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Worst exercise ever!
claireychn074
Posts: 1,596 Member
in Debate Club
We all have our own likes and dislikes, and I know a lot of people hate burpees (personally I’m fine with them). But there is one exercise which I hate with a passion - even though I know it’s good for me - and that’s Bulgarian Split Squats. They are evil and I dare anyone to find something worse!
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Replies
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For "worst" I'd differentiate most challenging (for me), usually being weaknesses needing work, from just bad, of little or no use or where risk exceeds reward. Lunges and other unilaterals needing balance are tough for me but worthy challenges. "Good mornings" are in my risk bucket (deadlifts are enough), and I've recently seen video of neck training I'd avoid.1
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I think I just do them wrong, but my vote is for deadlifts. I’ve had lower back pain for most of my adult life and I find that when my form breaks down after one or two, I rely heavily on my lower back. Thankfully I haven’t injured myself doing them, so now I just stay away.1
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My coach just programmed pistol squats into my plan. Ugh. I'm not coordinated enough for them!1
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TakeTheLongWayHome wrote: »I think I just do them wrong, but my vote is for deadlifts. I’ve had lower back pain for most of my adult life and I find that when my form breaks down after one or two, I rely heavily on my lower back. Thankfully I haven’t injured myself doing them, so now I just stay away.
This makes me so sad. Deadlifts are the BEST!!!1 -
For "worst" I'd differentiate most challenging (for me), usually being weaknesses needing work, from just bad, of little or no use or where risk exceeds reward. Lunges and other unilaterals needing balance are tough for me but worthy challenges. "Good mornings" are in my risk bucket (deadlifts are enough), and I've recently seen video of neck training I'd avoid.
Same, due to inner ear/eustachian tube issues I have no balance. Every now and then I attempt some sort of lungey maneuver thing and promptly topple over.
I'll agree that split squats are pure evil. I tried them out after a recommendation from one of my favourite lifting ladies on here and was struggling to get up the basement stairs with my jello legs after that little experiment.1 -
I am actually partial to split squats and Bulgarian split squats in particular. I have structural issues with my feet and can't do proper lunges without excruciating pain in my back foot, so they are my substitute.
I am not a fan of burpees or stationary bikes.1 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »My coach just programmed pistol squats into my plan. Ugh. I'm not coordinated enough for them!
I don't plan to ever do them unassisted, but have been progressing with a hand on a supportive gym bar or chair back at home - started with a knee tuck but am getting the foot out, and using the weaker left leg to set the rep count. On my good list.2 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »My coach just programmed pistol squats into my plan. Ugh. I'm not coordinated enough for them!
I don't plan to ever do them unassisted, but have been progressing with a hand on a supportive gym bar or chair back at home - started with a knee tuck but am getting the foot out, and using the weaker left leg to set the rep count. On my good list.
I actually bought a knock off version of the Total Gym. I have a pretty extensive home gym but I like it for mostly 3 things -- assisted pullups, cable flies for chest and assisted Pistol Squats. This one (its the Weider one) has like four bands you can hook up to the bench for resistance and a foot platform. I have a really dodgy right knee and could never do a Pistol Squat at my age any more (I'm 57), but with this equipment, I get a very similar one leg movement and it feels safe for my knee.1 -
I just started a new Oly program. Oly lifting is super fun...it was what I was primarily doing in 2015-2016 and where I was the happiest with my physique...very balanced and athletic with a very strong core. I also did it in high school as a track and field sprinter and jumper.
I do not particularly enjoy traditional weight training as I just find it boring and unfortunately some of that gets programmed into the Oly program as supplemental work after my Oly work...fortunately it IS supplemental and not a huge component of the programming. I can clean & Jerk and snatch all day, I'm just not really into the more static lifting like deadlifts, squats, bench, etc.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »,,,I have a really dodgy right knee and could never do a Pistol Squat at my age any more (I'm 57), but with this equipment, I get a very similar one leg movement and it feels safe for my knee.
