7 Workout Moves That Are A Complete Waste of Time
Admit it: When your daily to-do list is more than three pages long, you check off "gym" with no intentions to actually go. (We totally do this, too. Hey, life is hectic.) So when a day frees up and you do slip into your sneakers, your precious time at the gym better be time well spent, and science shows there are a few moves you could do without. We turned to experts and found the ones to drop and which to swap, so you know you're always making the most of your efforts.
1. Crunches
Not only do these seriously strain your neck, they don't tighten up all of your ab muscles as well as other exercises do. "You're really better off just doing a standard sit-up because your abs are going to work much harder from the top to bottom," says Jamie Easton Middleton, Gold's Gym Fitness Institute expert. Place your hands on your chest when you do them-that way you're way less tempted to yank on your neck as you sit up.
2. Bench Dips
This classic triceps move is meant to tone up that unwanted underarm jiggle that happens when we wave. But this exercise-where you hold yourself up at the edge of a bench and, using only your arms, lower yourself up and down-is a really unsafe and unnatural position for your shoulders, especially since most of us don't have much flexibility there, says Middleton. Opt for presses with a weight instead. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the weight above your head with both hands and slowly lower it behind your head. Be sure to keep those elbows close to your ears-that will really firm all over-then lift back up.
3. Adductor and Abductor Machines
While these machines seem like a great option for trimming your inner and outer thighs, the unnatural position they put your body in is all the more reason to skip 'em. They're considered accessory muscles, meaning they're smaller and support the larger leg muscles, like your quads and hamstrings. "So when you add weight to them, you can actually strain them," says Middleton. She recommends doing clockwork lunges instead, which will tone all those hard-to-hit areas and give you more flexibility. Start at 12 o'clock and do a lunge to the front, a side lunge, and a lunge to the back (so you'll end at 6 o'clock) on each side three times. Step-ups are a great option, too, especially if you're looking for more stability while you rock a favorite pair of heels. (We know, it's harder than it looks!)
4. Weighted Side Bend
Well, here's a look we definitely aren't going for: "If you're doing a side bend with any sort of weight, you're really building that oblique muscle, which is going to give the appearance of a thicker middle," says Middleton. And if you're doing them with a dumbbell in each hand, you're just placing extra stress on your lower spine and doing nothing for your sides, says Jim DiGregorio, exercise physiologist and personal trainer. Oof, no thanks! You can do woodchoppers with a dumbbell instead, since it's easier on your back and will help slim down love handles. Simply hold the weight above your head with two hands, then use your abs to lower it down and across your body.
5. Leg Extension
Using your legs to lift weight up and down at this seated machine is a quick way to stress out your bones. "It's a great exercise for hitting your quads, but it puts too much strain on your knees and ankles, which is especially bad as you get older and your joints naturally start to weaken," says Middleton. Do squats instead (weighted or not is up to you), but stand with your legs closer together-they should be hip-width apart, and definitely no further than shoulder-width. That'll force your quads to do the work and help you get lean legs like, eh hem, Blake Lively, whereas standing further apart puts your hamstrings and butt to work.
6. Leg Hover
Lying on your back with your legs hovering slightly above the ground might look-and even feel-like a great move for your abs, but it's terrible for the rest of your body. "You're using a lot of your hip joint so you're really not asking your stomach muscles to do much," says Middleton. Not to mention it places a crazy amount of strain on your back, and most people don't suck their abs into their spine so that the lower back rests flat on the floor (which makes the move more safe). If flatter abs is what you're after, do 90-degree toe touches instead. Lie on your back, lift your legs straight in the air, and reach your arms up toward your toes (make sure your shoulder blades come off the ground), then lower back to the floor.
7. Shoulder Press Machine
Don't nix shoulder presses altogether-they're great for giving you a nice, toned look when you bust out those strappy sundresses this summer. Just don't waste your time with the machine. "You're so limited in your range of motion, so your rotator cuffs (the area that looks so strong and sexy on celebs like Eva Longoria and Gwyneth Paltrow) are never really getting strengthened," says Middleton. "If you can work your way to the free-weight section of the gym, or have a set of dumbbells at home, you can build strength a lot faster, which changes your body faster as it burns calories at a faster pace."
