Monday, April 18, 2011

The Most Over Rated Exercises

I've seen a lot of people work out in the gym over the years and I've noticed that some exercises and machines are much more popular than others. I've made a list of some of the exercises that I feel may be overrated. I'm not saying these are bad exercises. There is a time and a place for them, but I think people rely too heavily on the exercises below.

The leg adductor/abductor- I wish I had a dime for every time I saw a girl come in the gym and go straight to these machines. This machine has it's place. It will strengthen legs and is probably good for physical therapy and body building, but it is not a cure for melting fat off of your thighs since most of it's users think they are spot reducing.

Leg Extensions- I enjoy the leg extension machine, but it's an easy isolation exercise as opposed to a compound movement. This exercise can  put a lot of stress on your knees. Lunges and squats are a better alternative for working your legs.

Bench Press- This is probably the most popular exercise in the gym. There's nothing wrong with the bench press, but so many people are dependent on it when it comes to a chest workout. The bench presses are always busy, but I could count on one hand how many times I've seen people doing push ups at the gym.

Ab Machines- These are fun machines, but they don't give you the total workout that you might get by doing knee ups, planks, curls, chops, etc. Also people usually associate 6 pack abs with ab exercises. Losing fat and watching what you eat has much more influence on a six pack than how many sit ups you can do.

Almost any gadget you can buy on TV- Most of these machines are low quality. Don't expect some aluminum and plastic machine that folds up under your bed or easily hides in a closet to be sturdy enough to last. You're usually better off doing body weight exercises and those won't even cost you anything either.

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes by labeling these exercises. I occasionally do some of these exercises, but I just think they are frequently over used and over rated.

2 comments:

Stacey said...

Good post. Those TV "gadgets" kill me!~ Especially the one where you hold it in your hand and it shakes and gives you great arms! HA! And people are buying it!

Cam said...

Agree- especially with all the equipment you can buy on TV for 3 easy installments. They are a staple at garage sales.