Navigating Secondary/Accessory Exercises
- Jake Hicks
- Sep 11
- 7 min read
What is a secondary exercise? What is an accessory? Again, questions that no one asks and it seems like a topic many aren't interested in being wrong in. I remember distinctly a time over 10 years ago I went through a phase where I purposefully tried to "unlearn" everything I had been taught in school. I truly belief school taught me what to think, but not how to think. This is something I conquered on my own and I wish to share these thoughts below.
Here is my no-nonsense approach to structuring workouts so you spend your time on the lifts that give you the biggest return on investment. I stripped away the confusing labels—accessory, assistance, primary, secondary—and built a system that’s based on one thing: time and effort. Below I explain that system, why it works, and exactly how I program reps, sets, and intensity for each category of movement.
To watch the video version of this topic on YouTube CLICK HERE.
Why labels get you stuck
Too many people live inside invisible boxes: "RDLs are accessories," "this lift is for powerlifting, that lift is for bodybuilding." Those labels create limits. Instead, I use a functional definition based on where I put my time and effort.
"The difference between a primary exercise and a secondary strength is simply the time and effort you decide to put on it in a session."
That’s it. Primary = the exercise you spend the most time and effort on in a session. Secondary = the exercise you spend the second most time on. Everything else after that, for me, is an accessory. This simple rule lets you tailor training to your goals without getting trapped by traditional labels. ANY exercise can be primary, secondary or an accessory exercise. Including RDL, Pull Ups and any other exercise you have never maxed out on.
Primary vs. Secondary vs. Accessory — practical definitions
Primary exercise: The lift you devote the most time and energy to. Usually compound, heavy, and focused on the strength and speed components you want most.
Secondary exercise: The second-most prioritized lift in the session. It complements the primary lift and gets meaningful time and intensity, but slightly less than the primary.
Accessory exercises: Everything after your primary and secondary. These are exercises I spend the least amount of time on. Typically used to build volume, address weaknesses, or induce hypertrophy via higher-rep sets.
Programming rep ranges and intensity (my rules)
My programming is consistent and simple. I want to hit measurable records (PRs) on most exercises, and I structure volume so I can recover and progress.
Primary (barbell compound work): Low-rep focus. Total volume per session: 18–36 total reps (usually built as multiple sets of 1–3 reps). This range allows high intensity, frequent training, and recoverable progression.
Secondary: Slightly lower volume than primary. I target roughly 15–21 total reps and I’ll use sets ranging from 1–6 reps. The secondary still gets top-sets and rep-max attempts.
Accessories (compound): Generally 6–12 reps per set. Used to build traditional time under tension, hypertrophy, and durability.
Single-joint/accessory (isolation): I usually stop counting reps and work by time—15–35 seconds per set—to prioritize metabolic stress and glycogen depletion.
For both primary and secondary strength exercises, I try to chase multiple PR types for each exercise: 1-rep maxes, 2–3 rep maxes, and AMRAP sets at 70%–80%. In practice that could mean me taking daily top sets in different rep ranges across primary and secondary lifts. So a key take away is to expand your rep maxes and PR priorities past your barbell exercises.
How I think about specific lifts
RDL vs. Deadlift
Most people label the RDL as an accessory or secondary strength exercise. That would be a mistake in my book. I view the Romanian deadlift (RDL) as a valid primary exercise, it's a top-down movement that emphasizes an eccentric phase and a stretch-shortening cycle you don’t get with a conventional deadlift from the floor. If your RDL is far below your deadlift, you’ve probably neglected it. Most people haven't even tried to max out an RDL because they have labeled it an "accessory". You need to rethink this way of thinking. Ideally the RDL should be very close to, if not greater than, your deadlift strength. Yes, you read that right. If you prioritize the RDL you will learn what I learn and that is that it's a worthy primary exercise.
Example from my history: my best deadlift was 735 lbs and my best RDL was 705 lbs for two. That proximity tells me the RDL is doing its job—training the hips, hamstrings, and the eccentric loading under control. The reason I believe these lifts should be at least close is the eccentric phase and the nature of the lift should allow more elastic strength.
Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell exercises can also be a primary or a secondary strength exercise. That means sets of 1-3 or sets 1-6 depending where you have it on your program. Traditional DB bench press, with 2 arms, many not fit well here due to the need of picking up weight in each arm. If you can easily pick up a DB in each arm to hit repeated sets of 1-3 reps per set then I would simply say your level of strength is still towards a beginners level. Just being honest. Single-arm variations solve the logistics problem. With a single arm DB press, you are able to pick the DB up with TWO arms. This is why for very heavy rep work, I use a single-arm dumbbell press and not 2 arm DB Bench Press. Single-arm pressing can be a legitimate secondary strength movement and still has PRs: 1–3 rep maxes and AMRAPs at submax intensities.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are another underused and meaningful primary strength and size movement. It's very rare for anyone to prioritize pull ups as much as they do back squats, but they should. This is an exercise that I went all in on years ago and became obsessed with training. I have repeatedly done the opposite of what I observe others to be doing and this was one of those times I learned people are missing out on. I came up with many pull up variations and loading variations from this deep dive and honestly my back has never been bigger or stronger. My best ever pull up 1 rep max was when I weighed 290 pounds and would add 80 pounds at my feet. Loading variations, specifically at the feet is a topic for another article.
Single-joint work: time over reps
For isolations (triceps extensions, biceps curls, lateral raises), my goal is metabolic stress and glycogen depletion. After exhausting the heavy, high-threshold (type II) fibers with primary and secondary lifts, I move to isolation work to "squeeze the juice" and finish the session.
Instead of counting reps, I use time —15 to 35 seconds per set of continuous reps. That could be 19 reps one set on one day and 24 the next; the exact number of reps doesn’t matter as much as the quality and the metabolic demand. This approach lets me get both mechanical tension (from compounds) and metabolic stress (from isolations). This is a decision I made in my training. I understand that metabolic stress is a by product of mechanical tension, these isolation exercises are simply a means to complete glycogen.
Training philosophy: use what works
Don’t get stuck a label. Whether you compete in powerlifting, bodybuilding, or neither, the training tool should be chosen by ROI. Ask yourself: which exercise will give me the biggest return if I spend the most time on it? That becomes your primary. The second-best choice becomes your secondary. Everything else is accessory. And you can and should spend time moving your "secondary exercises" to primary exercises. By definition they are both worthy and it's simply a matter of making a decision which to spend more time on.
Two practical points that matter:
Be measurable: Take PRs in multiple rep ranges (singles, doubles, triples, and AMRAPs at 70–80%). Track progress on both barbell and dumbbell variations. Take your secondary exercises as serious as your primary exercises. Same for accessories. Look to hit higher reps per set PRs. Don't go through the motions and DEFINITELY don't skip them. Many people skip them when they are tired or bored. Major mistake.
Feed your training: Use nutrition as the fuel to deliver on your intent. Exhausting glycogen purposefully in a session makes your post-workout nutrition and recovery meaningful—don’t leave fuel on the table.
How to apply this in one session
Pick your primary lift for the day (the one that best matches your goal) and program 18–36 total reps at heavy intensities (sets of 1–3 most often).
Choose a secondary lift that complements the primary. Aim for 15–21 total reps, 1-6 reps per set, and include top-sets in a different rep ranges (e.g., if primary was singles, let the secondary include triples).
Finish with accessory compound work (6–12 reps per set) to add hypertrophy and address weak points.
End with single-joint isolation work timed for 15–35 seconds per set to maximize metabolic stress and finish glycogen depletion.
Key takeaways
Primary vs. secondary is defined by time and effort, not by arbitrary labeling of exercises.
Chase PRs in multiple intensities across exercises—don’t avoid heavy singles on movements often labeled secondary strength or accessory exercises.
Use 18–36 total reps for primary barbell work, 15–21 total reps for secondary, and use time-based sets (15–35 seconds) for isolations.
Don’t be boxed in by dogma—use whatever lifts give you the biggest ROI for your goals.
If you’ve been doing the same thing too long, this simple reframing—primary, secondary, accessory based on time and effort—will force you to think differently and move hopefully find a new way forward. That’s the point: choose the exercises that matter most to you and give them the time and intensity they deserve.
Last thing I'll add... you can do your secondary exercise FIRST. The order doesn't matter. Sometimes it's a good way to set up the primary exercise. Example of this is doing 5x3 on back squat and then 12x2 on deadlifts. In this example the time spent on deadlifts are much longer than squats. However squats are the best way to warm up or potentiate your deadlifts so keep an open mind and don't get boxed in. There is no box.
For training inquiries email me at jakehicks@rxstrengthandfitness.com
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