How to Get Bigger Muscles (Very Safely)
Summary
Building bigger muscles requires mastering the major compound lifts, but technique and safety must come first. Physical therapist and trainer Jeff Cavaliere walks through five key exercises — covering both how to perform them effectively and how to avoid common injuries. He also emphasizes that neglected stabilizer muscles, particularly the rotator cuff, are essential for long-term training health.
Key Points
- Lead with your legs on the deadlift, never with your hips — always finish in full extension at the top of the movement
- Shoulder blade positioning is critical during pressing — scapulae must be pulled down and back to create a stable base before pressing
- The thruster combines a press and squat into one explosive movement, but requires maintaining thoracic extension throughout — rounding the back kills the lift
- Cheat curls can be used strategically to overload the eccentric phase of the barbell curl — lean slightly forward on the way up, then lower slowly and controlled
- Weighted dips should not go below 90 degrees of elbow flexion — going too deep endangers the shoulder joint
- Rotator cuff training is non-negotiable — neglecting these muscles undermines shoulder health and undoes the work of all pressing movements
- Every day spent injured is a day you’re not growing — training safely is part of the program, not separate from it
Exercise Details
Deadlift
- Target muscles: Back, legs (full posterior chain)
- Form cues:
- Initiate the pull by driving through the legs, not the hips
- Maintain a neutral lower back throughout
- Finish with full hip and knee extension at the top
- Common mistakes: Leading with the hips, rounding the lower back
Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Target muscles: Upper chest (emphasized over lower/mid chest)
- Form cues:
- Actively squeeze shoulder blades down and back before and during the press
- Press from a stable, retracted scapular base
- Common mistakes: Ignoring scapular position, which removes pressing stability
Thruster (Barbell)
- Target muscles: Shoulders, legs (full-body compound movement)
- Form cues:
- Keep elbows up throughout the squat portion
- Maintain thoracic extension — do not round the upper back
- Drive explosively from the squat into the overhead press
- Common mistakes: Losing upper back extension during the squat phase
Cheat Barbell Curl
- Target muscles: Biceps
- Form cues:
- Use a slight forward lean to cheat the weight to vertical on the concentric
- Lower the weight slowly to maximize eccentric overload
- Common mistakes: Leaning backward — this causes loss of balance and increases injury risk
Weighted Dip
- Target muscles: Chest, triceps, shoulders
- Form cues:
- Add load using a makeshift belt (e.g., a dog leash looped through the hips)
- Lean slightly forward; descend only to 90 degrees at the elbow
- Press back up from that point
- Common mistakes: Dipping too low, which places excessive stress on the shoulder joint
Rotator Cuff External Rotation (Tubing)
- Target muscles: Rotator cuff (external rotators)
- Form cues:
- Keep the elbow tucked firmly to the side throughout the movement
- Rotate the forearm outward in a controlled arc
- Common mistakes: Letting the elbow lift away from the body, which turns the movement into a lateral raise and removes rotator cuff engagement