It's not difficult to
find articles touting all the magical benefits of burpees, planks, and squats.
I’m not saying these aren't good exercises.
They are! But sticking to staples
like these during your workouts gets old in a hurry, and is more likely to burn
you out.
To help you mix up
your gym routine, we asked personal trainers to reveal their favorite
underrated exercises.
Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell workouts
surged in popularity in 2013 along with CrossFit and the Paleo diet. But after
that brief moment in the sun, most people moved on to bigger and better things.
Cristina Osorio, kettlebell and fitness instructor at TruFusion,
suggests reviving the weighted handlebars. “The kettlebell is one of the most
dynamic tools for strength, flexibility, and endurance training,” Osorio
explains. “Because kettlebell swings create
very minimal impact on your lower body, it’s the perfect solution to bringing
cardio into your workout routine without agitating your knees.”
Bridges
You know that weird
exercise that makes you look like you’re dry humping... well,nothing?
Those are called bridges, and according
to Ellen Thompson, head personal trainer at Blink
Fitness Penn Plaza, you should do them more often. “If you
really want to target the butt and activate those glutes, bridges are where
it’s at,” Thompson says, adding that bridges are one of the best
glute-activation exercises around. Plus, they're a versatile exercise. “You can
perform standalone [bridges] as a bodyweight movement, with weights for a
strength movement, or add an exercise ball as a stability movement.”
Calf raises
This exercise may not look like much more
than standing on your tippy toes, but Courtney Paul, trainer at YG
Studios, claims it’s a must when training the lower body. “Nothing
is more unappealing than someone who has muscular quads, hamstrings, and glutes
with underdeveloped calves,” he says. “So before you hit the showers, polish
your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles!”
Single-leg squats
Up the ante on
traditional squats with single-leg squats, says Patrick Mason, yoga instructor
at TruFusion. “By using only one leg on a hack
squat machine, or doing pistol squats freestanding, you’re ensuring that each
leg does exactly the same amount of work,” Mason explains.
“This helps build your leg muscles evenly.”
Rowing
Though
it may be the case on House of Cards, in real life you don’t need
to be an elitist to hop aboard a rowing machine -- so don’t be afraid. Eric
Salvador, head instructor at New York City’s The Fhitting Room, praises the benefits of this low-impact, total-body
workout. “Rowing works all the major muscle groups, from the quads, hamstrings,
glutes, lats, core, shoulders, lower back, and biceps,” Salvador says. “That
means rowing packs a punch and torches calories while building muscle.” Rowers
work like stationary bikes in that the user controls the intensity; the harder
you push or pull, the harder it gets. “You can have fun performing different
kinds of workouts, like slow, steady, longer distances, versus shorter, more
high-intensity intervals,” Salvador says.
Plyo knee tucks
You
might think that a push-up is challenging enough, but you could double its
effectiveness by adding knee tucks into the movement, says Alonzo
Wilson, founder and athletic director at New York City training center Tone House. “Begin in a push-up position, then jump -- exploding your
knees toward your chest in the air -- before returning to the original push-up
position,” Wilson says. “Then, do a push-up.” Not only will you engage your
abs, shoulders, chest, and legs, but this movement revs up your heart rate,
too.
Plank jacks
Don’t
waste your time attempting to break the world record in planking: experts say there are few benefits to holding
a plank longer than two minutes, anyway. What you should be
spending your time on, according to Garner Pilat, fitness manager at Orangetheory Fitness in Brooklyn Heights, are exercises that stabilize the core
and use your body for resistance -- like plank jacks. “Not only does this exercise give you
the balance and core challenge of a plank, but they also get the cardiovascular
system involved and your heart rate up by actively moving the lower body.”
Weighted side bends
Weighted side bends are often overlooked, but they
target the obliques -- one of the largest muscles in the abdomen. It's also the
body’s natural girdle (meaning working it can lead to a tighter waist),
according to Paul. “Most importantly, side bends work your quadratus lumborum,
which runs from your iliac crest to your lumbar spine.” Translation? Fine-tuning
these muscles keeps you in alignment, and stable through other movements.
Lunges
Lunges
are often ignored for their butt-boosting cousin, the squat. But lunges are
extremely undervalued, mostly because of all the different variations you can
do with them, Thompson says. Reverse, weighted lunges can target your glutes,
walking lunge rotations (while holding dumbbells at chest height, twisting
through the torso) target your core, and lunges with your front or back foot on
a BOSU ball improve functional stability.
Single-leg lunge jumps
If
lunges are underrated, single-leg lunge jumps probably aren't even on your
radar. Wilson nominates them as a great way to build explosive power and
strengthen your legs, calves, and lower abdominals. “Start in a backward lunge
position, then jump and bring your back leg up toward your chest,” Wilson
explains. “Land back in the lunge position, with the same leg back.”
The Turkish get-up
Don’t
worry, the Turkish get-up isn't as complicated as it might
sound, but it's pretty damn difficult. It's a full-body movement that starts
while lying on your back, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell above one shoulder.
Then, you stand up -- while continuing to hold the weight above you. By
training one side of the body at a time, Turkish get-ups improve stability,
balance, and core strength. "I recommend Turkish get-ups as a warm-up
exercise because [they] engage every muscle in the body,” Salvador explains.
"As an added bonus, they strengthen the shoulders without actually having
to press heavy weights overhead."
Shrugs
Don’t shrug at shrugs (sorry, dad joke). Paul recommends them for
trapezius development, a major back muscle. “Not only will shrugs strengthen
your shoulders and back, but they’ll most definitely help fill out your
shirts!”
Source:
thrillist.com
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