Tom Haviland is built like a tank: standing at 6 foot 8 and weighing in at 157 kilos. Haviland’s minimalist workouts have garnered significant attention on social media – featuring strongman staples like Zercher squats and yoke carries, alongside some less conventional moves like stacking plates on his forehead, lying back on a bench and doing neck curls. But despite all the attention, this isn’t for show: it’s to bulletproof Haviland’s body.
Three key exercises Haviland includes in his training are from a program written by Josh Bryant of Jailhouse Strong. The moves will pack on muscle and strength, as well as full-body resilience.
The moves Tom Haviland relies on to build muscle
1) Zercher lift to squat to thighs
- Begin standing tall in front of the squat rack, with the bar set just below elbow height.
- Un-rack the barbell in the crook of your elbows, with your chest lifted and core tight.
- Take a couple of steps back into your squat position, ideally a little wider than the hips with the feet turned out.
- Push your hips back into a low squat until the bar meets your thighs.
- Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to the start position.
- Place your feet at shoulder width under a bar.
- Bend your knees, hinge and grip the bar with a flat back.
- Perform a deadlift to bring the bar upwards.
- Brace your core and drive your feet into the floor to stand.
- Holding the bar at your hips, squat down and keep your chest lifted.
- As you reach the bottom of your squat, the bar should be resting at your hips.
- Reach under the bar with each arm and clasp your hands together with the bar in the crook of your elbows.
- With the bar secure, pull your shoulders back and stand tall.
- Push your hips back into a low squat until the bar hits your thighs.
- Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to standing.
2) Zercher shrug
- Unrack the barbell in the crooks of your elbows, in the same Zercher position.
- Shrug your shoulders as high as possible, before lowering them under control, ready to repeat.
3) Yoke walk
- Step under the yoke so the bar rests across your upper back and shoulders, similar to a back squat position.
- Brace your core, grip the side uprights, and lift the yoke by driving through your legs.
- Once stable, take short, quick, deliberate steps forward, keeping your posture tall and your core tight.
- Reverse the movement by walking backwards.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
Related:
