What The H*#L Are You Doing?

This is the question I keep asking myself at least ten times when going around at gyms. I usually just do my own thing, and never say anything, unless some friends are with me, just listen to my music, train, and get the hell out of there.

But, when I am resting between sets, I can't help looking around in the gym, and just watching what other people are doing, and always, every single time, I see something that makes me wanna ask this question.

Why are people doing squats standing on a stability ball with a barbell on their back, and doing one leg deadlifts on a bosu ball. Whats with the trainers making overweight older people doing jumping split squats, and sprinting on the treadmill. And the Guys who can't do a proper pushup or a proper squat, pushing way too heavy weights in a bench press or in the almost useless smith machine. I am just waiting for the day when a big guy with two dumbells standing on a bosu ball falls over me while I'm doing my stretching on the mats....it's gonna happened. WHAT THE H*#L ARE YOU DOING?!?

The trainers should take their part of the blame, trying to make their clients feel like the workout is worth their money, by coming up with some ridiculous exercises and workouts.

On the other hand, some people feel like they need to show off by doing “strange” workouts with wobble boards, bosu balls, and balancing on stability balls.

Lastly, mostly it is people who just don't know what they are doing, and sadly read a magazine to get workout advice or watch some other equally clueless person in the gym, and then copy what they are doing.

And off course, the people who do these ridiculous things who make me think: “ WHAT THE H*#LL ARE YOU DOING?” are almost never people who I consider being in good shape...

So.. they are doing all this weird crazy stuff, and it's not doing anything to help them get a better looking body... If anything it just make them look more stupid.

Then again, people who I see that have a great physique, they just stick with the BASICS and put the necessary time and effort in to get their body in great shape.

So, the point here is that no fancy piece of equipment or bizarre techniques is going to get you to your dream body any faster than hard work and a well designed workout program. Leave wobble boards, bosu balls, and stupid machine exercises to the people who want to show that they “know” what they are doing...which they don't. Get busy with dumbbells, a bench, barbells and some serious effort and you are going to reach your goals way faster.

So, while some “strange” exercises are useful for people who needs rehabilitation training, example: ankles, shoulders, knees etc, this is not what most people need to do.

I feel like including a short list of exercises you SHOULD be doing, and NOT be doing, if you actually want to get anywhere with your strength program.

Include:

Deadlifts
Squats \ Single leg squats
Bench press
Rows
Chin ups
Shoulder presses
Dumbell bench presses, squats, deadlifts, rows.
Core work: Bridges, woodchops, cable lifts, landmines, walking lunges, roll-outs.

What not to include?

Bicep curl machine
Smith machine
Pec-deck machine
Row machine
Triceps machines
…......................
Pretty much all the machines!!!

Why?

Your body DOES NOT work in locked movement patterns. Machines make your body do movements you usually never do in real life...
Machines poorly train your stabilizing muscles
Machines are not made for your body composition
Machines do not train your body in compound functional movements
Machines are usually busy, but they shouldn't be
Machines usually require you have to sit on your ass


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