Swap Out These 5 Exercises for A Better Workout

I like to say “There are no bad exercises, just bad reasons.” Most exercises are not inherently bad, they just may not get you to your end goals, or in an efficient manner. With that in mind, almost every day I see others in the gym who are wasting their time with ineffective, useless exercises, but who could, with just a few tweaks, make their efforts much more worthwhile. Here are five common exercises, either not worth your valuable time, or usually done poorly, and alternatives you can do instead to maximize your results in your training. 1. Plank

Before you get started, I LOVE planks. They are one of the best exercises out there, and this is absolutely not to discourage you from doing them! In fact, my critique of planks is for those who are TOO good at them! If you’re finding yourself doing a minute, two minute, three minute plank with ease, it’s time to step up the exercise. Would you go from curling 15lb dumbbells for 10 reps to 15lb dumbbells for 50 reps? No, you’d pick a heavier weight. In this case, we are going to pick a progression, or more advanced version, of the plank. My favorite is the bodysaw- a plank held movement that changes the load on your abdominal muscles as you shift your bodyweight back and forth. The best news is, all you need are two sliders, or towels on the ground, and it can be done anywhere.

2. Barbell Back Squat

Once again, barbell back squats are a terrific exercise when used in the correct situations. This critique is for those who are just getting into squatting for the first time, or for the first time in a long time, and go right into the barbell back squat. This sudden jump into what quality trainers actually consider an advanced movement, increases your risk of injury and poor form right off the bat. Instead, start with a dumbbell or kettlebell goblet squat, which forces you to engage your core more than a back squat, and encourages proper form. It’s also a harder exercise with similar amounts of weight! My own rule of thumb- a client should be able to goblet squat half of their body weight, before moving onto a barbell back squat.

3. Crunch

This exercise is not inherently “bad”... but there are better alternatives. People also perform crunches incorrectly more often than not, flexing hard from the cervical spine and causing strain in the neck. My alternative is the McGill Curl Up, which focuses on a smaller, held flexion and a relaxed neck, maintaining the benefits of the crunch while removing some disadvantages.

4. Push Up Yet another exercise that I love, that too many people do incorrectly! A push up is essentially a plank that you then push yourself up and down from- therefore, go into the push up imagining yourself in a plank, and then hold that perfect plank throughout the entire exercise. If you can’t maintain a perfect plank and your hips dip (see video) up or down, or your chest comes up faster than your hips, you need to regress the exercise. Some people will do push ups from their knees, but that takes the whole benefit of holding a plank out of the movement (we want a strong core!) Instead, do an incline push up. The higher the incline, the easier the movement. As you progress in your strength, simply lower the incline until you reach the ground.

5. Side Bend with Dumbbell This exercise I hate. Is it inherently “bad”? No, however, it doesn’t do what most people think it does. In fact, it does the opposite. Side bends do not “tone” the side of your abs… instead, with enough volume, it increases the size of the obliques. Most people I know are not looking for a “boxier” midsection, so this often isn’t a good end result. In addition, this isn’t a very “functional” exercise. How many times do you pick up a heavy load of groceries in one hand, and then flex them up and down 15 times? You instead carry the groceries a distance, which is what my replacement exercise mimics- the offset farmers carry. This exercise trains the muscles in the way they are designed to be used, stabilizing the spine and torso under an uneven load. The offset farmers carry will build solid core strength, without wasting time or adding bulk to your sides.