Buzz
No matter your fitness goals, some exercises will suit you perfectly (as part of a well-structured, properly loaded program), while others may not be ideal. However, there’s no such thing as an exercise you should absolutely avoid.
Trainers and fitness writers often enjoy creating lists of exercises they claim are harmful. One article that caught my attention today was titled Never Do These Abs Exercises If You’re Over 40, Says Trainer. It’s from Eat This Not That, a platform known for shocking readers into thinking they’ve been doing everything wrong. (Spoiler: You’re likely just fine.) The logic is flawed—why would a 39-year-old train their abs differently than someone who’s 40?
The article suggests that people over 40 should avoid side bends, situps, and Russian twists. Another piece on Good Housekeeping warns against using the hip adductor or leg extension machines, doing crunches, upright rows, behind-the-neck lat pulldowns, side bends, back extensions, hanging leg raises, tricep dips, chest flies, or even using the elliptical. Shape magazine echoes the warnings about leg extensions and behind-the-neck pulldowns, adding that squats in the Smith machine, ab machines, adductor or abductor machines, and even Supermans should be avoided. And if you think switching to CrossFit or powerlifting is the answer, some will argue against squats, deadlifts, and claim CrossFit has 11 ways to 'destroy your body.'
If you tried to follow all these lists, you’d find yourself with almost no exercises left to perform. (Except for bird dogs. Everyone adores bird dogs.)
An exercise isn’t inherently risky just because a trainer doesn’t like it.
Having spent years in the fitness industry, I’ve noticed that exercises gain or lose popularity based on trends and cliques. I’ve also witnessed and tried enough unconventional lifts to realize that what one person claims is harmful, another might have been doing safely for a decade.
How do the creators of these 'never do' articles justify their claims? Most of the time, they don’t. Their reasoning usually falls into one of these categories:
Some people perform the exercise incorrectly, like the critique of the Russian twist.
The exercise targets a different muscle than expected, such as the standing chest fly.
The movement is deemed 'unnatural,' like the elliptical not replicating walking or running perfectly.
The exercise places 'stress' or 'force' on a specific body part, like your back, as mentioned in the criticism of situps.
A particular position is considered risky for certain joints, often the shoulder, as in the warning about tricep dips.
None of these reasons are valid grounds to avoid an exercise. A trainer might reasonably say, 'I avoid giving clients Russian twists because they often perform them incorrectly, so I suggest alternatives,' or 'Standing chest flies target the shoulders more than the chest, so I choose different exercises for chest workouts.' However, jumping from these points to declaring an exercise as 'never do' is a stretch without evidence.
The argument that some exercises aren’t 'natural' is, frankly, amusing. Using gym equipment to alter your body’s shape or capabilities isn’t natural either, but that doesn’t diminish its value. Our bodies are highly adaptable, capable of learning diverse activities, from tree climbing to ice skating to operating machinery.
The last two points—regarding stress and injury—warrant deeper consideration. Anyone who engages in physical activity faces injury risks, just as those who are sedentary encounter health issues from lack of movement.
It’s crucial to recognize that these injury risks are largely theoretical. No study definitively proves that tricep dips cause harm; such warnings stem from trainers’ instincts. Research on injuries reveals that runners sustain more injuries per 1,000 hours of training compared to strength sport athletes, indicating that our instincts may not always align with reality.
What this means in practical terms
Over the years, I’ve learned that almost every exercise works for someone. Exercises don’t operate in isolation: how you load them and integrate them into your routine matters more than the exercise itself.
I recall a trainer once telling me that physical therapists despise the leg extension machine because it damages knees. Years later, during my ACL recovery, my physical therapist had me perform numerous leg extensions to strengthen the muscles supporting my knee. It worked—my knee healed, and my leg regained its strength.
I have countless similar experiences. I once believed deadlifts worsened an old back injury, but the more I deadlifted, the less pain I felt. I also thought behind-the-neck presses were risky, yet my coach occasionally includes them in my routine, and my shoulders remain intact—in fact, they’ve grown stronger.
Instead of eliminating an exercise because someone claims you should 'never' do it, consider whether it suits your needs. Does it target the right muscles? Are you performing it safely and effectively? Was it recommended by a knowledgeable trainer? Does it feel good when you do it? If the answer is yes, don’t let an unfamiliar writer or trainer discourage you.
