Why do guys who are obviously fit/strong/athletic (or in some cases pros)...

[CombatCyborg]

...do weird or ineffective exercises?

We all know that squat, deadlift, push, pull is the basis of strength but I see weird stuff all the time.

Big ripped athletic guys at my gym do stuff like: partial depth squats, leg extension + leg curl, bench dips (instead of bar dips? I don't know why)...I saw a couple of guys the other day doing dumbbell lateral raises standing on a bosu ball. Is it sport specific or something? I see Smith machine bench press and shoulder press all the time, and the shoulder presses are usually partial presses that don't go beneath the chin on the way back down.

Even some pros do things that look silly. How often have we heard it's bad to do behind the neck presses? I watched the video of Randy Couture's barbell circuit and he does these ridiculous wide-grip behind the neck presses. But what can I say about it? He's Randy-fucking-Couture. In UFC All Access we even see Anderson doing bench press on the Smith machine.

What am I to make of all this?

 

[DrBdan]

A novice lifter can make gains with less than optimal training methods and a lot of pro athletes don't need to get to an elite or even advanced level in the weight room. You can accomplish a lot with hard work and consistency even with a less than optimal training program.

 

[GracieStriking]

because lifting weights is only a small part of what makes a great athlete. also, alot of athletes are 'beaten up' from their training, so when they lift weights they lift the weights in a certain way, which protects the body parts with the most wear'n'tear on them.

 

[Splatterbeast]

Because different things work for different people.

And for the leg extensions and leg curling type stuff, that sounds kind of like a bodybuilding thing to appear more ripped than it does for a sport specific purpose.

 

[milano]

Because people don't know better.

 

[flak]

Something I try to keep in mind is, it's possible that these folks are working around injuries, trying out new exercises, or deliberately doing isolation or partial-ROM movements because they perceive a legit need for it.

I'm sure that in the past 4 years I've been lifting, at least a few of the goofy things I've seen have had reasonable explanations.

 

[redaxe]

They probably think those exercises are good for them and don't really know any better. Even elite athletes are prone to misconceptions about strength training.

 

[Brutal Bajan]

Something I try to keep in mind is, it's possible that these folks are working around injuries, trying out new exercises, or deliberately doing isolation or partial-ROM movements because they perceive a legit need for it.

I'm sure that in the past 4 years I've been lifting, at least a few of the goofy things I've seen have had reasonable explanations.

I also tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially if they seem to be in good shape and otherwise do efficacious movements. Maybe they're rehabbing an injury, prehabbing a muscle group, or just wanting to try out a new exercise.

Obviously if you see the same out of shape dude doing 1/4 squats for months, they probably just don't know any better or are ego lifting.

 

[king56]

i hate in the gym when a guy who is way stronger than me gives me terrible lifting advice.


In the back of my head i am like, "what an idiot"...but then I think to myself: This guy is twice as strong as me, maybe I am the idiot and he actually know what he is talking about.

 

[KuaziKilla]

They probably think those exercises are good for them and don't really know any better. Even elite athletes are prone to misconceptions about strength training.

+1 brother... there are always new trends and super fads in lifting and supplements

 

[theBrookDweller]

in my experience it's because people look at the routines of people who's bodies they want and they do those routines. Sometimes they see a routine and it just says squat, without explaining to go below parallel or what have you. Another thing is that they see all these infomercials and whatnot and follow these "gurus" who tell them that they need to stand on a ball and be off balance to gain core strength. Personally, I followed Bruce Lee's philosophy in that you should do what works for you...SS works for me to change my body composition, barbell complexes and running helped me lose weight. This is what I've seen in my own body. Right now I'm starting to run more and more and hopefully lifting heavy and running will get me the results I'm after....but if I talk to people at the gym, they will tell me I need to do light weights with as many reps as possible to lose weight and not bulk up.

Mostly though, I think it's pure ignorance on what to do to accomplish their goals...many people don't understand how to squat properly and I often find myself wanting to tell them. Same with many exercises.

 

[pimpadelic]

I think it's a case of genetic advantage showing results that the weird lifts wouldn't otherwise produce in the general population.

Some gifted people might get big legs from doing quarter squats, but the average person would benefit much more from at the very least parallel squats.
Theres an amateur bodybuilder at my gym who teaches people to do quarter squats on the warmups then 1/8th squats on heavy sets. I cringe every time he gets an obviously frail guy (who prob has never squatted before) under 225 and instructs him to do 6" knee flexes. At least he's nice and hasn't said anything mean to me as I atg front squat in the next power rack.

 

[january]

I think it has to do with internet culture, and the fitness enthusiasts who join online groups.

Like any group there are fads, cliques, and group think/empowerment. You join a forum as a rookie, and quickly see and note the hierarchy in the forum; and from there, as that rookie, you learn the groups diets/programs/techniques and kind of grow up with those understandings as truths--kind of like a religious upbringing. Some groups are strength enthusiasts making fun of bodybuilding or weak lifts; some are crossfitters who poke fun at traditional strength training; and some are bodyweight enthusiasts/gymnast who completely think crossfit is bullshit and the devil. Everyone see's things at gyms from their particular groups eyes and thinks "how silly".

And let's note the particular concern for details and precision that's of people who care enough about fitness to spend considerable time researching and writing about online. Not everyone is like this, not everyone goes and posts about their lifts online.

I think, in the gym, the biggest thing that determines your success in whatever it is you're trying to be successful for is your determination. Yes, some movements are much more effective than others, but work is work, and some can just work harder than others without too much care of perfect technique; ie, those stronger-than-you-people with their silly advice and inefficient lifts.

 

[LZD]

A lot of it could be due to injuries - ie, the smith machine bench can be easier for some people working around a shoulder injury.