Over/Under Rated Exercises

juicy · 02-15-2006, 03:32 PM

Was thinkin today about the wide range of exercises available for bodybuilding and what u guys think are the most over/ under rated exercises. For me personally i feel that pullovers are way over hyped. On the other hand wide grip pullups are seriously underated. What do u guys think, it wil be interesting to see which exercises have the best/worst rp with everyone.

Rocky · 02-15-2006, 03:38 PM

I don't think there are necessarily any bad exercises - just ones that are performed badly and ones that are better! A lot of people go on about how bad smith squats, upright rows and such are but I get on fine with them!

jornT · 02-15-2006, 03:40 PM

Overrated: Flat Dunbell Flyes, Pull Overs
Underrated: Pull Throughs, Reverse Hypers, Ham/Glute/Calve raise

Uriel · 02-15-2006, 04:01 PM

Overrated:

-Dips (for triceps)
-Chin ups (for biceps)
-Wide-grip pull ups/pull downs (for lats)
-Bench press (for chest)(big wow)
-Pushdowns
-SLDLs (for hams)
-Hypers
-Shrugs
-Back squats (for quads)(yes, I said it)
-Pullovers
-Any ab exercise

Underrated:

-Preacher curls (specialy with the straight bar)
-Underhand rows (for biceps and rear delts, so long as you keep the full ROM)
-Overhead extensions
-BTN presses (though I agree you should be careful with these)
-Hammer chins/pull downs
-Wide-grip rows (for upper back)
-Front squats (for quads)
-Leg curls (specialy seated)
-DB "cuban" rotations (for the infraspinatus, it'll give your upper back a realy freakish look)

I'm sure I'll think of some more eventualy.

Lineski · 02-15-2006, 07:35 PM

Overrated:
-Lat Pulldowns
-Leg Press (not that they're bad, people just become overly relient on them)
-Cable Cross-overs (I see just about every assclown at the gym doing these for 10 sets)
-Front Raises

Underrated:
-Wide Grip Pullups
-Front Squats
-Deadlifts (everyone swears they're great but you rarely see anyone doing them!)
-Walking Lunges (Parking Lot Style - YEAAAHHH BUDDAYYYYYY)
-Seated Military Press
-Seated French Press
-Power Cleans (Admittedly I don't even do these)

As a whole, there's not really many bad exercises out there as long as they're done right. It's only when people rely on "easier" or "more convenient" exercises that they become a problem. Even I do the overrated ones that I mentioned, just in much more moderation compared to others.

**tim290280** · 02-15-2006, 10:04 PM

overrated;
bench
bicep curls, any sort
ab exercise, any sort (except the ones SS does in Rocky3)

underrated;
real squats, not these half assed 1/4's that everyone seems to do
deadlifts, as posted above, noone does them in real life

Banshee20 · 02-15-2006, 10:25 PM

I think if you provide proper focus(mind-muscle connection), most exercises can be productive. However, I can only think of a couple of personal examples:

Underrated
Front Squats
RDLs Vs. Stiff leg deadlifts

Over-rated
Overhead DB Extension for triceps
Single arm cable curls from overhead

Nothin' but a peanut!! · 02-16-2006, 08:10 AM

[QUOTE=Lineski367]Overrated:

-Walking Lunges (Parking Lot Style - YEAAAHHH BUDDAYYYYYY)
QUOTE]

LOL yeah buddayyyyy!!

over rated -
SQUATS
BENCH PRESSES
majority of biceps exercises in general

under rated-
front squats
DEADLIFTS (my fav exercise)
clean and jerks (clean and presses whatever you call them)
incline benches (everyone loves flat)
chin ups (everyone wants to do pulldowns instead!!)
dips (never see ppl do this and the one above lazy arses)

thats my list i think thats it

thug_life · 02-16-2006, 09:04 AM

overated:
bb bench press
pulldowns
bb curls
squats
deadlifts

underated:
decline bench press
db bench press
walking lunges
chins
dips
hack squat
pullovers

Fry · 02-16-2006, 11:14 AM

Overated:
Is the ezy bar curl : the pronation of the wrist prevents the bicep from contracting maximaly focusing on the outer bicep.

