If you have ever stepped into a gym and felt overwhelmed at all the exercise equipment and were confused about which one to choose, this post is for you! Here is a list of some of my unfavorite machines that are not effective or could cause more harm than good.
- The seated hip abductor machine. This machine claims that it helps the outer thighs to get toned and you will lose fat on the outer legs, however this is a hip exercise and research has shown that long term use of this machine could cause your piriformis to become agitated which is going to affect your sciatica. If you have ever had your sciatica agitated or hurting ……it is no fun! My opinion is to stop doing this machine all together and instead perform lunges (front, back, and side) or bands.
- Seated leg extension. These machines might seem great to work the quads, however these machines put stress on your knees and force you to move in ways that you normally wouldn’t. My opinion is to perform squats. This can be done with a chair or using one leg at a time to mix it up a little.
- Seated shoulder press. This machine looks good and I know a lot of people use it. However, it can place your shoulders in a very awkward way that is restrictive to the normal range of motion your shoulder should move. I suggest doing seated free weights or dumbbells. This allows your body to move in its natural range of motion with less chance of injury.
- Seated twist machines. These ab machine claim to help with the oblique’s however, they put a lot of strain on your lower back. The range of motion is not normal with these machines and you could cause serious injury in the long run. Your lumbar spine can only twist 13 degrees. Turning beyond this (which some machines do) puts massive strain on your vertebrae. My suggestion is to do side planks, cable chops.
- Back Extensions. These machines claim they build your core. However, repeating flexing your lower back under a load can injure the lumbar discs. Also, the position this machine puts you in does not allow your core to contract to protect you. Instead try performing bodyweight back extensions, bent-over rows, or stiff leg dead lifts.
- Leg Curl Machines. These machine claim to be beneficial to your hamstrings. They claim to stretch them and to get them toned or stronger, however your hamstrings are designed to work with your glutes to create the movement. The machines however ignore your glutes so all the strain is on the hamstrings which increase your risk of injury, including your knees. Instead try using a Swiss ball leg curl, glute-ham raises, or a Romanian deadlift.
This post is not to scare you about using machines or if you have used one of these machines before. I am just providing information on what the research shows. I don’t want people to get injured by having someone talk you into using one of these machines. Just be careful when using machines and don’t use them for long periods of time, switch it up a bit and use free weights when you can. Body weight exercises and dumbbells work great too. I will be posting more about functional exercises and how to do them in the future.
As always, thank you for reading my Blog and have a happy and healthy life.
Darren
Harmony Shift 