You’ve probably heard the saying “any exercise is good exercise.” While that’s true if your only goal is to move more and stay healthy, it’s not always true if you’re trying to shed serious weight. Some exercises just don’t deliver the bang for your sweat buck when you’re aiming for fat loss. They either don’t burn enough calories, don’t get your heart rate up enough, or simply don’t push your body to keep burning fat after you’re done.
So, if you’re putting in the time and effort, you might as well get the most out of every rep and every drop of sweat. Below, I’m breaking down a few popular moves you might want to skip (or at least not rely on) if trimming down is your main goal—and what to do instead for better results.
1. Crunches And Sit-Ups
Let’s start with the biggest myth. Want a flat belly? Do a million crunches, right? Nope. Crunches and sit-ups only target your abs, which are a tiny muscle group. They don’t burn many calories and won’t melt the fat covering your abs. If you’re doing endless crunches hoping for a six-pack, you’re better off focusing on full-body moves that torch more calories.
What To Do Instead:
Swap crunches for planks or mountain climbers. They work your core but also engage your shoulders, glutes, and even your heart rate. Even better—add compound exercises like burpees or kettlebell swings that shred calories and train your abs at the same time.
2. Long, Slow Bicep Curls
Doing bicep curls with light dumbbells for 20 minutes might make your arms burn a bit, but it won’t move the scale. Isolation exercises like bicep curls work just one small muscle at a time. They’re great for sculpting when you’re lean, but they’re not calorie burners.
What To Do Instead:
Pick compound upper body moves. Try push-ups, pull-ups, or rows. They hit multiple muscles at once and burn more calories. If you love curls, do them at the end of a tough workout—don’t make them your main thing.
3. Leg Extensions Machine
This one’s common at the gym. You sit on the machine, lock your legs in, and lift the weight with just your quads. Sure, your thighs feel it, but you’re sitting down, working one muscle, and barely raising your heart rate.
What To Do Instead:
Swap leg extensions for squats or lunges. These moves fire up your whole lower body—glutes, hamstrings, quads—and engage your core too. Add weights or do jump squats to boost your heart rate and torch fat.
4. Inner And Outer Thigh Machines
These machines promise to slim your thighs. The reality? You can’t “spot reduce” fat in one area. Squeezing your thighs together on a padded machine won’t melt thigh fat. It works tiny muscles, but doesn’t challenge your whole body or spike your metabolism enough to burn serious calories.
What To Do Instead:
Try side lunges, skater hops, or banded lateral walks. These hit the same muscles but with more effort, more movement, and more calorie burn.
5. Steady-State Cardio Only
Okay, cardio is good. But hours of steady treadmill jogging at the same slow pace won’t give you the fat-loss results you expect, especially if that’s all you’re doing. Your body adapts quickly and learns how to burn fewer calories for the same work.
What To Do Instead:
Mix in high-intensity intervals (HIIT). Short bursts of fast sprints or hill climbs, then a rest, then repeat. HIIT burns more calories in less time and keeps your metabolism revved up even after you stop.
6. Using Tiny Weights With Tons Of Reps
You’ve probably seen people lifting 2-pound dumbbells for a hundred reps thinking they’ll “tone up.” But if you’re lifting weights so light they don’t challenge you, you’re not building much lean muscle or spiking your metabolism enough to help with fat loss.
What To Do Instead:
Lift weights that feel heavy for you. Aim for 8-12 reps that feel tough to finish. More muscle means you’ll burn more calories even at rest.
7. Just Walking Slowly
Walking is great for your health. It keeps you active and helps with recovery. But a slow, leisurely stroll around the block won’t make a big dent if you’re counting on it to shred pounds.
What To Do Instead:
Make your walks work for you. Pick up the pace, find hills, or carry a backpack for extra weight. Or, mix in power walking intervals to raise your heart rate.
8. Fancy Balance Moves That Waste Time
Some balance exercises, like standing on a BOSU ball doing bicep curls, look cool but don’t do much for fat loss. They’re more about coordination than calorie burn.
What To Do Instead:
Focus on solid, compound moves you can do safely and with good form. If you want balance, add single-leg deadlifts or lunges—you’ll challenge your balance and hit big muscle groups at the same time.
What Actually Works Best For Weight Loss
So if these exercises aren’t worth your main focus, what should you do instead? Stick to big, multi-muscle movements that get your heart rate up and build lean muscle at the same time.
The best exercises for weight loss usually tick these boxes:
- Use lots of muscles at once.
- Get your heart pumping.
- Can be done with heavier resistance as you get stronger.
Try to build your routine around these:
- Squats and lunges
- Deadlifts
- Push-ups and pull-ups
- Rows
- HIIT sprints or burpees
- Kettlebell swings
- Full-body circuits
Combine strength and cardio. Add HIIT. Keep your rest breaks short to stay in that fat-burning zone.
Don’t Forget Food And Recovery
Even the best workout plan won’t do much if you don’t get your food right. Focus on whole foods, lots of protein, and veggies. Cut back on processed stuff and watch your portions. And sleep! Muscles grow and fat burns when you’re resting well.
Wrap Up
If you’re serious about dropping pounds, say goodbye to endless crunches, tiny dumbbells, and that inner thigh machine. Instead, choose moves that work your whole body, push you to sweat, and leave you feeling strong. You’ll see results faster—and feel way better doing it.
So, next time you hit the gym, train smart, not just hard. Make every rep count for that lean, fit body you’re working for. You’ve got this—ditch the time-wasters and go for the moves that really move the scale!
