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3 Super INefficient Exercises (that you probably do) & What To Do Instead

One of THE BIGGEST goals of my biz is to make fitness easy to digest for people.  That’s why I cater to people with busy lives and schedules.  I’ve spent enough time in gyms to know that A LOT of people waste too much of their precious time on exercises that don’t yield a high return.

So this week I’m putting my foot down on this nonsense!

The video below will shed some necessary light and really help you out.  And remember what I always say…IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT!  How are you supposed to know some of these exercises aren’t that great when for years you’ve been thinking they are?

 

I even surveyed some of my favorite fitness colleagues to make sure I’m not crazy and the verdict is in, these are THE MOST inefficient exercises we see people doing all of the time…and what you can do instead to get better results.

Click here for tips on eating better and burning fat with interval cardio workouts!

Leave your comments and thoughts below, even if you’re shocked and dismayed.

Pass this along to a friend if you know they do these exercises all the time AND get on my list if you aren’t already (what are you waiting for mama?!) so we can keep in touch 🙂

xo,

3 Super INefficient Exercises (that you probably do) & What To Do Instead
  • http://www.goddesshuntress.com/ Monique Reavis

    Very informative. I’m really excited to try the plank/bicep combo.

  • http://www.courtesanstudio.com Denise

    Very helpful video, Liz! I always try to do more than one exercise at once. Growing up in dance, we were always told that multiple and opposing movements while exercising engages both your mind and your body for a more effective workout and better coordination. It is awesome to have something that has been entrenched into my brain during youth to be right for a change! Thanks, Liz!

  • http://alifebeyondwords.com Kelsea

    you just cut my leg work outs in half.. thank you !!

    p.s. your arms look awesome!

  • Anna

    Love all of these plank exercises
    ps – I want your arms

  • http://www.boutiqueindiatravel.com Victoria Gibson

    Great tips – thanks Liz! I hate crunches, so good to hear they’re not worthwhile.

  • ErinDrew

    Love this! Planks are always so challenging for me and now I know why… they’re so good for me! What’s a good rule of thumb to get results? How many should I do in a session and how long should I hold it? Thanks!

    • http://fithealthyandbeautiful.com Liz DiAlto

      Good question, I like to do things in sets of 3-4. Hold it for as long as you can (by the 4th one your time might be shorter, that’s ok). If you can go longer than a minute, do something to make it tougher whether that’s adding an element like the stability ball like I did in the video, or hands or feet on a medicine ball (or both if you’re super strong!), lifting one leg off the ground…etc. Let me know if you need more suggestions!

  • http://www.launchingcreativity.com Freea

    Thanks so much, your posts are always in perfect alignment with my life! I have been fretting about my inner thighs. Arghhh. Thanks so much this was Awesome and timely!

  • http://www.heatherwellness.com/blog Heather Pierce

    You’re awesome – thanks for these great tips. No more crunches! By the way, if I do your workouts, will I get arms like yours? Please say yes.

  • http://fithealthyandbeautiful.com Liz DiAlto

    Ladies! Thank you so much for all the arm compliments, putting it on my list to make Part II Video for Sexy Summer Arms 🙂

  • http://cathyreisenwitz.com/about/ Cathy Reisenwitz

    I love these short, fun, informative videos. Great style. My husband likes to sit on the floor and lift dumbbells so I’m sending this to him. Also, I’ve been looking for some efficient ab exercises so on your suggestion I’m going to start employing planks.

  • http://www.kdhfinancial.com Karie

    So you’re saying the 25 crunches on my ball where I just kind of move up and down aren’t working??!! Seriously, I am a loser when it comes to core work and I just go through the motions. Thanks for holding up the mirror. It’s time to stop messing around and step it up! Great tips. PS- Your bod looks smokin’!

  • Sarah

    Thanks for the info, Liz! I was wondering about the inner thighs though…are there some good moves to strengthen that part of your leg? I feel that with running and spinning, my outter thighs get stronger than my inner thighs, which led to patella-femoral syndrome after I completed my first marathon a year ago…haven’t run since then. Would love some advice! 🙂

    • Liz DiAlto

      A couple of my favorite moves are lateral slides, old school Jane Fonda style inner thigh raises and sumo or ballerina squats (I unfortunately don’t have videos for these up yet, but if you plug any of those into youtube I’m sure you’ll find plenty of demonstrations.) Also remember when you’re trying to “target” a specific area like that it’s really important to consciously contract those muscles yourself during the exercise, and not just rely on the movement to do all the work. Does that make sense?

  • Kam-B

    As a trainer myself, I 100% agree with you… I stopped doing crunches 2 years ago, and replaced them with planks; my abs are now both stronger and sexier as a result!

    • Liz DiAlto

      Exactly! Thanks for the comment 🙂