlean-X host)

Recommendation · Fuel

Eat lean protein daily; it is an inescapable requirement for building muscle

Jesse recommends eating lean protein like chicken, fish, or beef daily when building muscle is the goal. He states that some protein in your diet is going to have to be there, calling it an inescapable truth.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Recommendation from Jesse (Athlean-X)

Principle · Body

Sequence ab exercises bottom-up: legs first, torso last

Jeff argues that the sequence of ab exercises matters more than the exercises themselves. He recommends focusing on what is actually moving in each exercise: start with bottom-up movements where only the legs move, since these are the hardest because you must lift the weight of your legs and need the most energy early in the workout. Next come exercises where the legs and top both move, which can be done once slightly fatigued because the obliques provide additional help. Finish with top-only movements, which can be performed in any state of fatigue without compromising the workout's effect.

ATHLEAN-X™ · I'm 51. Here's How I Still Have Visible Abs (WORKS AT ANY AGE)

Claim from Jeff (Athlean-X host)

Method · Body

Shoulder-safe bench dip setup

A locally coherent method for bench dips: (1) externally rotate the shoulders by pointing the fingers out to the sides or even behind you; (2) open up the chest; (3) press up and back from the bottom to get a good triceps contraction without the shoulder negatives. With externally rotated hands, the shoulder avoids forward positioning at the bottom, creating a friendlier position for the shoulder joint.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Recommendation · Fuel

Eat egg whites at breakfast daily

Jesse eats egg whites every single day at breakfast, choosing them over whole eggs for convenience since they can be poured straight from a container, and notes six egg whites provide 24 grams of protein.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Recommendation from Jesse (Athlean-X host)

Recommendation · Fuel

Eat walnuts daily for omega-3s

Jeff recommends walnuts every single day because they have the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids compared to other nuts. Omega-3s can help control inflammation and speed up muscle repair and recovery, and — like those found in fish — can improve blood lipid profiles and cholesterol levels.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Recommendation from Jeff (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Fuel

Eat blueberries daily, ideally in your protein shake

Jeff eats blueberries every single day, throwing them into his protein shake. Blueberries are a powerful antioxidant, help speed up muscle recovery, and decrease oxidative stress and damage to human muscle progenitor cells — getting less damage to new muscle cells helps you add new muscle. If you train naturally, the most important thing you can do is improve your body's ability to recover from hard workouts.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Recommendation from Jeff (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Fuel

Eat sweet potatoes daily as a better carb

Jeff eats sweet potatoes every single day because they're a better form of carbohydrate — lower on the glycemic index — and give him good energy to support hard training. They also help satisfy his sweet tooth with satisfaction throughout the day.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 17 Foods That Make it EASY To Get Lean (AND STAY THAT WAY!)

Recommendation from Jeff (Athlean-X)