The number one excuse people give for not working out is that they do not have enough time for it. Everyone is pressed for time, so but some people, especially martial artists, always seem to find some time for physical training. Since exercise time is precious, we should not squander it on exercises that are inefficient, ineffective, or unsafe. Ralf Hennig, author of Four Way Burn, points out some moves and techniques he thinks should not be used because they waste time or put you at risk for injuries.

Not the Bee’s Knees

Lifting extra heavy weights with just your thighs invites injury. This refers to the leg extension machine which isolates the muscles in the front of the thighs known as the quadriceps. Besides straining knee ligaments, this exercise may overdevelop the quads, making the back of thigh muscles (hamstrings) more likely to snap, especially if they are tight and weak in comparison to the quads. Stick to squat-and-lunge type moves for safer, superior thigh muscle building.

Pain in the Neck

Unless your shoulders are super flexible, any exercise where you push or pull a bar that is positioned behind your neck may damage the delicate rotator muscles and lead to chronic shoulder, upper back, and neck pain. When using the pull-down machine at the gym, it is best to sit up straight and pull the bar down to your chest.

Rabbits Beat Snails

Some exercisers set their cardio machines to slow every workout under the misconception that moving at a snail's pace burns more fat. The truth is that varying pace and intensity and mixing fast and slow speeds is a far more successful weight loss strategy since it addresses the body's different energy systems and muscle groups.

Abs-olutely Not

Locking your feet under something to do sit ups may seem like a good idea but it is more likely to injure your lower back than flatten your abdomen. Anchoring your feet means most of the work is being done by the hips. To shift the work to the abs, lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, extend your arms, and slowly roll up to a sitting position one vertebrae at a time; keep breathing as you move.

The Thighs Have It

You should skip the inner and outer thigh machines because they work such a small area of muscle and because the movements are so unnatural. You may end up building the very area you are trying to trim. For toned legs, better results are obtained using exercises such as holding a weighted ball as you do basic squats, lunges, and side squats.

Waist of Time

Waist twists and side bends do not whittle your waist and if done too often or with too much weight, they may actually add bulk to your midsection. In addition, doing them too vigorously may lead to low back pain. A better exercise is to hold a weighted ball (2 to 4 pounds) at chest level, plant your feet firmly, tighten your abs, and slowly rotate from side to side, 8 to 15 times.

Squat Nots

Squats are the best lower body toner but, if your go too low, you may get pain in your knees, hips, and lower back. Knees especially take a beating from deep squats due to overstretched ligaments and increased pressure on the joints. Never go lower than thighs parallel to the floor, make sure your heels stay firmly planted,  and keep your knees are in line with your toes.

Big Bad Bend

 Standing and flopping forward to touch your toes is another invitation to back pain, especially if you do it quickly and with fully straightened knees. If you are prone to lower back issues, it is best to avoid this move. Those with no back problems who do this stretch should do it slowly with softened knees get a decent stretch through the back of the thighs and lower spine.

Too Little and Too Much

High repetitions per set with a light weight is a waste of precious time. Using a weight so light that you can keep pumping for minutes at a time without breaking a sweat will not do much to build strength or shape muscles. The idea that this strategy will help you avoid bulking up is a myth. Use a weight that is heavy enough that your muscles feel completely worked by the end of a set of 8 to 15 repetitions while still allowing you to maintain good form.