The best exercises may be the ones you are not doing. Sometimes when you exercise do you feel like it is such a killer exercise in the moment and you swear you will feel sore the next day but don’t? I think this is a familiar thought for a lot of us. However, some of the exercises we think we are too advanced for actually are the ones we still need to practice and will most likely make you sore too. It is a win-win.
Here are some of the most underrated exercises:
Single Leg Deadlift
Targets: Core, glutes, and hamstrings
Regular deadlifts are a great exercise for building lower body strength, but using one leg at a time means your core needs to stay engaged throughout the exercise. An additional bonus of this exercise is that you can perform it anyway. You don’t need any fancy equipment and you don’t need a gym.
The Stairs
Targets: Glutes, hamstring, calves, and core
The stair master can get boring super quick. Why not ditch the gym or when you don’t have time to hit the gym to go find some local stairs. By running or walking up and down stairs, do more than just strengthen your cardiovascular system. You will also improve your coordination and challenge your lower body strength. Plus, there is so much left to the imagination when climbing up and down some stairs–don’t be afraid to get creative.
Superman
Targets: Hamstrings, abs, lower, and upper back muscles
Superheroes, in general, may have a reputation for displaying chiseled abs of steel, however, the actual superman exercise is all about your backside. The superman exercises is way more important than crunches. This is due to the fact that you need a strong back to support a strong core and vice versa. The superman does a better job at promoting good posture and strengthening the muscles in your back.
Deadbug
Targets: Core
The Deadbug exercise is a core exercise performed on your back. It is designed as an important skill to master for protecting your spring during heavy movements like squats and deadlifts. During the Deadbug exercise you want to engage your abs to resist extending your lumbar spine (or, arching your back) as you lower your legs to the floor. There are different variations of the Deadbug too that can add variety and additional challenges to the exercise.
