In my new article on the venerable Return of Kings, I discuss the deadlift, and why it truly is the king of exercises.

I have repeatedly gone on record saying that when it comes to weightlifting, there are only four lift exercises that you absolutely need to do, and this opinion is shared by many other fitness coaches and fitness enthusiasts.

Colloquially being known as the “big four” lifts, I have already discussed two types of pressesthat will cover almost all of your upper body needs. But the upper body is, of course, only half of the story. To be a truly strong and fit man, you have to work out your lower body as well, in a way that will make your legs, waist, hips, and core both functional and aesthetically pleasing. And, as luck would have it there are only two simple-but-difficult exercises you need!

,,,I’m going to point out the obvious: you stand on your legs and you are on your feet for a substantial amount of your day, regardless of whether you are a manual laborer or a cubicle jockey. Almost every motion you do that is remotely athletic is done while standing on your feet: walking, running, kicking, dancing, jumping—it all involves your legs and feet directly. And many more movements, like punching, throwing, and weightlifting, indirectly use the legs. Simply put, if you want to do any of these effectively, you’re gonna have to target them with strength training.

You can read the article here