Today's post comes from Shape.com. You may think by the title that they are going to reveal 25 deceivingly bad exercises, but these exercises are deceiving in a good way--they all target multiple muscle groups and many of them are cardio exercises as well.
A good many of these exercises are the ones my participants groan the most about. Usually, the more you hate an exercise, the more effective it is because it is using more than one muscle to perform it.
Probably the number one exercise I get flack for is the burpee.
From Shape regarding burpees:
"By combining squat thrusts with a return to standing in between each rep, the burpee is the ultimate full-body exercise. Just one seemingly simple movement challenges the muscles in your chest, arms, thighs, hamstrings, and abs. And because you're using your full body when doing burpees, it's one of the best exercises to burn fat.
Tip: Make your burpees more challenging by adding in a push up before the squat thrust and/or a tuck jump when you come back up to your feet."
The second exercise is a mountain climber:
About mountain climbers:
"I've yet to meet a mountaineer that climbs mountains in this position (a better name would be "Sprinter Stuck at the Starting Line" but I suppose that's not as catchy). Still, there's no denying the power of this exercise that challenges your shoulders and quads and elevates your heart rate. Assume the sprinter starting position—hands on the ground, rear up in the air and one leg bent toward your chest. Alternate which leg is forward, only touching your front toe to the ground before quickly switching sides.
Tip: Put your timer/watch on the ground between your hands, because you won't be able to look at your wrist or up at a clock without breaking your rhythm."
The third exercise is the push up:
About push ups:
"Lowering and raising your body is about as basic as it gets, which leads many people to dismiss push ups as boring or even worse, ineffective. But by using proper form—stomach pulled in toward your back, hands in line with your shoulders—this move becomes a full-body exercise that goes beyond yourchest to work your abs, shoulders, and upper back.
Tip: With hundreds of variations, there's never a reason to be bored. Try plyo push-ups by pushing off your hands to catch a little air for a challenge or keep your elbows tucked in to your sides to work your triceps."
About planks:
"It doesn't get much easier than holding still. That is, until you try holding still with only your hands and toes touching the ground. To get the most out of this core exercise, make sure you pull your bellybutton in toward your spine and keep your hands in line with your shoulders. Don't let your hips sag—you shouldn't be feeling this in your back.
Tip: Bored of the plain ol' plank? Try lifting up one arm and the opposite leg to really challenge your core and balance."
Gee, do you see a trend here? Yes, most of my participants are women and these upper body exercises are more challenging for them, but they are very effective. So, no more eye rolling and groaning, don't quit, do it!
Here's the link to the remaining 21 exercises: 25 Most Deceiving Exercises
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