5 Exercises To Stop Doing NOW

After having a few clients ask me of exercises that I hate....it got me thinking...MAYBE....just maybe...if I go out of my way to let you guys know the exercises to stop doing, it can have a chain reaction to stop the THOUSANDS of gym go-ers I see on a day in and day out basis still grinding away at them.

Now, as a fitness professional, it is my job to study and research the correct and proper ways to strengthen the body! This doesn't mean that every exercise I dislike is automatically labeled as BAD but I have my reasons for everything!

So, to my 5 most hated exercises:

1.) Sit-Ups or Crunches

Yes, even with the increasing amount of information and research popping up daily about how bad these are for your back, I still see people everyday crunching away, hoping to see their stomach melt into the flat 8 pack they see in their magazine!

Why exactly are these so bad?

These are terrible for the low back/spine, as shown by
research from Dr. Stuart McGill. These exercises compress
the discs in your spine and can cause serious low back injuries.

Enough Said.

So, if your trainer is having you do crunches, I suggest its time to find someone else!

Alternatives:

Stability Ball or Power Wheel Rollout, TRX
Mountain Climbers, Plank or Bodysaw/Rocking Plank, or Stability
Ball Plank (30% harder on your abs than a regular plank)


2.) Broomstick Twists

Yes, sorry buddy, but you won't be smiling after your discs dislocate and are pinched from twisting like a table topper! 

Why?

Useless. Just useless. Unless you like compressing and twisting your lumbar spine....

Alternatives:

 Cross body mountain climbers, spiderman climbs,
side plank (with TRX)

3.) Leg Press

Why?

Possibly dangerous for low back due to the rounding of the
spine in the bottom position.

Alternatives:

Split Squats, Forward lunges, Narrow-Stance
Barbell Squat, Goblet Squat

4.) Behind the Neck Pulldown or Presses

Why? 

Likely dangerous for rotator cuff and also leads to terrible
form where people strain neck forward and contort themselves
just to do the movement.

Just NOT worth it, and can increase your risk for shoulder impingement syndrome—a painful condition in which the muscles or tendons of your rotator cuff become entrapped in your shoulder joint.

Alternatives:

Pullup, TRX row, V-grip pull down to chest, db row

5.) "Bodybuilder bench press" - with elbows out and bringing
bar down close to neck

Why? 

Terrible for the shoulder joint and rotator cuff.

Alternatives: 

Barbell bench brought to bottom of pecs with
elbows tucked into sides, DB chest presses (all varieties),
TRX or Ring Pushups

PLUS...as an added BONUS....lets dig into why Push Ups are better for body composition than Bench Press! Yes, I said it! Many of you head straight for the bench on meat-head Monday, but I'll be found beginning my workout with single arm pushups and have a much more effective result!

      So lets look at the Bench Press first...

When you're lying flat on your back for the bench press,   

your body remains stable and you move the weights through   

the air.

 

Your body subconsciously senses its core stability and it   

feels "safe".

 

     But now let's look at the push-up...

 

With the push-up, the only contact your body has with the   

ground is your hands and your toes and you're moving your   

entire body through the air.

 

While the movement may look the same as a bench press, your   

body actually senses this as "mildly dangerous" due to a   

lack of stability, and now has to focus not only on pushing   

up your body's weight... but also keeping you balanced at   

the same time.

 

In order to do that it must stimulate your central nervous   

system to a much higher degree just to call in those other   

stabilizer muscles to help keep you balanced.

 

And that's where you trigger a chain-reaction for real   

results...

 

You see, the more muscle fiber stimulation you can achieve,   

the more you rev up your metabolism.

 

And the more your metabolism is cranked up, the more bodyfat   

you'll burn all day (and all night), 24/7!

AND ADDING ONE!

** Long SLOW boring cardio on machines! Just stick to Intervals if your not an endurance athlete and looking for fat loss! If you are an elliptical person, I will be sure to see you reading this post a year from now with the same frustration in fat loss and toning!

There you have it! Please stop doing these exercises if you haven't yet!

In the meantime, check out one of my workouts and be shocked at what you can accomplish! If you are looking for results, and a fun yet challenging atmosphere....visit:

www.mjofitness.com

and sign up for a workout today!!

Until Next Time,

NEVER NEVER give up on whats important to you!

Mike Over
CPT / Strength & Conditioning Specialist
www.mjofitness.com