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Are you working out every day and eating nothing but greens and lean protein, but still not seeing any real results?
The problem may lie with your bad workout regime. If you keep doing ineffective, even dangerous moves, then you’re never going to see the results you’re looking for.
Though these machines at the gym may look like they’re going to lift your butt, slim your thighs, and give you killer abs, many of them do a lot more harm than good.
If you want to make your time at the gym count, then always avoid these useless workouts:
- Abductor/Adductor Machine: This machine may feel like it’s blasting the fat on your inner and outer thighs, but it’s really not doing anything. These smaller muscles don’t work on their own, so don’t treat them that way! To get the workout your body deserves, train all the muscles in your butt and thighs by focusing on lunges and squats.
- Lat Pull Down Behind the Head: Does this sound like something that would be comfortable for you? Not unless you’re super flexible! According to WedMD, this move won’t do much else besides give you an injury. A safer version of this gym favorite can be tweaked simply by turning it around and bringing the bar in front of your body. This way, you can avoid injuring your neck and shoulders.
- Lying Leg Curl: It’s not hard to believe that this machine doesn’t do much, since your body virtually never moves this way naturally. Don’t force your leg muscles to move in a way that they’re not designed to move. Pretty much any leg workout is better than a lying leg curl, but focus most of your attention on different types of lunges and squats.
- Smith Machine Squats: Just about any type of squat is amazing at reshaping your butt and thighs, so why make it something that it’s not? These machines force your body to essentially squat unnaturally. It kicks your back into a position that it’s not used to, making the Smith Machine a disaster waiting to happen. If you really want to add weight to your squat, grab some free weights instead.
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- Standing Chest Fly: This exercise is really meant for a laying down position, because that’s where it actually works! When you stand, you’re no longer working your chest. Gravity is putting too much stress on your upper body, so you just end up working on your shoulders.
Are you guilty of doing any of these workouts at the gym? Tell us in the comments!