Wide lat pull downs: Doesn't allow for full range of motion inhibiting the lat from fully contracting.

Forearm or any wrist curls: Will lead to over trainning cause each workout works out the forearms.

Underated exercise: Is the Deadlift think about it what one exercise stimulates more muscles than the old fashion deadlift

Uriel · 02-16-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fry

Forearm or any wrist curls: Will lead to over trainning cause each workout works out the forearms.

Forearms are nearly un-overtrainable.

jornT · 02-16-2006, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriel

Forearms are nearly un-overtrainable.

If there's one aspect about training I don't get much of it'd overtraining, so I might be all wrong, but I though overtraining was overtraining of the CNS and thus you can't overtrain a muscle group while the rest of your body is okay?

Q80_MuscleHed · 02-16-2006, 03:08 PM

i can understand why u put Back Squat on the overrated list uriel :) .. even the bench press .. and i agree with what banshee said .. but IMO .. with the development of new style machines .. i can see that free wieght become underrated over the machine

Uriel · 02-16-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jornT

If there's one aspect about training I don't get much of it'd overtraining, so I might be all wrong, but I though overtraining was overtraining of the CNS and thus you can't overtrain a muscle group while the rest of your body is okay?

There is both physical and neural overtraining (the first being very uncommon, and the second quite frequent).

Physical overtraining is when you damage your muscles at a faster rate than they can repair. This means the microtrauma eventualy becomes chronic and the muscle becomes inflamed (and needless to say you can't realy work a muscle in this situation). This is uncommon because in order to achieve this you'd have to work the muscle with like 100% intensity, five times a week, and by the time you got to this point your CNS would have shut down a long time ago and you wouldn't be lifting anything at all, so you see how hard it is to overtrain the actual muscle.

Neural overtraining is when the central nervous system becomes too fatigued, and eventualy starts slowly shutting down to prevent further aggravation. Until you actualy take time off to let it rest it'll just lock up further. If you still don't stop you'll get mood swings, extreme weakness, loss of apetite, etc etc. Overtraining the central nervous system isn't that hard - going to failure and/or lifting at very high intensities (>80%1RM) realy takes down the CNS, so if you do this several times a week you'll start overtraining (this is why going to failure is pretty much counter-productive, specialy if you work each body part more than once a week). Keep in mind though that different parts of the spinal cord control different parts of the body - for example, going to failure on the bench and going to failure on the leg press will burn different parts of the CNS.

As far as the forearms, they're very hard to overtrain because:

1) They're trained with lots of volume, but not realy that much intensity;
2) They are at the far ending of the nervous system and the muscles in question are so small that they don't realy burn it up enough to cause overtraining.

**tim290280** · 02-16-2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by q80_muscleHed

i can understand why u put Back Squat on the overrated list uriel :) .. even the bench press .. and i agree with what banshee said .. but IMO .. with the development of new style machines .. i can see that free wieght become underrated over the machine

I couldn't understand either until I realised that it wasn't about how productive they were, its about how much hype/use they get.

Bench is one of the most overused exercises, and everyone talks up back squats while front are just as good, and most people don't really do proper back squats.

I've noticed that new machines are meant to replicate free weights........ At least Arthur Jones was trying to develop machines that would overcome the limitations of free weights.

rugger85 · 02-17-2006, 12:52 AM

DEADLIFT!!! Plain and simple, it is THE most underrated lift. It works almost the entire body!!

Also, I think forearm exercises are UNDERRATED! I don't know many people at my gym that train them specifically. And with all the hype on this forum about looking freakish, a veiny, huge, beffy forearm sticking out of you shirt sleeve is usually a good indication of some awesome upper body strength.

