You train hard, you press most days and squat like a Bulgarian but you’re still not seeing the improvements you would expect? Or do you have issues with certain lifts that you just can’t iron out?

It’s likely that there is a weakness within the kinetic chain that just isn’t up to par. Remember a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

So what we mean by this is that you may have strong quads, glutes and back, but your hamstrings are lagging behind, ultimately holding you back from executing an efficient lift.

This is where accessory work comes into play. Accessories are exercises aimed at specific muscles or movements to build/improve deficiencies within the bigger lifts, i.e. bench press, overhead press, squat or deadlift.

With the uprising of more ‘functional’ and compound moves, the more isolated accessory exercises have been exiled. However, this can lead to various limitations or even injuries within an athlete if specific weaknesses are not addressed.

Training programs such as the Conjugate Method, which makes use of high volume of training load concentrated on accessories, has proven time and time again the importance of accessory moves to not only prevent injury but also increase load capacity.

The following 5 exercises are an example of effective accessory moves that you can incorporate into your training routine to help improve performance and assist in injury prevention.

Banded push-up:

Banded push-ups are an excellent exercise to improve your pressing and lock out strength.

Banded triceps pull down:

Banded pull downs can really isolate the triceps to assist with lock out strength and control.

Good mornings:

Build hamstring strength and control with good mornings. Try using a band for some variety. Good Mornings are a great way to activate those Hamstrings after a solid day of pumping out emails at work.

Weighted bridge:

Are your Glutes letting you down? Then weighted bridges are a great exercise to bring them up to par. These exercises work hand in hand with banded good mornings to 

Glute-ham raises

This one is on the tougher side but when executed well can develop great glute and hamstring strength.