Hello again,
I feel like I have not written a proper rant in a while, so it is time.
Here are the top five exercises nobody should do again and why.
Front Raises
I have said this before and I’ll say it again: the front deltoids are getting more than enough work since they are involved in pretty any type of pressing or pulling you do. So there is no need to overload them even more unless you are really craving a torn rotator cuff or ate the very least an inflamed bicepital tendon. Instead focus on the rear and medial delts (in that order).
Upright Rows
These are simply a terrible exercise as they place too much stress onto wrist and shoulders alike. Instead do the V-pull where you grab two dumbbells, stand in a stagger step and pull them upwards in a V-like motion. Stop just before the arms hit parallel on the top.
Anything on a bosu ball
This just has to stop, period. The risk-reward ratio is way too skewed and as for the functionality argument, I for one, am not aware of a single sport that is being played on a ball. Unless you are trying to join Cirque du Soleil, do yourself a favor and bench on a… well, bench!
Underhanded Triceps Press Downs
This one is quite popular but I dislike for two reasons:
A. The logic that you could accentuate the workload of one triceps head over the other is flawed
B. In an underhanded grip, grip strength becomes the limiting factor. You can handle far more weight during elbow extension than wrist extension, and the further the wrists flex as the extensors fatigue, the more difficult gripping becomes due to muscular insufficiency of the wrist/finger flexors and poorer leverage of the thumbs.
Cable Kickbacks
First off, you look like a donkey doing them. Secondly, you are also waisting your time. The amount of weight moved is simply too low to create any type of overload (i.e. change in your body). If you want a round butt I recommend step ups, single-leg deadlifts, and stiff-legged deadlifts
That’s it, now you should be in a joyful Christmas mood!