By Nic DeCaire | Guest Columnist
Have you taken some time off from fitness and are starting to get back in the swing of things?
Maybe it was a couple months, a year or even a decade. It doesn’t matter how long it has been – as a fitness professional, I am just happy you decided to bring fitness back into your life.
The problem with taking time off is that usually when you go back to it, you use the same routine you did in the past. How much could fitness change in the last year, you say to yourself? Honestly, a lot!
Typically, people returning to fitness centers tend to gravitate to cardio and weight machines. It’s what they know and where they feel most comfortable.
I blame this on the 1980s. That’s when these machines became popular in the fitness industry. You might recognize the name Nautilus. Fitness centers became filled with these machines and people thought they were the answer to thinner thighs and tighter stomachs.
One of the hardest jobs we have as fitness professionals is getting people to change their minds about how great these machines are for them. For starters, most machines put you in a fixed position that might not be appropriate for your height and build. They also don’t allow your body to move the way it was designed.
I put together a quick list of my top three fitness machines you should stop using today and why.
1. Butt Blaster – First of all, the name makes me cringe. I remember in my early teens working at a fitness center that had one of these. Written in really big letters on the side of the machine was “BUTT BLASTER.” If that did not bring enough attention, it sounded like lumberjacks sawing down a redwood when in motion. Everyone in the gym would turn and watch when someone was on this machine. Not only is this machine embarrassing, but it also strain your lower back if performed incorrectly. Replace this exercise with bird dogs, reverse lunges or stiff-legged deadlifts. These are great butt-blasting exercises.
2. Ab machine – How often do you find yourself standing up and frantically crunching over? Maybe if you have food poisoning, but other than that I am going to guess not often. Sitting upright in this machine, grabbing the handles behind your head and squeezing as hard as you can while crunching over is not only bad for your spine, but it won’t give you six-pack abs. Replace this exercise with planks, side planks or bicycle crunches.
3. Inner Outer Thigh Machine – This machine reminds me of a larger version of the Thighmaster by Suzanne Somers. When I was a kid, I used it to try and do bicep curls with it. I am going to be honest here – there is nothing good about this machine. Sitting on a machine and squeezing your thighs together as hard as you can will not make them any thinner. Yes, you may feel the burn but if you are not training correctly you will actually create an imbalance in your body because your inner thigh muscles will overpower the rest of your legs. Replace this exercise machine with stiff leg deadlifts, lateral band walks, reverse lunges or squats.
Go here to learn these excercises: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUpc4udvufc. And check out the video online at www.delawareonline.com that accompanies this article.
Changing your workout routine can be a struggle for some. After all, it is routine and comfortable, sort of like an old boyfriend. But at some point, you just have to move on and know it is all going to work out for the best.
I promise you that you will see more gains in your fitness by getting rid of your favorite machines and starting to use your body as the machine instead.
Nic DeCaire, owner of Fusion Fitness Center in Newark, has been training clients for more than a decade.
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/life/2015/01/19/stop-using-fitness-machines-right-now/21998755/