The 10 Most Inefficient Exercises (Part 2): Bench Press and Lat Pulldowns

This week, I will be looking at the 10 most inefficient exercise movements. Two per day. Here are the next two:

3. Bench Press: Ah, the bench. The marvelous mark of manhood (and womanhood for some).

It's not that I think the bench is evil. It isn't. If you do it properly, the bench can provide gains in upper body strength, size, and endurance. So why is it on this list?

The key word is using the bench PROPERLY. Most of what is written here applies to "Bench Guy" (very rarely have I seen Bench Girl):

The Bench is not an event to let out your daily frustrations. Me, along with everyone else in the gym doesn't want to hear your blood curlding grunts of triumph as you lift 300lbs. Nor, your laziness in audio form as you slam or drop the weight back to the bench rack.

You don't need to prove to anyone how tough you are, and try to impress girls. (In case you haven't noticed, you scare them away). The fact that you're trying to show how tough you are makes you weak by default.

And please, don't load up on the weight if you can't handle it by yourself. Take the ego blow and ask for someone to watch you. It's okay, I (or anyone) won't think less of you. We'll think you're smart. And we'll be willing to do it if it means avoiding the things I've mentioned above.

Lastly, doing the bench press everytime you visit the gym is inefficient. If done properly - one time a week is all you need. Balance your program.

4. Lat Pulldowns: At best, a complimentary exercise. They should not take the place of pullups.

I see this exercise overused quite a bit. And I suspect the reason: fear.

With the time you have, it is inefficient to spend energy on this exercise. Instead, work on pullups. If you can't do a pullup, use the assisted pullup device.

The pullup is the best exercise for your upper body. Do it more. Practice it, and you'll reap the benefits.

The 10 Most Inefficient Exercises (Part 1): Crunches and Biceps Brachii Curl

This week, I will be looking at the 10 most inefficient exercise movements. Two per day. Here are the first two:

1. Crunches: I am anti-crunch. Why?

The returns on this movement do not justify the cost: Poor form, overdeveloped abdominal muscles, postural instability, not to mention an enlarged belly (if body fat remains the same).

Here's my logic:

All movements that are voluntary require core stabilization in order to execute. For instance - if I ask you to pull on a door handle (voluntary movement), your postural muscles (abs, glutes, lower back) must turn on BEFORE you execute the act of opening the door. This is a reflex action that is not under voluntary control. Basically, your body has to make sure it won't fall over before you do anything else. So, you use your abdominal muscles more than you realize.

More gains will come from fixing your nutrition habits, rather than marathon ab workouts.

2. Bicep Brachii Curl: Evil, evil exercise.

Why is this exercise evil?

Let's make it clear: the biceps brachii is a small muscle. It is an elbow flexor by design (meaning, it helps bend your arm). Alone, it's not meant to do much.

Sometimes out of the corner of my eye, I will see someone curling over 100lbs of resistance with their biceps brachii muscles. Stupid. Just stupid. First of all, very few people have the strength to lift that much weight properly. Second, because of the huge weight your asking a small muscle to lift, you WILL involve other muscle groups. Namely the lower back, upper back, and hips. You can see this when someone sways, tilts, and wiggles in order to curl the weight. Injury is likely.

The best way to train the biceps brachii is to do pullups.

Push This Car

While the content here is relegated to fitness and health topics - I could not help posting the picture above.

You know you've arrived and have made it when you're able to make your own parking space - in the middle of the road, no less. Especially during the early evening, when there is ZERO chance other people are using a busy road.

Photo courtesy of Angie.

The Issue of Food and Why You're Not Getting Thinner (Part 2)

In Part 1, I discussed the nature of energy balance. How at it's core - losing body fat is a simple process. Remember, you must create an energy deficit in order to lose body fat. The number of calories out must be less than calories in.

Often times, I get questions about why the fat isn't coming off. People tell me they do everything, yet nothing is happening.

There are two possibilities: (whether you're aware of it or not)

1. You're still eating too much food

2. You're not eating ENOUGH food

Let's start with the first, as the second is a bit more complex.

It's common to eat more food once you're active. You tell yourself "Well, I spent 75 Minutes on the elliptical at the gym - I'm okay to eat 5 Taco Bell Taco's and wash it down with a 32 oz soda". (This raises a whole new issue of rewarding work with food - that I'll address in the future).

And often, it's not the "bad" food either. It's a lot of the healthy stuff. You don't need to eat "bad"foods to gain body fat. You can eat healthfully and still gain fat.

The idea is that sometimes you may not be aware that you've added calories. You workout to create a deficit, then immediately turn around and re-fill that deficit. The total difference is zero, you see no loss.

Now the second idea is a bit trickier. Everyone needs calories to live and function. You know that. But all of us require calories in order to lose body fat. Call it the minimum threshold for fat burning.

Without eating the proper amount - you will remain and stay stuck for a long time. This amount is not a fixed value. But in general we can make a ballpark / assumption that for women the value is around 1200 kcals, and men 1800 kcals.

There are other signs than just the scale. How do you feel? Are you groggy? Irritable? Tired? Getting plenty of sleep, but still feel "off"? If you're active you need to look at what you're eating and determine if you're getting your needs met.