Want to build lean muscle and get the most out of your workouts? Are you training really hard with little or no results? If so, you might be doing the wrong exercises. Traditional crunches, Smith machine squats, Roman chain sit-ups and other popular moves are overrated and may cause injuries. Maximize your workout routine by cutting out these time wasters:

Crunches

Many gym goers do hundreds of crunches but still have belly fat and love handles. The truth is that crunches are quite useless, especially for those who won’t diet. Abs are made in the kitchen. If you want a six pack, eat a low carb diet and train regularly. What’s worse, crunches can lead to disc ruptures and other serious injuries.

Partial Squats

How deep do you go when doing squats? According to health experts, partial squats may cause muscle imbalances, ligament tears, and a weak core. Deep squatting is a much better option, leading to strong legs and glutes.

Abductor/ Abductor Machine Exercises

The leg exercises performed at this machine are supposed to train the muscles of the inner and outer upper thigh. However, they rarely provide any results. The best way to build strong thighs is to do lunges, squats, deadlifts and other compound moves. These exercises engage more muscles, strengthen your core, and improve your balance.

Standing Chest Fly

The standing chest fly is pretty much useless because it mostly engages your shoulders, not your pecs. When you perform this exercise, the chest muscles aren’t working against gravity. For massive pecs, try the bench press, incline dumbbell press, heavy dips, and pec decs.

Round Back Deadlifts

This exercise is not only useless, but also dangerous for your back. It puts a lot of stress on the lower back area and may cause injuries to your shoulders. If you want to stay safe, try classic deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, or squats.

Behind the Neck Barbell Press

Behind the neck barbell presses are supposed to work your back and shoulder muscles and make you stronger overall. However, they put strain on your shoulders and can damage your rotator cuffs. Any gains that you see can be achieved by doing other exercises, such as the military press and barbell presses.

Triceps Kickbacks

Triceps kickbacks are among the most popular exercises out there. Yet, they provide little results in terms of strength and muscle gains. This exercise doesn’t allow you to lift weights that are heavy enough to stimulate muscle growth. It’s virtually impossible to build strong triceps using light weights. Some good ol’ fashioned pushups and triceps dips are way more effective.

Shoulder Shrugs

This move only works one muscle in the shoulder, so it’s quite worthless. Not to mention that it makes you look weird! Additionally, most gym goers use bad form, which can cause injuries. There are lots of other exercises that can help you build strong, functional shoulders, such as the barbell overhead press, the seated dumbbell clean, high pulls, push-ups, dips, and machine shoulder presses.

The Russian Twist

The Russian Twist hits your abs and core muscles. However, it also causes wear and tear of the spinal structures. There are many other ways to train your abs and spinal muscles without the risk of injury. The plank, ab wheel rollouts, flutter kicks, and leg raises have a bigger impact on your abs.

Ab Crunch Machine

The ab crunch machine is just as harmful for your spine as regular crunches. When used regularly, it leads to disc injuries and back strain. Most people are unable to get into an effective position in the machine, which further increases their risk of injury. Compound exercises, such as the squat and deadlift, engage your abs to a higher extent than the crunch does.

              Which of these useless workouts are you guilty of ? Still surprised that you haven’t lost weight ?