Overrated:
1) Back squats. While they are my favorite exercise, no one really wants to go low enough anymore.
2) Bench press. That's all anyone talks about is how much they can bench! But how much can you deadlift, squat, etc.! Bench press is a good warm up and that's it!
3) Preacher curl. Just like the squat, I love this lift. But again, no one will go the full motion. And their defense is that they're "focusing on a constant contraction and the upper bicep"?! Truth is, they're trying to impress some girl by using 45's on each size, which will eventuall rip their bicep in half at which point I will walk by, spit on them, and go do PROPER back squats!

Q80_MuscleHed · 02-17-2006, 04:38 AM

the problem with Back squat is most of people don't do it in proper form .. and they end with half way rep or lower back injury

rugger85 · 02-17-2006, 04:51 AM

That is why I think it is overrated. People here that heavy squats are the way to build mass, and when they see the pictures of guys doing 500 lb. squats they think that is a starting point. Fact is, form with a good amount of weight will build more AND better muscle than no form and heavy weight. While I don't necessarily like him, Ronnie Coleman is a perfect example. He does 600-700 lb. squats easy. BUT HE'S BEEN TRAINING FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS!! Just watch a video of his squats. All the way down, all the way up.

Q80_MuscleHed · 02-17-2006, 05:36 AM

yeah .. that's true .. IMO .. Ronnie's squat is an example of perfect form of Back Squat .. sometimes i doubt his lower back gets involved in the movements .. cuz it stays straight and constent during the movment :)

Nothin' but a peanut!! · 02-17-2006, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriel

Forearms are nearly un-overtrainable.

ever heard of tennis elbow and golfers elbow?

thank you.

Uriel · 02-17-2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nothin' but a peanut!!

ever heard of tennis elbow and golfers elbow?

thank you.

Are you serious? Are you actualy refering to a BONE AND CARTILAGE CONDITION as overtraining? And you do realise that elbow conditions come mostly from triceps work, right?

This one wasn't even worth replying to. Why I still bother is beyond me. I guess I just don't learn...

Uriel · 02-17-2006, 02:05 PM

Anyway, back on topic, the back squat is overrated because it's often considered the king of quad exercises...when it doesn't even target the quads. Back squats are to deadlifts what SLDLs are to goodmornings. Get the picture? It's ALMOST the same thing in terms of muscles used, you only add the upper body for extra stabilization and you work the quads a little more on the squat. BUT the target is still the posterior chain (lower back, glutes and hams). Many lifters will tell you that their legs only actualy started growing when they started favouring front squats/machine squats/leg presses over the back squat (which are exercises that actualy target the quads).

Q80_MuscleHed · 02-17-2006, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriel

Anyway, back on topic, the back squat is overrated because it's often considered the king of quad exercises...when it doesn't even target the quads. Back squats are to deadlifts what SLDLs are to goodmornings. Get the picture? It's ALMOST the same thing in terms of muscles used, you only add the upper body for extra stabilization and you work the quads a little more on the squat. BUT the target is still the posterior chain (lower back, glutes and hams). Many lifters will tell you that their legs only actualy started growing when they started favouring front squats/machine squats/leg presses over the back squat (which are exercises that actualy target the quads).

simply ... word :)

hercules53 · 02-17-2006, 03:55 PM

front squats is the mother of all leg excersizes do them right and watch them quads grow

U-GOD · 02-17-2006, 10:23 PM

i think this is an old thread but i have to get this off my chest:

Overrated:
any Hammer Strength machine
pushdowns (always a line at this machine)
lat pulldowns(half the time they are done wrong anway)

Underrated:
front squats(because they are awkward)
deadlifts(because they are ****ing hard)
skull crushers(same as above)

word is bond

PUMBA · 02-18-2006, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lineski367

Overrated:
-Lat Pulldowns
-Leg Press (not that they're bad, people just become overly relient on them)
-Cable Cross-overs (I see just about every assclown at the gym doing these for 10 sets)
-Front Raises

