Video summary
In a hypothetical scenario where he could select only ten exercises to build an optimal physique, Sam Sulek outlines his specific choices based on muscle activation and aesthetic goals rather than traditional powerlifting standards. For leg development, he prioritizes the leg extension for quads over heavy squats or leg presses during dieting phases because it allows for high-volume squeezing without compromising form when fatigued; similarly, he favors a lying hamstring curl to maximize stretch compared to seated variations where hip positioning might limit tension on the muscle belly. For back width, his sole choice is the lat pulldown, which offers versatility in grip and body angle: using a wide handle placement with shoulder rotation targets the upper lats for an extended look, while a closer grip allows for heavier loading that engages the forearms and biceps as well. Moving to chest development, Sulek initially considers incline barbell presses but ultimately selects the seated cable press due to its ability to maintain constant tension throughout the entire range of motion without relying on bone structure or momentum at the top of the movement. He argues that dumbbells are less ideal because they cannot be loaded as heavily and often require adjusting grip positions, whereas a flat bench setup with cables allows him to manipulate hand height to target either the upper chest by raising hands slightly or lower fibers by lowering them. This exercise also permits alternating between heavy sets for strength building and lighter, high-repetition sets focused purely on the squeeze, covering all necessary stimulus bases in one movement. For arm isolation, Sulek identifies two specific exercises: a cable pushdown with an EZ bar set at approximately 120 degrees to target triceps effectively without straining wrists or shoulders like V-bar variations; and standing supinated dumbbell curls for biceps, which he prefers over seated versions because the ability to change load dynamically alters the movement style. He also includes forearm development via a cable curl using a single handle grip, noting that while many bodybuilders neglect this area after it grows initially, maintaining large forearms is essential for aesthetic appeal and sleeveless appearances often required in acting or fitness modeling. The remaining selections address neglected muscle groups and conditioning needs to complete the ten-exercise roster. Sulek adds calf raises on a seated machine over standing variations because he feels better activation there despite common misconceptions about which position works best; this is paired with cardio bike sessions performed at an incline in a reclined position, allowing him to sustain zone two heart rate training for extended periods while multitasking. He acknowledges that calorie burn metrics can be misleading due to individual efficiency differences between casual lifters and elite athletes like Olympic cyclists or marathon runners who move more efficiently on the pedals. Finally, Sulek addresses abs, glutes, shoulders, and lower back by explaining his philosophy of maintenance versus growth through secondary work rather than dedicated isolation routines. He believes that core stability is sufficiently maintained during compound movements like dumbbell curls where he must keep himself rigid to prevent injury or loss of form; similarly, shoulder development comes from other lifts since they are already large enough relative to arms and do not require further hypertrophy. The only exception added for leg thickness in the middle is an adductor machine exercise, which fills a gap between knee flexion movements by squeezing legs together to thicken the inner thigh area without interfering with quad or hamstring development.
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Let's say that you only had 10 exercises
for the rest of time
>> to build the best body that you could.
>> What are you going to choose? Talk me
through the
>> philos. I've got I've got a roster set
up. So, when it comes to legs, I think
that the idea of a crazy heavy squats or
leg press all the time as a quad
builder,
>> it just wouldn't be it for me cuz I've
had periods of time where I basically
did a leg extension exclusively. Usually
when I diet, my leg extension volume
increases because I mean squeezing wise,
activation wise, you know, if you slouch
electronic pulse indicators, maybe you
could get a real readout of how much
they're activating.
>> But for me, like if I had to pick a quad
movement, I would just kill it on the
leg extensions cuz you can really pump
them up, go a little heavier. Like
there, if I had to pick one, it'd be
they that would be it.
>> Okay. Then hamstrings would be I'd be a
little torn, but I'd probably pick
I'm very torn. Either seated or laying
curl.
>> Mhm.
