6 Popular Exercises That Totally Wreck Your Body.Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just get in better shape, it’s important to choose an exercise that you enjoy doing. If you’re not having fun, it’s likely you won’t stick with it long enough to see the results you want.
To help you find the right exercises, we asked top doctors and trainers to tell us which popular moves are totally wrecking your body.
- The Squat
Squats are a powerful compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups in the upper and lower body. They are a powerful training tool that can improve your overall performance, increase your strength and reduce your risk of injury.
Squatting is an effective exercise for strengthening your knees and hip joints, which are crucial for everyday movement. It also strengthens your tendons and connective tissues, which helps keep them healthy.
It’s important to perform squats with proper form. This will help to prevent injuries, such as knee valgus and over-rotation of the hips.
- The Push-Up
The Push-Up is one of the most popular bodyweight exercises for targeting the arms, chest, back and core. It’s a great addition to any workout routine and is a key component for strength, conditioning and functional movement development.
However, it can totally wreck your body if done improperly and without sufficient recovery time between workouts. Taking a day or two off between training sessions will allow your body to repair micro tears in the muscle fibers that occur when you work out.
The push-up is a great upper body exercise, but many people do it incorrectly that causes their shoulders and other muscles to be overworked and inflamed. Fortunately, there are ways to fix these mistakes and improve your push-ups so you can get stronger and more fit!
- The Plank
The Plank is a bodyweight exercise that engages numerous muscles in one static movement. The exercise strengthens your core, arms and shoulders as well as stretches out your glutes and hamstrings.
The plank can also help to reduce back pain and improve your posture. It can even uplift your mood and boost your endorphins.
Performing endurance feats such as the plank can be difficult mentally and many people give up too soon. However, if you consistently challenge yourself to hold the position for longer periods of time, it can have an amazing effect on your mental health and motivation.
- The Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the best exercises you can use to build more muscle mass, strength, and overall fitness. It’s a big compound motion that requires a lot of energy, which helps boost your metabolism and burn more calories long after your workout.
It also increases your core strength, making you more stable and strong to handle everyday tasks like carrying a grocery bag or changing a tire.
A twisted spine can cause back injuries, so be sure to keep your hips and shoulders neutral while Deadlifting. Twisting can squeeze your spinal discs and cause bulged discs or pinched nerves.
- The Lunge
The lunge is a classic lower-body move that works all the big muscles in the body. It’s a great way to build strength, endurance and mobility, while also developing balance.
To start, stand tall and with your feet hip-width apart. Then, shift your weight to the front leg and step forward with it.
During your lunge, the back knee should be 2-4 inches off the floor. This teaches the muscle how to drive through its entire range of motion.
For added challenge, add a weight. You can use barbells, dumbbells, or even a kettlebell to load up your workout.
- The Pull-Up
The pull-up is one of the most popular exercises in CrossFit, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting and strength training, as it combines multiple body parts to build muscle. It’s also a great way to build confidence and improve your posture.
The exercise works your pectorals (pecs), latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoids, and deep core muscles.
Performing this move correctly requires a solid grasp on an overhead bar and good grip strength. To develop these, start by hanging from a bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.