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The gym can be a pretty intimidating place if you don't know your way around.
While it's always a good idea to get a tour and have a session with a personal trainer or a gym employee to help you create a nice routine for your fitness goals, sometimes you don't have the extra cash. That, or you might find you're not getting the results you want and are wondering which machines are useless.
Well look no more! Personal trainer Brooke Marrone walked Frank Kobola of Cosmopolitan through several machines that aren't exactly worth your time.
Check out the list below:
1. The seated leg extension.
"This can put your knees at high risk," warns Marrone. Most machines force you to move the way the machine moves, and it's important to use natural movements, she says. "You were just at work all day sitting down, and you're coming to the gym and now you're sitting at another machine. It's really important to move your body."
2. The seated chest fly.
You're isolating a few muscle groups and doing a pretty unnatural movement. This exercise runs a high risk of putting unnecessary strain on your rotator cuff.
3. The seated hip abductor.
"You should be using your hips, thighs, and natural body weight at the same time," Marrone says. It's simple: you do not use your core while you're sitting; use gravity to your advantage!
4. The seated shoulder press.
"This machine has a very restrictive range of motion and can cause a lot of shoulder issues," says Marrone. Forcing these muscles into awkward positions can cause serious injury. If you do want to work with this machine, just make sure that you're working with someone who can help your form.
5. Any abdominal machine.
These machines only work your outer abs and leave out everything else, which ends up being counter productive. Your outer abs will tone while the rest will stay soft--which can make your abs less flat.
6. Avoid abusing the treadmill.
"Don't hold on to the treadmill unless you're 80," says Marrone. "If you feel like you have to, you're going too fast and you're not letting your body do the work."
What do you think about these fitness tips? Let us know what machines you enjoy in the comments!
Copyright © 2011 eccampbellphotography/Flickr
