The opposite effect: “harmful” exercises for the female figure

Today, the number of girls in gyms is at least equal to, if not greater than, the number of men. People of all ages have long realized how important it is to exercise, and looking good at the same time is a wonderful bonus.

However, not all exercises that work for men will have the desired effect for a woman’s figure. Moreover, the wrong approach to exercise can do more harm than good. Together with the master trainer of the gym Alexander Karpov, we tell you what exercises should not be abused to avoid this.

Dumbbell bends and lateral extensions

One of the most popular exercises in the gym and on the street are those aimed at working the oblique abdominal muscles, including dumbbell bends. As noted by a fitness trainer, these exercises take the first place among the exercises that categorically do not need to do if you want a slim waist. Fat on the flanks will not go away, because local “fat burning” with the help of exercises is not possible, and the muscles hypertrophy, which will lead to an increase in the waist in volume.

The same can be said about lateral extensions: when during the exercise you lean to the side, standing at an angle on a special bench.

What to replace with:

Inclines and lateral extensions are better simply excluded from the training plan. The oblique abdominal muscles receive sufficient load during normal spinal flexions and in the role of spinal stabilizers in other exercises.

Squatting with heavy weights

An even more common mistake is squatting with heavy weights. Many people think that this way the load goes only on the buttocks, but this is not the case. During the exercise, the muscles of the abs and back are also involved – they act as stabilizers of the spine. Excessive load on the abdominal muscles can increase their volume and “eat” the waist.

Alexander: Here it is worth understanding what we mean by “heavy weights”. To achieve the effect of muscle growth – in this case, we are talking about the gluteal muscles – it is necessary to put them under stress, that is, to apply those very large weights. But the most important thing in this case is not to violate the technique of execution.

What to replace:

In general, it is not necessary to refuse squats with additional load, but it is necessary to do it with a large weight of the burden and observing the correct technique. And to exclude the stress of the abs, you can use a special belt.

But do not overpump the abs will help straight twisting. You lie on the floor and bend your legs at the knees. Then slowly lift the body up and return to the starting position. You don’t even need to go to the gym for this – a yoga mat is enough, and you can do it both outside and at home.

In addition, to make the waist look visually smaller, you should train the upper back muscles and shoulders. However, you should not overdo it with them either.

Barbell and dumbbell press

If girls value the bust given by nature, such exercises are contraindicated for them. Heavy pressing really allows you to pump up the muscles, but it can lead to their hypertrophy. The fact is that the pectoral muscles are wider in size than a woman’s breasts. Therefore, their large volume creates the effect of visual increase in the muscles, which, according to many, looks unaesthetic.

Alexander: If the girl is not engaged in bodybuilding and its varieties, then such activities should be limited both in the size of the weight and the number of exercises on the chest muscles.

What to replace:

It is not necessary to completely abandon the press. It is enough just not to overdo it with the weight. Determine a comfortable load and work on the quality of performance, not on strength and mass.

Leg curl on the machine

The inner thigh is one of the most vulnerable areas when forming a neat figure. Of course, beauty standards are changing, and someone, on the contrary, prefers massive female legs. However, most girls still strive to get rid of fat deposits on the inner thigh and make their legs more slender.

Nevertheless, this exercise gives a load not only on the trained muscles, but also on the tendons, which can be harmful to health. Moreover, you will not notice any special effect from such exercises.

The trainer does not recommend using weights higher than 75% of the single repetition maximum. Otherwise, a large weight will also provoke muscle growth, but will not remove excess fat – which means that the hips will only increase in volume.

What to replace with:

The alternative will be banal side lunges. This exercise effectively works not only the inner surface of the thigh, but also the buttocks.

Quadriceps exercises

Quite often in the gym you can see people who do lunges forward with weights – among them are many girls. However, if men have a large and strong thigh looks appropriate, then women massive legs are not always colorful.

It is easy enough to “overpump” the quadriceps, but it is much more difficult to return it to its previous state.

Alexander: I do not give isolated quadriceps exercises to my trainees – for example, shin extension in a training machine. It is enough for girls to load the quadriceps muscle, which they get during various kinds of squats, lunges, leg presses. We are not talking, of course, about professional bodybuilders.

In the end, everyone’s tastes are different, and the ideal figure for everyone is different. The above exercises can not be called unambiguously “harmful” for girls. However, if you want to achieve a neater and more refined shape, you should be careful with them.