And again, another list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote a safer, more effective workout.
*Try this…
DIPS
Dips are like pull-ups in that they are way more effective for your arm muscles than the typical one jointed arm moves. The tricep dip hits your lower chest hard, so it's ideal for your chest/triceps workout day. This move, without any assistance also brings your core into play by having to stabilize yourself in the air. More muscles working equals more muscle on your frame.
*Instead of....
THE TRICEPS KICKBACK
The kickback is just too easy. The way your body is positioned—with the arm parallel to the floor and the elbow pointing up—the triceps only really have to work to lock the elbow out at the end of the range of motion. And since the weight you’re forced to use is so light, you won’t get stronger.
*Try this…
POWER CLEANS
This is a combination exercise that works your whole body. Place a barbell on the floor at your feet, squat down and grasp the barbell using an overhand grip just beyond shoulder width apart. In one motion, lift the barbell by using your legs so that you end up standing up, lift the barbell to your chin by raising your elbows up toward the ceiling while one of your legs drops back underneath you to give you additional support. Just as the barbell nears your chin, you will drop your elbows which will cause your wrists to tuck underneath the barbell. Finally, bring your support leg back underneath you so that you are now standing up straight with the barbell tucked under your chin.
*Instead of…
SHRUGS
You know this move: Grab a barbell or heavy dumbbells then shrug to your ears. Whoever invented this exercise forgot one key thing: Gravity pulls downward, not forward or back. So you’ll take tension off the traps, and you’ll grind your shoulder joints. Also, the range of motion on this move is very short with one muscle working, so it pales into comparison next to the power clean, where you can work your traps just as hard, but also get the benefit of working many more muscles, plus conditioning yourself with an Olympic type lift.
*Try this…
STANDING SHOULDER PRESS
Get rid of the seat you may normally use which takes away from you having to stabilize your core muscles in this lift. Stand up and grab a set of dumbbells or a barbell and do a shoulder press. This hits your deltoid muscles hard as well as your triceps. And again, by standing instead of sitting, your core has to work.
*Instead of…
THE LATERAL RAISE
While most guys use bad form anyway, swinging the weights up to shoulder level as if they were birds flapping their wings, this exercise is not too effective even if it’s done right. The shoulders get plenty of work from presses, pull-ups, deadlifts, and just about any other exercise you do. The lateral raise just isn’t necessary.
*Try this…
THE TURKISH GET-UP
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left leg bent and left foot flat on the floor. Grab a light dumbbell and hold it up over your head. Now raise your torso off the floor and stand up, keeping your arm in the air. Once you are up, lie back down gently and repeat. Do the same amount of reps using your other arm to hold up the dumbbell. This old-school move works all your muscles, enhancing core strength and your six-pack.
*Instead of…
ANY CRUNCH PERFORMED ON A CRUNCH MACHINE
Crunches are not the best ab exercise; given that abs don’t perform crunching motions in daily life. Adding a machine to the mix only makes the move less effective. Machines limit the involvement of the lower- back muscles, which the abs aren’t designed to contract without. This leads to muscle imbalances and—you guessed it—injury. Plus, much like a smith machine, you’re moving the weight along a fixed machine, eliminating the use of your core muscles to balance and stabilize you.
Try This Instead
Wouldn’t you want to maximize your time working out? There’s nothing wrong with varying your workout and performing a move that hits the muscles a little differently, but exercises that force you to work with extremely light weights, and use over-complicated equipment that puts you at risk for injury, just aren’t worth doing. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote more effective workout.
*Try this…
MEDICINE BALL PUSHUPS
The pushup is already one of the best upper body movements out there. It works the mainly the chest, triceps, and shoulders, but also hits the hip flexors and abdominals. Doing it with your hands on a ball will force more core muscles to work all at once and make it a more beneficial exercise overall. The more muscles worked at one time, the more muscle that gets packed onto your frame.
*Instead of…
THE PEC-DECK FLY
This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they perform the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. Plus, you’re only working one muscle. Why work one at one time when you can work 5 at one time? Maximize your time. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.
*Try this…
SINGLE LEG SQUAT
Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move thrashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance, making your core work. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees.
*Instead of…
THE LEG EXTENSION
Like the pec-deck fly, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury. And again, why work one single muscle at once, when you can work several? The more muscles that work at one time and the more calories will burn with more lean muscle being created, thus speeding up your metabolism and bringing out the cuts.
*Try this…
THE BOX SQUAT
Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.
*Instead of…
THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT
Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith-machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.
*Try this…
THE CHINUP
Not only will the chinup blast your biceps, it will also blast back and shoulder muscles and make you much stronger overall. Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength.
*Instead of…
THE BICEP CURL
Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports. Chinups will make your biceps bigger than bicep curls for the simple fact that more muscles work during the movement. And again, the more muscles that work together at once and the more lean muscle that will be created.
*Try this…
MEDICINE BALL PUSHUPS
The pushup is already one of the best upper body movements out there. It works the mainly the chest, triceps, and shoulders, but also hits the hip flexors and abdominals. Doing it with your hands on a ball will force more core muscles to work all at once and make it a more beneficial exercise overall. The more muscles worked at one time, the more muscle that gets packed onto your frame.
*Instead of…
THE PEC-DECK FLY
This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they perform the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. Plus, you’re only working one muscle. Why work one at one time when you can work 5 at one time? Maximize your time. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.
*Try this…
SINGLE LEG SQUAT
Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move thrashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance, making your core work. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees.
*Instead of…
THE LEG EXTENSION
Like the pec-deck fly, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury. And again, why work one single muscle at once, when you can work several? The more muscles that work at one time and the more calories will burn with more lean muscle being created, thus speeding up your metabolism and bringing out the cuts.
*Try this…
THE BOX SQUAT
Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.
*Instead of…
THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT
Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith-machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.
*Try this…
THE CHINUP
Not only will the chinup blast your biceps, it will also blast back and shoulder muscles and make you much stronger overall. Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength.
*Instead of…
THE BICEP CURL
Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports. Chinups will make your biceps bigger than bicep curls for the simple fact that more muscles work during the movement. And again, the more muscles that work together at once and the more lean muscle that will be created.
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