Useless Workout Exercises
If you want to get fit for the summer, you do not want to waste time doing exercises that don’t work for your body. That’s why you should ban the following three exercises from you workout.
1. Traditional crunches
Sure, crunches target your abs. But they only work a small part of your (upper) abs. Most women want to train their lower abs, since that’s the part where the most fat gathers. On top of that, traditional crunches often cause strain on the neck and even on the the upper back. Instead opt for exercises that work on your oblique abdominals as well, with exercises like plate twists. Crunch variation that include a ball are already a great alternative to the traditional crunch.
2. Plank
In principal, the plank is a good exercise. However, when you start building your strength, it soon isn’t challenging enough anymore for your body. Sure, it takes a while before you can hold a plank for about 30 seconds, but once you’ve reached the 60 seconds point you should change to another exercise. At that point you do not train your body any further, but you should instead choose for exercises that involve movement. Those will help you improve quicker and further and on top of that are less likely to cause injuries.
3. Hanging knee raise
The problem with this exercise is that is really, really heavy. If you’re very well trained you can still do it, but if when you’re just starting you are probably doing it wrong. The key is to only use your (lower) abdominal muscles when you lift your legs, and keep the rest of your body perfectly still. It’s almost impossible if you don’t have abs of steel. Start with another exercise!
