Many personal trainers always say that any exercise is better than none at all. But, that’s not always the case. Certain movements and exercises actually can cause pain, discomfort and improper form.
If you feel that an exercise doesn’t fit you or causing pain, it means you should stop doing it.
Check for the ineffective exercises that you should stop doing now:
Crunches
If you have a weak core, then you should stop doing crunches. Crunches target one group of muscles and doing this exercise on the floor puts too much pressure on your neck and lower back. If you don’t know how to perform it correctly, then you can try doing plank instead.
Barbell overhead squat
Squats are great, but not when you add a bar with weights on it. This puts excess pressure on the shoulders and can cause injuries on your knees. If you feel that you are not flexible enough for doing this exercise, just skip it.
Chest press using machine
Remember any machine where you have to adjust the weight is not recommended. On a chest press machine, you just push, but don’t control anything. Instead, you can use a functional machine, with cables, where you can control the weight and the direction of motion.
Abductor machine
This machine is completely useless. Using this machine too often can cause hip injuries and lower back pain. There are many effective exercises that can help you tone your legs.
Back extensions
Any exercise that causes over-extension and too much pressure on the spine is completely worthless. If you feel any pain during back extension, you should stop doing it.
Overhead military press
With this exercise you put a lot of force on your shoulders and neck. The most common problem while doing this exercise is imbalance, where one arm works harder than the other one.