There are workouts that are slow, needlessly complicated, and potentially dangerous in your workout routine. Make sure you don't fall prey to these
There are workouts that are slow, needlessly complicated, and potentially dangerous in your workout routine. Make sure you don't fall prey to these seven awful exercises by ditching them.
1.Behind The Head Lat Pull-Down
Avoid: Walk into any gym around the world and you're sure to see someone behind their head doing lat pull-downs. That is a common error to stop. Not only does it provide a much more limited workout than the correct method, but it also damages each rep's spine, and your shoulders if your mobility range is not large enough to handle the pull-down movement.
Attempt instead: The right lat pull-down process behind the head method is basically the opposite of the injury-inducing one. Sit down on the floor facing the bar with your feet flat and lean back slightly to ease the pressure on your lower back. Now at a slight angle, you can pull down and release towards your throat.
2.The Box Jumps Rebound
Avoid: Box jumps are a good exercise for developing speed and power, coordination, and reaction time, and they are involved in circuit sessions by many personal trainers. This exercise, however, exerts an enormous amount of sudden impact on the 'jump down' stage and is notoriously damaging the Achilles tendon. The chance of injury is so high that it just isn't worth this exercise.
Try instead: Ditch the damaging rebound box jump from Achilles, and swap it to the box jump step down. Most of the benefits are gained from the explosive jump, so you can just step down and repeat after that, minimizing the impact on your Achilles.
3.Kipping pull-ups
Avoid: Tipping pull-ups are a variation on the standard pull-up which involves swinging body motion coupled with a sudden burst of power from the shoulders to reach above the bar. This move is in fact a high-risk injury exercise, as it pulls your shoulders violently on every rep. It is also not as effective as a standard pull-up – the Kipping pull-up is an inefficient way of cheating at regular pull-ups, according to the head strength coach at Boston University.
Attempt instead: The traditional pull-up is, for good reason, a staple of worldwide fitness programs. They can be hard but they also work out an impressive amount of muscles like the lats, rhomboids, biceps, and triceps.
4.Straight Deadlift Leg
Avoid: If performed right, the straight leg deadlift is a perfect exercise-it strengthens all the main muscle groups and is easily flexible depending on the skill level. Sadly, this is one exercise where if you get the form even slightly wrong, you'll be putting yourself at risk of injury. People are commonly tempted to slightly bend their back while lifting, which means that the lower back ends up doing all the lifting.
Do instead: Make sure your form is perfect if you are ready to work the straight-leg deadlift into your routine. Keep your spine as straight as possible and make sure that your lower back does not do any of the work.
5.Crunches
Avoid: If you've tried to do endless crunches, and still don't have the flat stomach you've dreamed of, it's because you're doing the wrong exercise. Crunches exert strain on each rep on your back and are extremely ineffective in working out your abs. Crunches are one of the worst core-focused exercises, and can actually be detrimental to your body in the long run, according to research conducted at the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Instead try: say goodbye to crunches, and hi to the plank. This is a key building work-out workout, and everyone can do it. Lie face down on the floor and lean on your forearms, then spread out your legs until you're raised to your feet. If your head, neck, back, and legs are done correctly, they will form a straight line and you'll get a great core workout.
6.Partial Squatting
Avoid: Squats often get a bad rep, and that is why they created the partial squat. The partial squat, though, is much worse indeed. Partial squats do not activate the full range of muscles that full squats do, with the hamstrings, glutes, and adductors missing. The fact that they work the quadriceps and not the hamstrings can lead to muscle fatigue which increases the risk of tearing a hamstring or anterior cruciate ligament.
Instead try: Complete squats are a much better alternative to partial ones when performed correctly. Make sure you keep your head straight and your spine well balanced when squatting. To do so, keep your shoulders back and your chest out throughout the squat's full motion. Breathe in on the way down, then exhale on the way up.
7.Ballistic Extensions
Avoid: Often ballistic stretching is perceived as an extension of dynamic stretching, but while dynamic stretching is the ideal start to a workout, ballistic stretching is an accident waiting to happen. Some people believe that the extra bouncing motion in a ballistic stretch helps to further stretch muscles, which is completely wrong. All this does is put a sudden strain on your muscles that can lead to tears in your eyes.
Try Instead: Dynamic stretches in combination with some light cardiovascular activity are the optimal method of warming up. Leg lifts, walking squats and butt kicks are all fantastic dynamic exercises, and would not be like explosive exercises, a chance of injury.
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