7 Best Exercises Inspired by Kai Greene for Bodybuilding

Most of the exercises we use to gain muscle mass in bodybuilding are inspired by Kai Greene.

He has recently become one of the most celebrated names in the bodybuilding fraternity. From his humble beginnings, Greene has become one of the most illustrious bodybuilders to walk the planet.

Bodybuilding is not just about being strong and muscular. It's also about being flexible, and that can't be achieved without flexible training.

Greene is an icon in bodybuilding, and there's no better way to learn about bodybuilding than taking a few ideas from his legendary routine.

Best Exercises Inspired by Kai Greene

Here's a look at seven such exercises:

1) Barbell Bench Press

Barbell bench pressing is a great compound exercise for building size and strength in the pecs, but it also stimulates the triceps and shoulders as secondary movers. One more reason Kai Greene loves to do this one.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Lie down on a bench, and place your feet flat on the floor.
Keep your back slightly arched, and place your hands shoulder-width apart.
Bend your wrists and keep them straight; don’t use a thumbless grip.
Unrack the barbell so that it’s directly above your lower chest.
Lower the barbell down a few inches from your lower chest, and push it back up while contracting your chest muscles, but don’t lock out your elbows at the top.

2) Dumbbell Pullover

This exercise is inspired by Greene, and it's truly great in isolating the muscles of your chest or back. In fact, it's one of the exercises where you have to focus so much on engaging the right muscles that you'll get the most out of it this way.

To do this workout:

Before you get started, place the dumbbell standing up on the end of the bench so that when you lie down, you can easily grab it with both hands.
Lie perpendicular on a flat bench so that only your upper back is touching it.
Grab the dumbbell with both hands holding only one end, and hold it above your chest so that your elbows are tucked in at about 45 degrees to your torso.
Slowly bring your arms back behind your head as if you were doing a press.

3) Dumbbell Fly

Inspired by Greene for bodybuilding, this exercise has more to completing chest development than the bench press. The fly is an important addition to any chest routine, as it offers something that the press doesn’t – full range motion.

Here's how you do it:

Grab the dumbbells off the floor, and sit on the bench.
Put them at your hips with your palms facing inward; lay back, and bring them close to your chest.
Once you're in position, take a deep breath, and press them up over your chest.
Lower the weights out to your sides with an angle at your elbow. Don't let them touch. Squeeze your pecs together, and bring the dumbbells back to their starting position.

4) Seated Calf Raise

This seated calf raise machine inspired by Greene for bodybuilding effectively builds muscle and strength in the Soleus (Calf) muscles of the lower leg.

The calves are important for everyday activities, like standing, walking, and running. It’s also important to train them for this purpose, but calves also play a role in heavy lower body weight training.

To do this exercise:

Sit on the calf-raise machine with your feet supported by its platforms and heels hanging off the edge.
Raise the weight by lifting your heels, flexing your calves and pushing down with your toes.
Move the machine's weight holder aside so that you can lower the weights all the way for a full range of motion.
Slowly lower your heels till you feel your calves stretch.
Lift your heels as high as you can while flexing your calves and exhaling.

5) Dumbbell Hammer Curl

If you want to train hard, consider Greene-inspired training with high frequency/low volume that focuses on reps, as opposed to strength where the focus is on heavy weight. When you want to focus on isolating your biceps and forearms, dumbbell hammer curls are the way to go.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms hanging at your sides, holding the dumbbells in both hands.
Curl both arms up toward your shoulders, and hold for a second, squeezing your upper arms against your sides.
Lower slowly, and repeat till you;ve completed the desired number of repetitions.

6) Dumbbell Shrug

The dumbbell shrug is inspired by bodybuilders like Kai Greene for mass and strength builder for the trapezius muscles, but it's also a great way to protect against neck injuries.

To stretch your trapezius muscles:

Grab a pair of dumbbells. Stand up straight, and let the dumbbells hang by your sides.
Hinge forward at the hips, and shrug your shoulders up and back as you bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells up over your head.
Lower slowly, feeling a stretch in your traps as you go. Repeat.

7) Bent Over Barbell Row

Bent Over Rows target a lot of muscles, most notably your lats, but also your biceps, forearms and core.

To do this move:

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and bend at the hips.
Keep the back straight as you bend your knees slightly, bringing the barbell to your abdomen.
Squeeze your glutes and core, and lift the bar up again.

Takeaway

Exercises inspired by Kai Greene for bodybuilding doesn't mean you should be doing heavy weights and trying to reach failure.

You have to have the endurance and stamina to maintain time under tension at the longest time possible. Stay consistent with your exercise routine, and you'll gain more muscle.