>> But either way, a hamstring curl. Uh
>> pick one. I'm I'm afraid Sam, you can't
>> I guess I'd have to pick the uh I'd have
to pick laying. I would have picked
>> a little bit more stretch. I would well
I just like not even because of that
because you would actually in a seated
position
>> if you pull forward
>> would your you know hips not be more
rounded over where your hamstrings tie
in. So now they're actually more
stretched
>> like you feel your hamstring stretch
when you bend your torso to touch your
toes, not when you're laying down.
>> So like the idea when people talk about
there's more stretch on the lane curl
like I don't I don't even see it. Well,
that depends if you're sat like this
because often there handles people press
themselves up.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, that would be
>> you've pushed this off as opposed to
pulling yourself in. So, I guess it
depends how you position yourself.
>> So, I I guess but right now I'm on a
kick of laying curl.
>> All right. So, quad extension, lying
hamstring curl.
>> Mhm. And then for back, I'd probably
just have to do regular pull downs. But
you could also cheat them into a row by
leaning back extra far.
>> All right. Okay. Yeah, that's that's
that's acceptable cuz you've just got
the one machine.
>> It's the same handle. It's the same
setup.
>> Okay. All right.
>> For me anyway. I need more lats because
I want them to be wider. Like the
thickness of my back is actually fine.
Like I want them to extend out. Like
that's what really gives that sort of
look illusion.
>> What do you think about when it comes to
lat pull down, hand position cues? What
are you thinking?
>> Because then you you can change it up
pretty drastically. Like if I do a
lighter set, which is normally toward
the end, uh I can put my hands extra far
out and it's a bit more like rather than
pulling my shoulders up and down, which
kind of gets like a lot of my lower
lats, like kind of erector like middle
thickness rather, you know, having wider
hands and rotating around my shoulders.
That gets me a little more upper lats.
But or you could also make it super
heavy and do a closer grip and you get a
little forearm and bicep just from the
nature of a like that's more of a
compound movement of a row.
>> But then you can really load it too.
>> Okay. So quad extension, lying hamstring
curl, lat pull down with a little bit of
on the handle.
>> What's for?
>> Yeah. For for chest, I think I'd have to
pick
Oh, I'm a little torn. But honestly, if
I had to only pick one.
>> No, you can. You've got 10 in total. So
you can
>> but you got a lot of muscle groups. So
you got to at least cover your bases.
>> Okay.
>> So I would say there was a time when I
would say incin barbell
>> if I was on an incined barbell kick.
>> But it it's a little trick in your
shoulders because of it's very like
directly
mounted. Like the only time I ever get
my shoulders is usually incined barbell.
When I like it, I like it. But I
wouldn't do it all the time. So that's
where I would say dumbbell.
But even then, dumbbells very limited
because you can go really heavy and the
individual loading and the fact that
they can move out the entire way. You
still squeeze at the top. You can rest a
bench with a bar at the top
>> cuz it's all just going through your
bone structure.
>> Not so much with dumbbells. So, it's
>> always adjusting.
>> Yeah, you're all you're never going to
relax on the top of a dumbbell.
>> But what I think I'd have to pick now
would actually be a uh a seated cable
press. So, if you've ever seen seat here
>> Mhm.
Cable here, cable here. You pull it in.
You kind of like this.
>> Okay.
>> Because neutral throughout that.
>> Pretty neutral. Yeah.
>> Yeah. So, you're not you're not allowed
>> not incline, not decline, like kind of
hands up a little bit
>> because that's a much more versatile set
cuz I can do it really heavy like a
conventional press, but I I could also
go lighter and be much more squeeze
emphasized
>> cuz those are like the two bases I
basically cover for every mo, every body
part. If I do a heavy one, I'm going to
counter it with a lighter squeezing one.
>> And to do only one, I think you'd be
limiting your stimulus.
>> So that uh that puts us away.
>> That's that's that's four now. So
there's definitely on incline dumbbell
press, which I think for every guy
is always going to be up there for
chest. It feels good on your shoulders.
It's always one of the first movements
that you do when you get into the gym.
