Natural bodybuilder Joel Whinham, better known as TNF, recently sat down with fellow fitness expert to break down the ultimate exercise picks for each major muscle group.
What started as a friendly discussion quickly turned into a masterclass on exercise selection and execution.
The conversation reveals something most lifters overlook: it’s not just about which exercises you choose, but how you perform them.
Here’s what these two natural bodybuilding experts recommend for building maximum muscle.
Building Elite Quads With Just Two Movements
When it comes to quad development, Whinham keeps things straightforward but specific.
My two are going to be leg extension and one that goes like fairly deep. I prefer going past 90 on that. And then also a hack squat.
His training partner added a crucial detail about hack squats: using heel elevation through a wedge or platform.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
The elevation shifts pressure off the knee joint while increasing knee flexion. Translation? You can use less weight to create more growth stimulus.
For leg extensions, positioning makes all the difference. Shifting the knee up and forward changes the moment arm, effectively making the weight heavier without adding plates.
Hamstring Training That Actually Works
Hamstring development requires hitting both hip hinge and knee flexion patterns.
The first movement recommended: deficit Romanian deadlifts with a barbell. The key is dragging the bar down the shins until it nearly touches the shoes.
One expert uses toe elevation (opposite of heel elevation) to increase hamstring emphasis even further.
Whinham prefers stiff-legged deadlifts with a standardized range of motion.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I will always have something standardized that I touch to make sure that I get the same range of motion every single time on it.
For the second movement, seated hamstring curls take priority over lying variations. Why? Better leverage means heavier loading potential.
The crucial setup detail: never lean back. Instead, leverage forward and grab something to pull yourself into position for maximum stretch.
Back Development Split Into Perfect Angles
Creating complete back development requires targeting lats separately from upper back musculature.
Whinham currently favors supinated pull-downs for lat width, though he acknowledges preferences change with training phases.
For overall back thickness, chest-supported rows with proper protraction win out. The “turtle shell” setup—fully protracting at the bottom—maximizes range of motion.
His training partner takes a different approach: unilateral cable pull-downs from a high position.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Setting the bench slightly back allows pulling through the sagittal plane from elbow to hip. Splitting the body in half this way enables pulling 1.2 to 1.3 times more weight than bilateral variations.
For upper back, the emphasis shifts to keeping the chest planted throughout the entire rowing motion.
Common mistake alert: Lifting the chest during rows reduces elbow flexion angle, cutting upper back activation significantly.
Chest Training Beyond Basic Pressing
Here’s where things get controversial—no incline pressing makes the top two list.
Instead, the recommendation centers on bench-supported cable flyes at mid-chest angle. Setting up with elbows forward and exposing the bicep creates unlimited range of motion with complete bracing.
Second choice? Flat or even decline machine pressing with range-extending equipment.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
The game-changing cue: pretending to fall back into the machine while driving through. This positioning maximizes chest leverage over shoulder involvement.
Whinham brings back the incline press discussion, but with a twist.
The press that I’ve been doing I did not invent, stop saying that, is just a supinated incline press, right? It helps keep my elbows from flaring out.
Using supinated grip (palms facing you) automatically maintains tucked elbows without conscious effort, especially beneficial when handling heavier loads.
Arm Training With Maximum Isolation
Tricep development centers on overhead extensions, but setup determines everything.
Whinham’s preferred method involves bracing against a cable pole while performing overhead extensions. The weight pulls straight back, locking the body into position throughout the movement.
His training partner prefers bench-supported push-downs at roughly 60-degree angle. Heavier loading becomes possible because core and balance concerns disappear completely.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
For biceps, bench-supported cable curls with cables set about one foot off the floor create pure isolation. Scooping into the bench crook while keeping elbows pinned back eliminates momentum entirely.
Shoulder Training That Protects Joints
Front delts receive adequate stimulus from pressing movements, shifting focus toward lateral and rear deltoids.
For lateral head development, lying cable raises with specialized handles provide combined wrist and handle contact. Cables positioned about one foot above hip height allow dragging directly out, up, and back through a natural curve.
Rear delt training requires limiting range of motion strategically.
Cross-body cable flyes should only travel from full stretch (nearly punching yourself with the front delt) to about 90 degrees out. Beyond that point, trap muscles take over from rear delts.
Whinham sticks with pec deck machines for rear delts, appreciating the stability despite slightly limited range compared to cables.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
One creative setup involves bracing the body against the cable tower itself during lateral raises, completely eliminating body movement and isolating pure side delt contraction.
Execution Beats Exercise Selection Every Time
Both experts emphasized a critical point that gets lost in exercise debates: how you perform movements matters infinitely more than which movements you choose.
The biggest takeaway isn’t necessarily copying these exact exercise choices. Instead, focus on bringing intentionality and intensity to whatever movements you select.
The goal: maximize stimulus to target muscles while minimizing systemic fatigue, CNS drain, and injury risk.
Getting close to failure within the specific muscle group being targeted—not just reaching general fatigue—separates productive training from wasted effort.
These exercise selections represent refined approaches developed through years of training experience. Taking normal movements and optimizing setup, positioning, and execution transforms basic exercises into powerful growth stimuli.
Build Strength and Conditioning With One Simple Tool
FULL-BODY TRAINING
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Whether following these exact recommendations or adapting principles to available equipment, the underlying strategy remains consistent: perfect your execution, progressively overload with excellent form, and train with deliberate purpose every single set.