I'm a bit older yet - from a knee five years ago I wouldn't have tried any squats, but some conditions are worse than others - in my case common patellar tendonitis (pain started while running, degenerated to nearly all the time) was very treatable with hip and ankle mobility and strength exercises - the kneecap rides a bone railroad track and gets pulled off-track and inflammatory by attached muscles in more flexible joints - rehab exercise is worth some research if and only if it applies. (Sad tendency of some medical practitioners to counsel avoiding or medicating rather than fixing the fixable.)
Wolfman, my father was an olympic lifter out of the pre-War Vienna gyms that later gave rise to Arnold, and through high school all I did at home was press, C&J and snatch with a set of Weider's Champion chrome revolving sleeve bells - still have them, probably "collector" items. To me olympic lifts and compound power lifts are very skilled, more "sports" than training, but a lot to like.1 -
OMG Oly lifters yayyy! I rarely get to hear from other Oly lifters 😀 not many of us about!1
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Everythy involving lufting up arm or leg to the front due to inborn muscle problems there. Worst is probably Turkish getup. I love the complex movement, i could easily do heavier weight on nearly all muscles if it wasn’t for the arm holding the weight that simply gives up.0
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claireychn074 wrote: »OMG Oly lifters yayyy! I rarely get to hear from other Oly lifters 😀 not many of us about!
True that! I'm glad more gyms are allowing it and investing in the proper equipment. The gym I was working out at a few years ago allowed and encouraged Oly lifting. My friend and his wife are the owners and they are also trainers and always included Oly lifts in their programming with their clients...young to old. Unfortunately, as a small independent studio gym, it was rather pricey even with the "best bud" discount and was also a bit inconvenient commute wise.
I had to leave and join another gym...who ironically had Oly racks and platforms and barbells and bumper plates, but didn't allow Oly lifting. Weird. I recently joined another gym that was just constructed in 2021 and is right around the corner from my office. When I did my initial membership walk-through I noticed that an entire area of the gym was dedicated to that equipment as well as kettle bells, sleds, sandbags, etc. I asked the lady giving me the tour if Oly lifting was actually allowed or if everything was just for show and she said, "of course"..."that's why we have this entire area set aside"
It's been great! And having an isolated area keeps other members more or less happy as they can't really hear the weights being dropped since it's on the other side of the gym from the main free weight area. It's never particularly busy in that area since it's mostly Oly lifters and power lifters and we are few and far between...a few crossfit crossovers too.
They also have an outdoor area with a couple of racks and platforms which is great in the spring and fall...the only downside is that you have to pull all of the plates and any other equipment you want to use out of the shed and put it back. I mostly just use the sled out there.3 -
I don't like lunges or barbell squats. I prefer step ups on a bench, hack squats and dumbbell deadlifts.0
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In my experience, the exercises I hate tend to be because the muscles used are weak, and therefore that exercise needs to be done MORE of in order to get stronger. At one time I despised squats; now they are an old friend. As a kid I loved to run; when I got out of shape I loathed it; now, back in shape, it's neutral.
I'd probably say the exercise I am closest to hating is swimming. Specifically, any stroke which requires me to submerge my face. I'm not scared of the water, and am capable of swimming from a boat to shore if needed. But something about not being able to breathe anytime I want to...that bothers me to no end. Likely my claustrophobia kicking in just a smidge.5 -
In my experience, the exercises I hate tend to be because the muscles used are weak, and therefore that exercise needs to be done MORE of in order to get stronger. At one time I despised squats; now they are an old friend. As a kid I loved to run; when I got out of shape I loathed it; now, back in shape, it's neutral.
I'd probably say the exercise I am closest to hating is swimming. Specifically, any stroke which requires me to submerge my face. I'm not scared of the water, and am capable of swimming from a boat to shore if needed. But something about not being able to breathe anytime I want to...that bothers me to no end. Likely my claustrophobia kicking in just a smidge.
I used to dislike swimming. There's a number of reasons. I enjoy it now. There's a number of reasons.
