Welcome to 2023! We’ve got a good feeling about this one. These next twelve months are all about consistency and progress. One’s the key to the other. But consistency doesn’t have to mean monotony.
Fitbod’s all about variation. Especially this year…Sure, we have 900+ exercises in our library. But, what’s wrong with adding more?
More exercises. Every month. All year. You’ll see multi-angle videos, clear instructions, and pro tips from our trainers.
First round’s already loaded up—they’re your top 10 most requested exercises! Keep reading for more info on each… Plus a few plugs from our trainers!
New Exercises for January ‘23
Our first set of exercises for 2023 are your top 10 most-requested moves, based on an email survey in late 2022.
Many of these exercises are variations of moves you’ve probably done. Challenge your muscles in a different way, add a stability component, or find a modification that just feels better for your body.
1. Cross Body Hammer Curl
Hammer curls target the long head of the bicep better than standard curls. They look cool, too. You’ll see the same results from them as you would from standard hammer curls. Feel free to do whichever one you like more.
Pro tip: People tend to look down and round their backs while doing this exercise. If there’s one available, use a mirror. Watch yourself rather than the weight. This will help you maintain better posture.
2. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise
This calf raise variation will definitely boost your ankles’ ability to stabilize, which is key to your overall agility and balance. Plus, it’s more “real-world”: Unless you’re bored in line or bunny hopping up stairs, you probably only use one calf at a time.
Pro tip: This exercise requires a lot of balance. If you’re struggling to complete the reps, hold on to something stable like a doorframe or chair.
3. Gorilla Rows
Gorilla rows: What a name! They’re great for targeting one side of your back at a time. You give more attention to both. Plus, you’re adding a stability component, which is almost always good to incorporate.
Pro tip: Make this exercise more difficult by performing the reps while standing on a raised surface so you can increase your range of motion.
4. Bird Dog Rows
These are awesome. You get the benefits of standard rows and an isometric hold (think Supermans). Not only are they great for your stabilizing muscles, but they also build you a strong back. They’re like a two-for-one.
Pro tip: If you’re having trouble holding this position, start by just holding this position without weights. As you get more stable, add some slow reps to work toward a full set.
5. Cable Front Raise
Big fan of this variation on the standard front raise. It puts the resistance behind you and loads your shoulders differently.
Pro tip: You can change the angle of the resistance by stepping closer or farther away from the cable machine’s pulley. Play around to find what works best for you.
The Rest of the Best.
Check these out on the app for more info, videos and instructions.
6. Standing Oblique Crunch
Pro tip: You can slow this exercise down to help develop balance.
7. Single Arm Cable Press
Pro tip: If you bend forward at the waist to assist yourself for each rep, reduce the weight and focus on engaging your core. That’ll keep your chest up.
8. Mini Loop Band Squat
Pro tip: Where you position the mini loop band will change how much tension is applied to your abductors and glutes. The farther down your thigh, the more difficult each rep of this exercise will be.
9. Pulse Back Squat
Pro tip: If you’re having trouble maintaining proper form during the pulse, try to think of it less like a bounce and more like you’re performing that piece of the range of motion twice. This can slow you down enough to maintain good form.
10. Hand Release Push Up
Pro tip: If you struggle to raise your hands straight off the floor, you can bring them forward. The point of raising your hands off the floor is to use your full range of motion on each rep, not to launch yourself.
Ready to Give ‘Em a Try?
Our Fitbod trainers built these three well-rounded 45-minute workouts for you to see how these new exercises could fit into your routine. Open these on your phone and save them for easy access.
- Jan ‘23: 45-Minute Upper-body Workout
- Jan ‘23: 45-Minute Lower-body Workout
- Jan ‘23: 45-Minute Full-body Workout
FAQs
Q: How can I add these exercises to my workout?
A: Tap the “+” above your workout (next to the number of exercises in your workout), hit the “Categories” tab, and scroll to “Recently Added to Fitbod”. Or, if you’re on your phone, just tap here.
Q: Can I just wait for the Fitbod algorithm to recommend these new exercises?
A: Yes, you can. But, with a library of 900+ exercises, it may take a bit for these new exercises to show up in your workouts on their own. If you know you want to do (or not do) any of them, tell Fitbod. Tap the 3 dots next to any exercise to choose “Recommend More,” “Recommend Less,” or “Exclude”.
Q: Will the weights and reps for these new exercises match my ability?
A: They might not on your first go. Since these exercises are new to Fitbod, they aren’t perfectly calibrated to your fitness level yet. If the weights and reps don’t match your ability, adjust them! You’ll get better recommendations moving forward, and you’ll help Fitbod “train” these new exercises to level-set themselves for all of our users. (Note: We’re always improving our workout recommendation algorithm. Over time, we intend to get these starting values to match your ability from lift one.)
Q: How do you decide which exercises to add?
A: We weigh a few factors. The first (and most important) is requests from users. Fitbod is built for you, after all. Want to request an exercise? Drop us a line here. The second most important factor is whether or not an exercise contributes to a well-rounded fitness program. For example, we know that a lot of Fitbodders run. So, our trainers may suggest a set of exercises for runners to make Fitbod a better overall experience.
Q: How many new exercises will be added each month?
A: The number of exercises in each drop will vary based on the “theme” our team picks. First one’s easy: It’s a list of your top 10 most requested exercises. Next time, there are probably going to be more. They’ll probably also be related to a common muscle group, movement, or piece of equipment.
