10 Machines You Must Avoid at The Gym
Supposedly, gym machines are designed to limit and correct any wrong movements during exercises. But studies have shown that seated machines often stress out unnatural motion, targeting exclusively a specific muscle group and putting undue pressure on the back and joints.
Although one may feel secure working on an exercise machine, it proves out that classical, body-weight exercises are often more effective and body friendly and limit the danger of practicing incorrect positions and harming yourself.
Here are the possible dangers of 10 exercise machines and the routines you can successfully replace them with.
1. Seated Leg Extension
What it’s supposed to do: work the quadriceps muscle in the leg.
What it actually does: concentrating exclusively on the quadriceps, on the long term, the machine decreases coordination between muscle groups. it also requires a movement that your legs aren’t actually designed to do. This can push the tendons and ligaments of your knees a bit to far.
What can you try instead: split squats. With one leg up in the air, you bend the opposite knee, dipping as much as you can and controlling you balance. The hip, the knee and the ankle should be flexed. Try using a rail to help you with the exercise, until your balance improves and you gain enough leg muscle. Do it five to 10 times for each leg. If you repeatedly feel uncomfortable knee pain, replace the exercise with the Bulgarian split squat – rest the toes of one foot behind you, on a bench and dip down trying to get your thigh parallel to the ground. Stand back up and repeat five to 10 times for each leg.
2. Seated Military Press
What it’s supposed to do: Train deltoid muscles in the shoulders and the triceps
What it actually does: the strict form of this overhead press weight training exercise can put undue stress on the shoulder joints. Usually we lift weight overhead using the support of the hips, but with this machine, the shoulders are left to do all the hard work.
What can you try instead: Medicine-ball throws stimulate the hand and upper body muscles. Standing three feet away from a wall, target a spot four feet above your head. Bounce the rubber ball to the wall in a fluid motion, rising to keep hitting the same high spot and lowering your body to catch it. Stop after each 15-20 throws. Or you can try: Standing alternate dumbbell presses. As you push the right dumbbell overhead, shift the right hip forward. Switch to the left side.
3. Seated Lat Pull-Down (Behind the Neck)
What it’s supposed to do: Train lats, biceps and work the upper trapezius muscle
What it actually does: the shoulders are not used to this kind of movement, and that most often prevents you from doing it correctly. In consequence, the shoulders joints will twitch and it can cause damage to the muscles and tendons that stabilise it.
What can you try instead: Incline pull-ups. Place a bar in the squat rack at waist height, grab the bar with both hands, and hang from the bar with your feet stretched out in front of you. Keep your torso stiff, and pull your chest to the bar 10 to 15 times. Lowering the bar will increase difficulty, while raising the bar will make it easier.
4. Seated Pec Deck
What it’s supposed to do: Train chest and shoulders
What it actually does: this apparatus, also called the chest fly machine, can overstretch the front of your shoulder and cause the muscles around the rear of your shoulder to stiffen. The result: Doing this movement frequently can lead to shoulder impingement syndrome.
What can you try instead: Incline push-ups or in 15 to 20 reps. If this is too easy, progress to regular push-ups and plyometric push-ups (where you push up with enough force that your hands come off the ground), and aim for five to eight reps.
5. Seated Hip-Abductor Machine
What it’s supposed to do: shape inner and outer thighs
What it actually does: it requires a movement that is unnatural and has no practical use. If done with excessively, with extra weight and a bad technique, it can put undue pressure on the spine.
What can you try instead: Place a heavy, short, looped resistance band around your legs (at your ankles); sidestep out 20 paces and back with control. This is much harder than it sounds. Or try lunges or step-ups trying to find perfect balance while doing them, this stimulates your abductors in a natural way.
6. Seated Rotation Machine
What it’s supposed to do: train abdominals and obliques, melt your love handles
What it actually does: because the pelvis doesn’t move with the chest, this exercise can put excessive twisting forces on the spine.
What can you try instead: Do the cable wood chop. Twist your body and raise your arms above the shoulder that is closest to the cable or band. With this exercise, the twisting is performed by the core and not exclusively by the shoulders. You should twist as if your ribs and pelvis are tied together and one cannot move without the other. Aim for 10 to 12 reps.
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7. Seated Leg Press
What it’s supposed to do: Train quadriceps, gluteals, and hamstrings (back of thigh)
What it actually does: It often forces the spine to flex without engaging any of the necessary stabilization muscles of the hips, glutes, shoulders, and lower back.
What can you try instead: Simple body-weight squats. The secret for an effective squat is to dip down with maximum control, keeping your lower back straight. You can start with 15 to 20 squat reps and increase number as you gain control.
8. Smith Machine Squats
What it’s supposed to do: Train chest, biceps, and legs
What it actually does: it encourages putting excessive weight by giving a false sense of security (since the barbell is fixed). It forces your body into fixed movements patterns rather than the natural arched path and puts stress on the knees, shoulders, and lower back.
What can you try instead: Body-weight squats. See “Seated Leg Press.”
9. Roman Chair Back Extension
What it’s supposed to do: the lower back, especially the erector spine
What it actually does: it easily triggers a hyperextension, curving the back beyond typical straightness. The lower back can easily be injured and the disks damaged.
What can you try instead: the bird-dog. Crouch on all fours, extend your right arm forward, and extend left leg backward. Hold for 10 seconds then return to hands and knees on ground position. Starting out, try 5 repeats on alternate hands and knees — 10 repetitions in all. Add additional sets of 10 exercises up to 3 sets of 10.
10. Roman Chair Sit-up
What it’s supposed to do: Train abdominals and hip flexors
What it actually does: it places high compressive forces upon the spine when it’s flexed or extended beyond safe limits. The use of a weight held behind the head or on the chest further increases the compression, further increasing risk of injury
What can you try instead: The plank. Lie down on the ground or on an exercise mat and place elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Maintain a flat back and keep your hips up, you should maintain a flat line from your shoulders to your feet. start with 10 seconds and gradually increase your time. Try to work up to 3 minutes.
Wow – It’s great to learn that years and years of professional trainers and athletes have been training incorrectly.
>>> Seated Military Press: ….Usually we lift weight overhead using the support of the hips, but with this machine, the shoulders are left to do all the hard work.
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