You feel like it's building the bit of
the chest that you want, which is up
here. Um, but if you do a really light
set, you just don't feel it the same as
you do if you're on cable. So, I
understand that tension, especially cuz
you're being pulled that way, not that
way. Right. It's
>> So, you always have that
>> kind of, you know, widening force even
at the top.
>> Yeah, that's a good point. All right.
So, there's four. So, extension, curl,
pull down,
>> cable, press.
>> Yeah. Is that on a on a little incline
30°?
>> Just just flattish. basically flat flat
loaded.
>> All right.
>> Because then you could also put your
hands up a little and get more upper
chest. Put it down a little, get more.
>> You're being very cheeky here. Okay.
Number five.
>> So a five and six for arms would be uh
well for triceps first. I' I'd probably
have to pick just a easy bar curl push
down.
>> So not the V bar like 90 degrees is too
much.
>> Straight is also a little too much on
your wrists.
>> So a little camber more like a 120.
That's about right because I can also do
that light and squeezing or you can
really like get into it and have some
heft.
>> What are you thinking about with cues
for that? Are you more upright? Have you
got a little bit of bend in the hips?
>> Yeah, decently upright. But if you're if
you stand too upright, well then now
you're like turning it into an ab
exercise cuz you're loading your arms
downward and you have to keep yourself
tense to stay there. So, I I I'll hunch
over it. Or if I'm doing a hard one,
I'll put my head to the side of the
cable and kind of like wrench it a
little like that. Not for all of them,
but for some of them.
>> Mhm. Okay.
>> And then dumbbells is just dumbbell
curls. Like it's it's hard to beat.
>> Seated, standing, supernated
>> with a count as different movements.
>> Yes. Got to pick one.
>> I guess I'd have to just pick standing.
>> Standing supernated.
So more of a regular a classic twist of
neutral at your, you know, your hips
into super.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Because just the
>> with some movements being able to change
the load completely changes the style of
the movement cuz I could do the 30s and
really hold it and squeeze it. Or I
could try to do like the 70s and have it
be a much heavier kind of brunt sort of
thing.
>> So that's uh All right, we're getting
close to six now. So you got four left.
>> Yeah. So six now.
I can chill in shoulders because I don't
I haven't done a real shoulder workout
for like years at this point because
they're just they're already big
>> like they don't relative my arms need to
grow. So I I I would want to add a a
forearm curl cable.
>> Okay.
>> So hold on the 1D handle, you know,
cable up here. I'm loading it down this
way. Like this is the force.
>> Okay.
>> And I'm just doing this.
>> Okay.
>> And it's not a huge movement. Yep.
>> But it's like enough where you actually
kind of thicken this up. And I used to
do a ton of that and then my forearms
got big enough and then I never did it
again. At least
>> now you're back on it because the arms
have gone up.
>> Now I added a little more. But it's uh
Yeah. And honestly for just I think it
was a joke that Hugh Jackman or someone
or Stallone worked their forearms like
crazy cuz when you're acting you're not
always shirtless but you're usually
sleeveless
>> and having big forearms makes you look
extra cool. Mhm.
>> So, uh I guess after that I probably
have to add a calf raise just because
>> standing seated.
>> H seated seated is a little bit better.
>> Okay. Even though you're going to be
hitting I always get these the wrong way
around versus whatever for me. I feel it
and my calves will grow from it. So I've
got my own anecdotal evidence of it
worked.
>> Okay. Got two left.
>> So the next one has to be the cardio
bike which not many people would add.
>> Mhm.
>> Cuz they were thinking I don't even need
to do cardio
>> cuz it's not on their mind.
>> But that's uh Yeah. So seated and then
the pedals are like where my feet are
over here. It's kind of a reclined a
little bit further back.
>> It's a reclined position and it's the
easiest one. Little back rest.
>> My torso does not move.
>> So I can pedal as much as I want and I'm
just sitting playing with my phone for
30 minutes.
>> Like you can do it and also make it
easy.
