Best Exercises

I'm often asked my opinion on the very best exercises one can do. Obviously, the answer will be entirely different on an individual level. For instance, the core exercise selection I use with a competitive football defensive lineman will differ from the movements I choose for a baseball pitcher. Furthermore, the movements I choose for a 60 year old female with arthritis will differ from a 20 year old female with no health concerns.

With the above being said, most of the clients I deal with would be classified as "baby boomers" interested in overall fitness, meaning they want to improve all of the following in a balanced fashion (not emphasizing one over the other): full body strength, joint health and functionality, conditioning, fat loss/body composition, and overall metabolic health. Assuming there are no injury issues, I feel the following 5 movements should be on every "baby boomer's" template:

1. The Trap Bar Deadlift

2. Chin-up/Pull-up Variations

3. Push-up Variations

4. Pillar Bridge Variations

5. Lunge Variations

All of the above work very large muscle groups simultaneously and create a significant metabolic demand on the body. This is obviously great for increasing strength, but they also have a significant cardiovascular conditioning effect as well. If one performs a 20 repetition set of trap bar deadlifts, for example, they'll certainly be breathing heavily at the end of a set, even if the resistance is "light" in a relative sense. Also, exercises such as the 5 listed above are also great for fat loss. The "metabolic disturbance" created by those listed above will literally keep your metabolic fire burning for hours after your workout is complete.

Compare the above exercises to what the "typical" exerciser at your local health club is doing. Instead of deadlifts, they may opt for a seated leg extension. Instead of chin-ups, they may opt for a pulldown type of exercise. They'll replace push-up variations with machine flys or machine chest presses, lunges with the seated or lying leg curl machine, and pillar bridges with a seated abdominal crunch on a poorly designed piece of equipment.

All of the above "replacement" exercises are just flat out easier. They are mostly single joint exercises, meaning they do not incorporate multiple muscle groups, and, therefore, the effect on the metabolism is not nearly as great. They are also performed on machines, which force your joints into a fixed path, eliminating stabilizer muscle activation and potentially set you up for injury. In regards to the abdominal machines found in most gyms, they cause the lumber spine to flex and extend. If you've read any of my past newsletters, you are already aware of the dangers involved with this in relationship to low back disc injuries. The last thing the lumbar spine needs is more mobility. What it does need is more stability and the ability to resist movement.

The bottom line is most baby boomers have a limited amount of time to devote towards exercise. With that said, it is important one's exercises selection is efficient-effecting multiple components of fitness-and safe. I'm not saying certain single joint exercises and certain machine based movements cannot serve a purpose in someone's program. For instance, specific single joint exercises for the scapula and rotator cuffs, the hip extensors and hip rotators should be included the majority of the training year, as most people have dysfunction in these muscles which is effecting their joint health. However, what I AM saying is most people opt-out of exercises such as the 5 listed above because they are just easier, are scared they are going to hurt themselves and/or the individual lacks understanding on why these types of movements are beneficial in the first place.

An experienced fitness professional/trainer, such as those at Force Fitness & Performance, can help you to introduce the most effective exercises safely, and prescribe a variation of the exercises listed above which suit your individual needs and current level of fitness. If you would like more information on how to design your workouts and how to introduce effective exercises into your overall program, please check out our PROGRAM DESIGN SERVICE.