As a trainer, I have to disagree with mostly all of this — save for the faux pas of curling at the squat rack. Most of these moves do have their place. Behind-the-back pulldowns, for example, engage more of the rhomboids than pulldowns in front, and they can be safely executed by someone who has a normal range of motion in their shoulders. Obviously people with limited mobility shouldnt perform it, but thats true of lots of exercises. If a client of mine cant reach straight overhead, I dont have them do shoulder presses; if they cant squat properly, I give them more simple exercises (like step-ups) until they can. Im especially puzzled by the dismissal of the Smith machine as something that will make you stronger in one plane of motion. Yeah, if you do nothing but Smith machine squats. Smith squats are a safer alternative for people who cant do free squats properly, and theyre great for bodybuilders who want to maximize time under tension without fussing over stabilization. Stabilization training is great... if improving stability is your goal. And squats, regardless of how you do them, are still just one component of a comprehensive lower-body strength routine. The moral is, any good trainer will be able to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses and goals and ascertain whats right for you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and thats why its usually foolish to categorically dismiss specific exercises.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:43:08 +0000
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