I am also a SCUBA diver. I started incorporating a mask and snorkel into my swimming for freestyle. Shoving that flat glass through the water for sure slows me down, but my breathing isn't affected by the speed of my stroke. Not only that, one thing I really like about it is when I put my face in the water for my first stroke, it doesn't come out of the water until after my last stroke. Other than occasionally seeing someone swim by in the other lane, I'm isolated from distractions on the surface. I went from thinking it was SO BORING to watching that same black line go by again and again and again to really enjoying that black line as my only friend during some alone time away from most of the rest of the Universe.1 -
Burpees. I don't know why but I hate them. 🤣0
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Running is terrible3
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Running is terrible
I chuckle when I see anyone using running as exercise UNLESS training for it as a sport or LOVES to run for some strange reason- few people even know PROPER form for running. That's why many runners later in life experience severe joint/bone issues, muscle imbalance, etc. I definitely don't need to run to stay lean LOL1 -
Mountain climbers. What is the point? Hate them!2
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Prancercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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When I started out I HAAAAAATED deadlifts! But my training partner pointed out that was mostly because they were incredibly hard for me. My primary sport at the time had left me very unbalanced, with extremely strong upper body pull muscles and lower body push muscles. So I worked my tail off to try to even that out, and they gradually grew on me. Now, 30 years later, I'm trying to convince my medical team to clear me for powerlifting 🤞
Now I think the treadmill is the worst. It's just mind-numbingly boring! And I have joint issues that prevent me from running, so I don't even get the endorphin spike that makes me look forward to other, lower-impact cardio.3 -
Not sure if I hate mountain climbers or bear crawls more. But I agree with the previous poster who said it's because they are hard for me. I'm still morbidly obese and I carry a ton of weight in my butt and low belly, and at my weight it takes a massive amount of core strength to do these properly.3
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Exercise in futility.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
Prancercise.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
What the….? I couldn’t even watch it all! Is this a real thing?!?
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Running is terrible
I chuckle when I see anyone using running as exercise UNLESS training for it as a sport or LOVES to run for some strange reason- few people even know PROPER form for running. That's why many runners later in life experience severe joint/bone issues, muscle imbalance, etc. I definitely don't need to run to stay lean LOL
LOL I'm glad someone else said it -- totally agree. I was on the track team in high school and it was one of the unhealthiest times of my life. I lost my period for 6 months, I got all kinds of leg and hip problems, and I developed severe depression. And I wasn't some star athlete, I was pretty average. Several of the star athletes ended up with stress fractures and one even ended up with a broken jaw after an on-track collision with another runner. Also even though my times got significantly better from where I started, the actual running itself never got any less painful and my lung capacity isn't that great so it was always a struggle to get enough. I think exercise should be fun and running will never be fun to me.Mountain climbers. What is the point? Hate them!
Mountain climbing is completely baffling to me. Most climbers end up dying in a climbing accident at some point. There are some mountains where close to 40% of anyone who has ever attempted to climb them have died in the attempt. It's so stupid. I don't even consider climbing to be an achievement because it does nothing to advance society or even the climber's health and well-being.Prancercise.
Honestly as ridiculous as it looks, I think it would actually be a decent low-impact workout for people who can't do overly strenuous exercise.
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Lunges. Any type, but especially walking and Bulgarian SS.2
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The "American Kettlebell Swing". It's just bad form by bad trainers. It was made up after idiots that really didn't know that a KB swing is actually a hip hinge movement (not a squat) made videos and then made up a name for their crappy form. Which, BTW, can injure you as well.4
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I hate back rack lunges. Not that they are terribly hard to do but they make my butt sore for days afterwards!!0
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MikePfirrman wrote: »...idiots that really didn't know that a KB swing is actually a hip hinge movement (not a squat) ...
I've not seen KB swings done as squats, but almost invariably I see them done by people as basically shoulder front-raises, which is fine if that's your goal but is it really?1
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