I've been a coach for a decade plus now, meaning my brain is always on "coach mode".

​I'll check out someone’s running form if they run past me.

I'll critique unsuspecting strangers lifting technique in the gym.

And I'll question others exercise selection.

Now, before you go thinking what a giant dick I am, I ain't doing any of this on purpose. It's like a switch I can't turn off.

I'm sure it's the same for a chef that eats at restaurants or for a writer who reads other people’s books.

When you're so involved in that world, it's never not on your mind.​

I don't work in a gym anymore so I'm just a regular member like everyone else, but I do see a LOT of questionable things in the gym, and while I do offer advice on occasion, I've always found it better to let people learn on their own.

Unless someone is genuinely going to hurt themselves, then I turn into your friendly neighbourhood personal trainer and swoop right in 😂

Which is much harder in Spain when you're not very good at the language.

"No bueno, estas bien?" 😂​

Right, as we're on the topic of questionable things in the gym, let's get stuck into this week's newsletter as I uncover...

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10 Pointless Exercises To Avoid

If you do any of these exercises, that doesn’t mean you're a bad person, you're just stupid.

Of course I'm joking 😂

No shade meant here whatsoever, I do this with your best intentions in mind 🙏🏻

Dumbbell triceps kickbacks

I grew up doing this exercise because it was all the rage with the bodybuilders. They had gigantic triceps, so it clearly worked.

Or was it the copious amounts of steroids they were doing, coupled with the other exercises that were actually making a difference? Hmmm 🤔

What makes this exercise so pointless?

Gravity, that’s what.

When the arm is straightened, the tension isn’t placed on the back of the upper arm, but rather the biceps and shoulder. So, while it'll feel tough, it'll do so in the wrong areas. You can squeeze your triceps as hard as you want, it'll still make no difference. So please save yourself a LOT of wasted time and bin this exercise forever!

More effective options: The same exercise done with a cable machine takes the effectiveness from a -1 out of 10, to a 9/10. The same set up, but a different angle of pull transforms this exercise. Suddenly your triceps will be on fire! Dumbbell skull crushers and cable pushdowns are also two great options.
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Squatting on a bosu ball

I'm not choosing a number one most pointless exercise, but if I had to, bosu ball squats would be a strong contender for the top spot. Show me someone squatting on a bosu ball and I'll quickly show you someone who hasn’t got a clue what they're doing. Now this may sound harsh, but it's reality.

Unfortunately, the people I see performing this exercise most often are those with their personal trainer 😑 A coach that doesn’t know what they are doing but is trying their best to seem "smart" in front of their client who.

The main goal of a squat is to build strength and power in the lower body, as well working on the synergy between the legs and core. Squatting on a bosu ball achieves none of that. For those who say it helps improve your balance and stability, my response is simple ⤵️

Do lunges, or step up, or plyometric work, or specific balance and stability drills. All way more effective than a pointless squat on a bosu ball.

More effective options: Literally any other variation of squat that doesn’t involve a bosu ball. If you want to work on your balance and stability, go to Google or ChatGPT and search "balance and stability exercises for (insert specific person)".
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Ab machine crunches

This one's a doozy. And by doozy I mean stinking pile of crap 😂​

I hate this machine so much! I wanna pull my hair out when someone tells me they train their core but then proceed to tell me it’s with this exercise. Your "core" is designed to stabilise and support your entire body, not just your spine and 6-pack. Shoving yourself into a fixed machine and crunching forward and backwards couldn’t be further from helpful.

On top of this, the most common feedback I've heard from users of this machine is an achy lower back, but people continue to use it because they are either stuck in their ways and won't accept change, or they simply don't know of any alternatives, to which there are MANY.

More effective options: Deadbug, bosu ball crunch, TRX knees to chest, incline bench reverse crunch, hanging knee raises, farmers carries, and so much more.
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Barbell glute bridge with big plates

I LOVE glute bridges and hip thrusts! I do them, and so do all my clients. When it comes to strengthening the glutes, there aren’t many better.​

But this variation is pure poison. When you use BIG plates to perform glute bridges, you cut the range of motion in half and drastically reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Yes, you're lifting heavier weights, but the range of motion is too small to bring about any serious stimulus to the booty 🍑

More effective options: Use smaller plates on the barbell so you have more range of motion. If you have access to a bench or box, do hip thrusts instead.
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Shrugs

The ultimate bodybuilder exercise, but in my experience, and that of so many others, it often leads to one thing...