Underrated:
-Wide Grip Pullups
-Front Squats
-Deadlifts (everyone swears they're great but you rarely see anyone doing them!)
-Walking Lunges (Parking Lot Style - YEAAAHHH BUDDAYYYYYY)
-Seated Military Press
-Seated French Press
-Power Cleans (Admittedly I don't even do these)

As a whole, there's not really many bad exercises out there as long as they're done right. It's only when people rely on "easier" or "more convenient" exercises that they become a problem. Even I do the overrated ones that I mentioned, just in much more moderation compared to others.

That about sums it bro, I'm with you.....oh except I'm an ASSCLOWN every second chest day LMAO.

Walking Lunges are awesome feel every part of upper leg and glutes for 3 days looool.

PUMBA · 02-18-2006, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriel

Are you serious? Are you actualy refering to a BONE AND CARTILAGE CONDITION as overtraining? And you do realise that elbow conditions come mostly from triceps work, right?

This one wasn't even worth replying to. Why I still bother is beyond me. I guess I just don't learn...

I guess it was worth replying to because you are not 100% correct, so now you can learn looool

MORE TENDON AND LIGAMENT CONDITION ACTUALLY, Mine is caused from tight tendons in the forearms that cause inflimation in the elbow attachments. I have to get my forearms worked on when a get massaged every week.

May come mostly from tricep work, but is also from inproper wrist position whilst doing the tricep movement (which is forearm flexion). Can even be caused when doing Flyes for chest if the wrist is flexing at the begining of the movement instead of in a fixed position, of course I'm talking heavy movements.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm having a go at you Uriel, I'm not, I'm just putting points across, but with your comments about squats, it sounds good on paper but the proof is in the pudding I believe.

I can't think of a Pro who has not been pictured doing squats.
Tom Platz said squats were best and until someone with legs as big as his tells me they suck!! I'll stick with Mr Platz's advice.

Uriel · 02-18-2006, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PUMBA

I guess it was worth replying to because you are not 100% correct, so now you can learn looool

MORE TENDON AND LIGAMENT CONDITION ACTUALLY, Mine is caused from tight tendons in the forearms that cause inflimation in the elbow attachments. I have to get my forearms worked on when a get massaged every week.

May come mostly from tricep work, but is also from inproper wrist position whilst doing the tricep movement (which is forearm flexion). Can even be caused when doing Flyes for chest if the wrist is flexing at the begining of the movement instead of in a fixed position, of course I'm talking heavy movements.

Forearm muscles originate mostly from the ulna and the radius, not the elbow joint itself. Your forearm muscles have nothing to do with pain in your elbows.

PUMBA · 02-18-2006, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriel

Forearm muscles originate mostly from the ulna and the radius, not the elbow joint itself. Your forearm muscles have nothing to do with pain in your elbows.

Your opinion is welcome, I would just feel silly telling a Sports Injury Dr they are wrong and then telling my self that I was wrong feeling no pain after having my forearms worked on.....I am not quoting books or anything here just actual and factual events......As you keep using the word MOSTLY you must agree that there are some cases where this is not correct. Thats why I said you were both right because it happens both ways that you two described YOU saying from Triceps and Peanut saying Forearms I have had it over the years from both LooooL lucky me.

MaKaVeLi · 02-18-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by U-GOD

i think this is an old thread but i have to get this off my chest:

Overrated:
any Hammer Strength machine
pushdowns (always a line at this machine)
lat pulldowns(half the time they are done wrong anway)

Underrated:
front squats(because they are awkward)
deadlifts(because they are ****ing hard)
skull crushers(same as above)

word is bond

I'm with you on all the underrateds and I think DB Compound Curls, DB Flyes and lunges are also in that category. Pushdowns are definatey overrated but I don't think Hammer Strength Machine's are that bad coz they're usually better than other types of machines