Do this NOT that exercise ...increase results and reduce your risk                                               

Working out can be both intimidating and confusing.  We're bombarded by infomercials, clubs and programs who promise THEY have found THE ANSWER to your fitness, belly-busting and fat-burning needs!

The truth is there is no one single solution and very few absolutes for right or wrong exercises.  The key is choosing the right exercises based on your unique needs, issues, fitness level and flexibility.  

As trainers, we start clients off with basic exercises to ensure a proper foundation of strength and movement.  Once someone has mastered those movement patterns we then add progressions based on individual goals.  Here's where variety and creativity kicks in!  We add challenge by varying weight, stability, tempo, range of motion, asymmetrical load or movement - we never really run out of ideas and options!

Where someone starts will be very different if they are an athlete, someone just starting to exercise or someone working with or recovering from an injury.  How someone progresses is also specific to goals whether it's increasing strength, decreasing weight, improving mobility, etc.

The key is to have a safe and sound foundation.  Before doing exercises with a trainer or on your own, ask yourself these three questions:

  • Is it safe?  
  • Is it functional?
  • Can it be modified?

The answers to these questions will be unique to you and your goals.  An athlete may be able to do a box jump with minimal risk based on their ability and want to include that plyometric because they have to jump in their sport.  Someone who has a knee issue working on general fitness, however, may opt for a modified version using a step up on a mid-height riser.  

Asking these simple questions helps you to minimize risks and may lead you to an alternative exercise that's a better fit!

Here are a few of our featured "do this not that" exercises and options.  

Planks vs. Crunches

This is a common question.  You now see planks in almost every fitness class and training session.  Crunches are not what we term a "functional" exercise or one that mimics a purpose for everyday life.  When doing conventional crunches, people often end up putting more stress on the back and neck and/or using momentum.  This decreased training effect and increases risk.  

DO: Planks engage the core in a functional, bracing capacity while being a total body exercise with so many options for progressions for all levels.

Upright Rows vs. Flyes or Bentover Rows

An upright row is intended to target the delts (deltoids or shoulders), traps (trapezius or upper back) and the rhomboids (between your shoulder blades).  Although arguments can be made for the effectiveness of this exercise, it's challenging to execute with good posture and alignment.  Most often, people end up rounding through the upper back, compromising the shoulder joint and/or flexing the wrists.

DO: Opt for bent-over rear delt flyes or rows using bands, dumbbells, bars or a variety of other tools.  You can effectively target the same muscle groups with a lot of variety and a lot less risk.

Dips vs. Push-Ups

Triceps dips are a body weight exercise that can be done anywhere.  Dips can often compromise the shoulder joint, however, based on positioning and limitations in joint mobility.  As a result, you may work more traps than triceps or end up aggravating existing issues.

DO: There are lots of options for triceps with both simple and compound exercises.  Triceps extensions can be done seating, lying or standing allowing modifications based on shoulder mobility.  Another option is to do push-ups using a close-grip hand position with a variety of progressions and options.

Crazy Box Jumps vs. Smart Plyo

Boot camps, high intensity and cross-fit style training has revived the popularity of plyometrics.  Once reserved for high level performance and athletes, it's now more common to see platforms used in gyms and classes.  Although they can be fun and effective, you also have to assess the risk reward ratio as this one can be particularly jarring on the joints!

DO: If you're going to add jumps, be smart about managing the risks:

  • Start at a level appropriate to you and progress to heights that add a comfortable challenge
  • If you jump up, always step down - remember velocity (weight x speed) gets added to the impact when you jump down!
  • Recover - intensity is great, but you have to allow adequate opportunity to recover so these aren't exercises to repeat daily.

Are you confused with your exercise options?  

If you have an exercise in questions, we'd love to hear from you.  Visit www.libbynorris.com and click on "questions".  We'll try our best to address it and it may end up on a future segment!