Recently I gave you my top 5 best fat burning exercises. The world is filled with opposites so what would it be without the worst exercises.
I wanted to share these with you because I see countless people performing these day in and day out and I don’t want that to be YOU. The beginning is always a great place to start so here goes nothing.
Please Note: All the exercises will be in CAPITALS for FULL AFFECT. Sorry, there is just no other way to do it.
Numero Uno (1): WALKING AND/OR RUNNING WITH WEIGHTS
Multitasking to the extreme! Why….Why..Why? Who started this? They should be shot. I see lots of crazy people (usually women!) with ankle weights and little tiny dumbbells striding it around the park on a daily basis.
Such a pointless, ineffective exercise. If you have any care and concern for your shoulder/ankle joints (and you should, you’ll need these in the future) then put down the weights.
Your gait (stride) and movement pattern is also inhibited (this is BAD) and your chance of injury increases.
Resistance training, you’ll note, made the top spot on my list, it definitely belongs there but by itself. Try to do a shorter, more intense (effort wise) walk/jog/run for 20 mins, adding hills and/or changing speed then spend 10 mins doing your free weights.
Focusing on functional movements like squats, lunges, push ups and core strengthening exercises. Ditch the 1-2kg weights also. Women tend to have a fear of bulking up. This is virtually impossible, unless you inject steroids and have the genetic DNA of a gorilla.
You can start with 2kg but don’t get trapped here, Give the 3kg-4kg a go as your strength
starts to improve. So are we clear? WEIGHTS AND WALKING ARE TWO SEPARATE ACTIVITIES!
2. JANE FONDA-ESQUE FLOOR WORKOUTS
You know those two things that are attached to your hips and feet…Legs? Yep, that’s it! TO USE THEM. Standing is probably the coolest thing going around this season. check it out!
The amount of hours people can waste doing these exercises, well frankly it flaws me..haha! Funny and a fitness expert, How was I this lucky? No really on a serious note, stay away from these exercises.
I’m not dissing pilates and yoga, they definitely have there place in the world of corrective exercise and helping prevent injuries but the side leg lifts and “I must, I must, I must increase my bust” chest squeezing thing. It’s all got to go.
Again ineffective and plain old boring. Stand up try to utilise lots of muscles try this workout instead
3. SQUATTING IN A SMITH MACHINE
These squats are commonly performed throughout many gyms in Sydney and they frustrate the hell out of me (again!) There are several reasons why they annoy me:
1. Most of your weight is in your heels and if you did this without the help of the smith machine that weight would totally be way too heavy for most of the people lifting it.
2. Function is questionable. I’m sure this is functional for say maybe a weightlifter to train on but for the average Joe it is not.
3. It doesn’t teach you to squat properly- We all need to learn how to squat correctly and engage our core muscles more effectively. It is not about bracing the abs (which a lot of people do when performing this dozzie- usually with a weight belt on!).
4. There is a lot of pressure/strain on the upper cervical spine (Not good- you will need your spine later on in life, a bit like those shoulder joints).
Look where the bar lays across your neck and back, ouch! You will get more benefit from including functional movements like free weight (or just plain body resistance/weight) Squats, Lunges, Dead lifts and Hip extensions (glute bridge).
I hope this has cleared up any grey area that comes up when you are training. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone else’s crappy, dangerous, down- right pointless exercises. Please Don’t copy them! Remember always ask Aunty Nat first.
