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[@RenaissancePeriodization] The Absolute Worst Exercises People Do (And What to Do Instead)

· 5 min read
[@RenaissancePeriodization] Summarizer
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@RenaissancePeriodization - "The Absolute Worst Exercises People Do (And What to Do Instead)"

Link: https://youtu.be/7Rl7yC1npiM

Short Summary​

Here's the executive summary and key takeaway from the video transcript:

Executive Summary: The video critiques several common exercises (Bosu ball squats/lunges/pushups, kettlebell swings, heavy carries, bicycle abs, and Turkish getups) arguing that they are inefficient for building strength, muscle, or power. It recommends replacing them with more effective exercises like deadlifts, power cleans, presses, shrugs, weighted sit-ups, and V-ups to maximize training results.

Number One Action Item/Takeaway: Stop wasting time on inefficient exercises like Bosu ball workouts, kettlebell swings, heavy carries, bicycle abs, and Turkish getups; instead, prioritize exercises that allow for progressive overload and target specific muscle groups with greater effectiveness for building strength, muscle mass, and power.

Key Quotes​

Here are 4 quotes that I found to be particularly insightful, interesting, or opinionated from the transcript:

  1. "Precisely because your body detects instability, it ramps down your ability to contract the biggest, most growth prone parts of your muscles and the ones that make you the strongest. They're called fast twitch motor units, and they're basically shut almost completely off when you're on an unstable surface like the Bosu ball." (This explains the reasoning behind why Bosu ball exercises are often ineffective for strength and hypertrophy.)

  2. "If you realize that the kettle bell swing is something you can just keep going with, but it's very tough on the cardio situation, then kettle bell swings are a wonderful part to include in a circuit for overall general cardiovascular fitness. However, for resistance training, for growing the hamstrings or the glutes or the lower back, or for sport training, developing strength and power and speed, all of those things, something the kettle bell swing is neither biomechanically designed to do because most of the forces are horizontal, and in real sport, most of the limiting forces are vertical." (This clarifies the specific use case for kettlebell swings (cardio) and the rationale for their limitations for other fitness goals.)

  3. "Heavy carries are like if you want to pretend to be a strong man, get very little out of it and then just piss away a lot of time. But hey, it's going to get the people staring at the gym in disdain. So stop doing it." (This is a strongly worded opinion on the effectiveness of heavy carries, highlighting its potential drawbacks for general fitness goals.)

  4. "Check this out. All of these exercises have their place. It's just that in a program designed to build as much muscle as possible and to lose as much fat as possible and to build as much power and strength as possible, none of these exercises are really top tier. As a matter of fact, they're bottom tier barely in the conversation." (This provides a balanced conclusion, acknowledging that the exercises discussed aren't inherently bad, but are simply not optimal for specific goals.)

Detailed Summary​

Okay, here is a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript provided, focusing on the key topics, arguments, and information, and excluding filler/advertisements:

  • Introduction:

    • The video aims to identify and critique exercises deemed ineffective or overrated.
    • The video presents alternative exercises for better results.

  • Bosu Ball:

    • Critique: Bosu ball exercises are deemed ineffective for strength and hypertrophy.
    • Argument: Instability caused by the Bosu ball inhibits the activation of fast-twitch motor units, crucial for strength and muscle growth.
    • Alternative: Perform exercises without the Bosu ball for better results.

  • Kettlebell Swings:

    • Critique: The Kettlebell swing is not effective for targeted muscle growth or sports training.
    • Argument: The exercise has no limiting factor and predominantly involves horizontal forces, unlike most sports which require vertical force.
    • Alternative: Deficit deadlifts, power cleans, and mid-thigh pulls are more effective for strength, power, and hypertrophy.
    • Use case: The Kettlebell swing is suitable for cardiovascular fitness and circuits.

  • Heavy Carries:

    • Critique: Heavy carries are inefficient for muscle growth, particularly traps.
    • Argument: Heavy carries cause excessive fatigue that could be better spent on exercises that target more muscle groups.
    • Alternative: Dumbbell shrugs, cable shrugs, and machine shrugs that emphasize concentric, eccentric, and isometric contractions.
    • Use case: Heavy carries for core strength and athleticism or function based programs.

  • Bicycle Abs:

    • Critique: Bicycle abs are limited in their ability to promote abdominal hypertrophy.
    • Argument: Bicycle abs do not provide a significant stretch, and progression beyond a certain point only improves endurance, not muscle size.
    • Alternative: Decline weighted situps and V-ups that offer a greater range of motion, stretch, and potential for loading.

  • Turkish Get-Ups:

    • Critique: The Turkish get-up is deemed an impractical and overrated exercise.
    • Argument: It's unclear what it effectively trains or tests, and leg strength and overhead pressing ability are better assessed and trained with squats and overhead presses, respectively.
    • Alternative: Deep barbell squats and any kind of barbell overhead press.

  • General Conclusion:

    • The reviewed exercises are not top-tier for building muscle, losing fat, or increasing strength and power.
    • These exercises are less effective compared to other more efficient exercises.