In part one, we spoke about useless exercises that not only are ineffective, but they may actually be rather dangerous in that they could cause actual injury.
We saw how exercises such as The Lat Pull down behind the head, the Military Press behind the head, the Upright Row and the prone leg press with the knees bending too much can be the cause of certain injuries. In addition, the following exercises are also not advisable:
Squats on the Smith Machine: Squatting with weights is certainly good for upping intensity of a squat, and it is of course possible to do squats on a Smith Machine, however this can get risky.
The reason is that the bar does not give and because it remains rigid, the body can inadvertently contort into positions that can increase the risk of injury. People often do not do this exercise using the correct form, and they put their feet far out in front of the body.
So it is better to not use a machine but rather use free weights when doing the squat, while being careful of using good form.
Bad form for Cardio Workouts: When we talk about good form, it isn’t only weights and resistance exercise we talk about. Cardio should also be performed using good form.
So it is important not to hunch over that exercycle or the treadmill, and not to grip the supports too hard. This can cause your spine, elbows and shoulders to jar and can spoil your alignment as well.
When doing cardio, make sure it isn’t so tough that you can barely do it. Maintain good posture, a natural body position and light grip and pay attention for a good and effective cardio workout.
‘Ab’ Exercise or ‘thigh’ exercise: Doing any kind of exercise or using any machine that promises ‘spot’ reduction is useless. The fact is that you cannot do anything to lose weight from a particular area of the body.
The weight has to be all over; otherwise exercising any one group of muscles will do nothing beyond tone and firm them. If fat still overlays them, the most exercised abs will still be invisible. So aim for all over weight loss by boosting metabolism and not ‘spot’ reduction.
Routinely wearing a weight belt: For those that have a medical condition or injury that indicates its use, or for those that are lifting very heavy weights, a weight belt may make sense.
However, don’t use it as a matter of course; this will cause the core muscles to not work as hard and slack off, consequently becoming weak.
