Your time is precious, and it's hard enough to fit in a workout during your busy day. So when you do work out, you want to make your routine as efficient and injury-free as possible. You know that cardio and strength training are integral to success, but do you know which moves you should ditch? Start with a big pain in the neck -- the pulldown machine can be an effective tool in sculpting back muscles, but it should always be pulled down in front of you, never behind. If you pull it down behind your neck, then you risk damaging the delicate rotator cuff, which causes upper back, shoulder and neck pain. Do you know squat about working out the legs? You should. Squats are by far the best way to sculpt thigh muscles and burn fat - steer clear of lifting a great deal of weight on the leg extension machine.
You could set yourself up for knee injuries and pulled quadriceps. And the leg adduction and abduction machines work such small muscles in the legs that they're not even worth it. Lunges and squats again are the best way to get toned legs. If you feel the need for speed when you step on the treadmill, that's fine. Just be sure to slow it down once in awhile to work different muscle groups and to burn lots of fat. Varying speeds also breaks up the monotony of the workout. Crunch away to reach that six-pack goal, but don't anchor your feet under the couch or anything else. This move makes the hips work more and the abs work less, plus it can cause lower back injuries. Be conscious of all of your movements when you work out so that you can get the most bang for your gym buck.