The Top 4 Exercises You’re Not Doing

Everyday millions of gym goers do the same routine.  This routine may be going on for a few months, years, perhaps even decades. Due to this, several areas of the body are left completely unaddressed.  This can lead to overuse injury and have you see seeing a physical therapist. 

Below is a list of exercises that I rarely see people perform.  These exercises are absolutely crucial to your fitness success.  They address muscle imbalances ,make you feel and move better, and of course the vanity reason is there, they make you look better by balancing out the front and back of your body and help improve your posture.  

1. Facepulls

Does your shoulder hurt while you bench press?  Or at any other times?  Many times shoulder pain is being caused by overactive, or tight, pecs and underactive, or weak, upper back.  Facepulls are one of the most underrated and absolute important exercises.  The purpose of this exercise is to balance out the imbalance issue by strengthening the upper back.   Pair this exercise with a stretch for your chest (hold for 30 seconds) and you’ll be on your way to better shoulder health and posture.  I suggest every client to perform this exercise 3x a week for 3 sets of 12-15 reps.   

2. Romanian Deadlift

People who work out become extremely quad dominated due to all the squats, lunges, and split squats the may do.  Even times when people deadlift they seem to do it in a way that makes it more of a quad and glute exercise than a hamstring and glute exercise.   This means that there is such a disproportion of strength between the front and backside of the body.  This can lead to all sorts of knee pain and various other injury.  Enter the Romanian Deadlift.  The Romanian Deadlift is one of the best hamstring exercises you can possibly do that is also extremely safe on the lower back because the weight starts at thigh height. 

3. TRX Rows Or Inverted Barbell Rows

TRX Rows or Inverted Barbell Rows, like facepulls, strengthen the back of your body.  By performing these exercises you again target muscles that are underactive.  Everyone needs to do more pulling exercises.  For every 1 push exercise you do (any bench press variation, pushup etc) you should be doing 2 pulling exercises.  In extreme cases I prescribe 3 pulling exercises to 1 push to balance out structural issues.

4. Single Leg Deadlifts

Not only do these strengthen the hamstrings and glute, you get some great balance work and ankle mobility at the same time.  Though I am a guy who promotes simplifying and not trying to accomplish too much with one exercise, these are the exception to that rule.