→ Nasty headaches.

Why? Because when overworked and overdeveloped, which is super common, the upper traps can become very stiff. This then leads to restrictions around the neck and shoulders, resulting in a unwanted headache. This isn't the case for everyone, but it happens way too often for it to be a coincidence.

Don't get me wrong, who doesn’t want a big pair of traps? Besides 99% of the female population 😂​

If you train compound exercises such as deadlifts, pull ups, cleans, & bench press, etc regularly, then your upper traps will get enough indirect work to stay strong and useful. So, while this isn't necessarily a "pointless exercise", for most people, I think it's best to avoid it.​

More effective options: As I said, your upper traps are targeted in countless compound exercises. If you are going to train them directly, please make sure you are also working the lower and middle traps equally as much.

Burpees

Shit! Hateful. Fatiguing. Injury risk. Pointless.

Enough said 👍

If you need to know why, pop me a reply and I'll happily let you know.

Barbell upright rows

Another bodybuilding exercise that might be controversial in the eyes of some, but for a coach who actively tries to minimise the risk of injury to his clients, this one is kinda pointless.​

A straight bar barbell row is designed to target the shoulders and upper traps, but for a big chunk of people it can cause more harm than good.​

The nature of the movement, paired with the design of the bar, doesn’t make for a very comfortable exercise and overtime can lead to some unwanted shoulder issues. These issues are exacerbated because it's an exercise that is typically done with heavier weights than needed. Once again, this won't be the case for some people and they'll be the ones that will bite back at me, but I simply think there are better options available.​

More effective options: If you're performing at least one overhead push movement per week, such as a seated dumbbell shoulder press, and you're also doing things like push ups, pull ups, dips, face pulls, and lateral raises, there really isn’t any need for upright rows.
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Standing dumbbell external rotation

Oh, the classic rotator cuff "warm up" that has plagued the gym for far too long. Warming up your rotator cuffs before you start lifting, especially heavy compounds, is a smart move. But it's only smart if you do it correctly. This exercise is NOT doing it correctly. Yes, you'll feel your shoulders working, but the majority of the tension is going elsewhere, namely your biceps and forearms. I applaud the effort, but sadly the execution doesn’t match.

More effective options: My go-to for anything rotator cuff related is bands and cables, as these keep constant tension on the target areas. No need to overcomplicate things with this one.

Warming up on a treadmill

I hate to break it to you, but...

10 minutes on the treadmill, or any piece of cardio machinery is NOT a warm up. Yes, technically you'll be warmer, but that is not the sole purpose of a warm up. The goal of a warm up pre strength training is to prep your body for the exercises ahead so you can perform them with great technique. When you lift with great technique, you lower your risk of potential injury. Therefore jumping on a cardio machine pre lift is not sufficient.

More effective options: Follow an effective warm up strategy. E.g. 2 minutes of foam foam rolling, 3-4 minutes of mobility, 1-2 minutes of activation" work, 30 seconds of explosive work, then a few "practice sets" of the first exercise of your workout that day.
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Single arm kettlebell bicep curls

I actually seen a coach coaching another coach with these in the gym last week 🫠

The position of the kettlebell at the top of the movement means the majority of the load is placed on your wrist, not your bicep. If you've ever done this exercise before, you'll know exactly what I mean. Not to mention that the KB will swing slightly as you curl up and down, further reducing the effectiveness of the exercise. If you don't have any other option but to use kettlebells/, I'd opt for a two handed bicep curl where you hold the horns at the side, rather than the middle.

More effective options: Alternating dumbbell curl, single-arm cable bicep curl, or incline bench dumbbell drag curls.

Right, I hope that's been helpful and you're now very aware of the exercises you should be careful to avoid.

The time spent in the gym needs to be maximised so you can go live your life. Don't waste it doing burpees and kickbacks with a dumbbell 🫠