>> Have you got a preferred machine for
that? Like to precore make a
particularly good
>> just and some of them they have little
handles. Sometimes the handles are too
close to where your knees are and you'll
bump your knee on them. That's that
that's my only gripe. But I'm not I'm
not picky. The one I have at my house is
like
>> I mean it's the equivalent of one that
you would get for free if you picked it
up from like the side of the road,
>> but it it still works. And actually,
that one's harder on a um well, it reads
harder because sometimes the math that
they do to calculate calories burned,
it's not completely cuz if someone like
me pedal for 30 minutes at X difficulty,
at X speed, an Olympic cyclist or like a
marathon cyclist could do it at the same
speed and the same difficulty and he
would actually burn less calories cuz
he's more efficient
>> and I'm less efficient. So, it's not
necessarily I always aim for the same
number. It's like I know the feeling of
like this is hard, but it's not too
hard. Like, this is the right energy
expenditure level.
>> I did that on a I've been getting into
incline treadmill walking to get to zone
two. Zone two for me is really hard to
hit. It's like way faster than a normal
walk on the road and it's way slower
than a jog.
>> And
>> yeah, my incline preferred is like 3.5
5%.
>> 3 point for me 3.2 two at 15.
>> Yeah.
>> Is is nice, but I don't know what the
metrics are of the whatever the machine
is that was in the UK and it was 3.25
and I was like this doesn't feel right.
Okay, I'll just keep going up four. Like
four still doesn't feel right. Five.
What the is this number? It got to
5.3.
I'm like
>> the speed is off. Is that miles per hour
or
>> I don't know because it wouldn't be
kilometers over here cuz it would still
be miles per hour. whatever it was, the
exact same. You go, I can go to a new
machine. And after you've done,
>> you don't even need that many sessions.
What
>> 20 30 sessions before you go, I kind of
understand how I'm supposed to feel and
where my heart rate's supposed to be at
like just by a sense of breathing.
>> Exactly.
>> Okay. So, you got one left. What's left?
>> Yeah. One left.
>> What haven't we done? We haven't You
haven't touched abs. You haven't touched
glutes directly. You haven't touched
shoulders directly.
What else is missing? I think that's it.
lower back. I guess if that's
>> in a bodybuilding sphere, you you'd want
your lower back developed enough
>> where it's got like a little texture,
but if it gets too big, it'll take away
from your waist because the whole point
is this illusion of wider shoulders and
a smaller waist. So, now that they're
already developed, I probably wouldn't
like I don't hit my abs because they get
worked, you know, kind of secondarily
for like even doing dumbbell curls. I'm
keep myself stable. Like once they're
there and you're actually still working
out, they're not going anywhere because
you're and then every time you look at
yourself in the mirror, you got to flex
them.
>> Like they get worked enough to be
maintained. So that's uh like that's why
there's not a lot of ab workouts cuz I
did a lot before and now they're just
not going to go anywhere.
>> Like same with shoulders. So
[Music]
>> I'd have to I'm a little reluctant, but
I can't think of anything else I'd want
to do. I' I'd pick the adductor machine.
So that's where you're squeezing your
legs together.
>> Okay. Why?
>> Makes your legs a little thicker in the
middle because that's it's this whole
kind of like system of uh like kind of
it tie in it ties in kind of below your
knee more hamstring, but it's this sort
of just piece right in the center where
if your adductors were completely
undeveloped and you just stood up
straight with your knee straight, you'd
have a really big gap between your legs.
>> And you think you wouldn't be able to
fully get that with the extension? Uh
well the extensions are quad
>> because that's a qu like a knee flexion
>> and this is uh like leg well you know I
don't even know what you call it
>> that
>> they uh yeah the joke is the
well it's
I don't know there's like two versions
of a joke cuz they'll call that one the
ball crusher
>> cuz that's what you squeeze your legs
together but the older like the joke
that people would say before was that
was either the good girl or the bad girl
machine.
>> Uh, one's forcing it apart, one's
forcing it together.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
>> Because I I don't really I don't want to
perpetuate that name, but that was
that's kind of a reference to to those.
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