Paras Hemrajani
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Written By: Paras Hemrajani | Published : November 5, 2019 4:32 PM IST
While it is true that some of the classic exercises are great and helpful, it is also true that alternatives provide much better results at almost the same work rate.
You don't need to enter a gym in today's era to get advice from a trainer. All you need to do is go on the Internet and search for advice on fitness. There are many self-proclaimed experts who profess to know everything about health and fitness. But what these people on social media and blogs are doing is just regenerating the same content that was provided to them. This is how fitness myths of must-do exercises have come into existence. Not only are these overrated exercises not necessary, they even have better alternatives that provide more effective results. While it is true that some of the classic exercises are great and helpful, it is also true that alternatives provide much better results at almost the same work rate. Here are some of the so-called essential exercises that you can leave out for a better alternative.
Stop believing those late night TV commercials that say that you can reduce weight and develop six packs with sit-ups. While it is true that you burn some fat in your abdomen, it is no way near the required amount for six packs. Rather than depending on sit-ups, which is clearly an overrated exercise, develop healthy nutrition and dietary habits for weight loss. If your plan is to build six-packs, then we suggest a little more complex movements like jack-knife sit-up and reverse crunch.
Rather than depending on bench press for effective pecs-building, try different alternatives. While the bench press is quite effective in the building upper-body, it may also lead to serious injury. People often tend to over-do it and, in the process, injure their rotator cuffs or back. Instead of this exercise, try the flat dumbbell press. It provides a much better range of motion (ROM) and better chest stretch.
This is a classic example of an overrated exercise. Considered to be one of the best exercises for the shoulder, the truth is that it is not. Military press only works the anterior shoulders, the same part of the shoulder, which can easily be accessed by simple chest-pressing exercise. Not only is this exercise completely useless, it can also cause injuries. Instead of this, try the wide grip upright row exercise. It engages more parts of your shoulder (front darts and lateral heads).
Standard barbell curl is nowhere near the word essential. Yes, we agree that it is a good exercise for bicep-building, but you don't really need it. The problem with standard barbell curve is variation. Unlike our legs, which have big muscles, the upper body has smaller muscle groups, which need all kinds to variation to build. Without practicing variation, you will never be able to activate all your muscles. This increases the risk of injury and affect your goal of muscle mass building. Instead of this, try the 90-degree barbell preacher curl. This exercise is tougher than standard barbell as it removes the concept of using momentum and works on the shoulder as it is locked in one position.
