{"id":35211,"date":"2025-03-10T11:32:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T15:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/?p=35211"},"modified":"2025-04-14T09:48:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T13:48:21","slug":"exercises-waste-of-time-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/exercises-waste-of-time-gains\/","title":{"rendered":"Trying To Get Big? Don&#8217;t Waste Your Time On These 5 Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s be real: The gym is a jungle of grunts, sweat, and way too many people doing weird stuff with dumbbells. Given the million exercises out there, you\u2019d think packing on muscle would be a breeze, but some moves are about as useful as a chocolate teapot when it comes to getting swole. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a Ph.D. scientist who\u2019s dissected more hypertrophy studies than you\u2019ve had protein shakes, I\u2019m here to call out the exercises that are a straight-up waste of time for anyone looking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/build-2-pounds-of-muscle-per-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">build muscle mass<\/a> who&nbsp;<em>doesn&#8217;t<\/em> have three hours a day to screw around in the gym. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll tell you what to do instead.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>1. Wrist Curls: Forearm Flexing for the Instagram Aesthetic<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve seen the guy in the corner, grunting through wrist curls like he\u2019s sculpting forearms for a Popeye audition. Sure, they\u2019ll pump up your flexor carpi whatevers, but for hypertrophy? Not worth the effort. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23537028\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Studies<\/a> show isolated forearm training adds minimal mass compared to compound lifts that hit multiple muscle groups. Basically, your forearms get plenty of love gripping heavy bars; wrist curls are just fluff.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Swap It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ditch the wrist curls for barbell rows, deadlifts, heavy shrugs, or dead hangs from the pullup bar. They\u2019ll blast your back and traps while giving your forearms a real workout\u2014no wrist-twirling required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>2. Side Bends: Chasing That V-Taper (Spoiler: Nope)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grabbing a dumbbell and flopping side to side like a metronome might feel like you\u2019re carving a V-taper, but it\u2019s a hypertrophy dud. Side bends mostly target your obliques with low mechanical tension, which isn&#8217;t your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/workout-checklist-for-muscle-gains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quickest route to packing on size<\/a>. Plus, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thickening your obliques can make your waist <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wider<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not narrower, anyway, so I don&#8217;t recommend focusing on them if you&#8217;re after chiseled midsection. Bro, your six-pack dreams just left the chat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Swap It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Weighted planks or hanging leg raises support c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ore stability and a tighter midsection.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>3. Smith Machine Squats: The Safety Net That Screws Your Gains<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Smith machine squat looks legit\u2014until you realize it\u2019s a muscle-building snooze-fest. By locking you into a fixed path, it reduces stabilizer muscle activation and cuts the load on your glutes and hamstrings compared to free-weight squats. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19855308\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research<\/a> proves it! And less muscle recruitment means less muscle growth. Plus, the Smith machine is the gym equivalent of training wheels\u2014cute, but not for getting jacked.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Swap It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Full range-of-motion barbell back squats can&#8217;t be beat. They offer full muscle activation for full gains. Drop the crutch and you&#8217;ll feel the difference quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>4. Donkey Kicks: Booty TikTok Hype That Falls Flat<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to social media, every newbie gym-goer seems to be donkey-kicking their way to nowhere. This glute-isolation move sounds sexy, but can only be done with low resistance and therefore has little impact for hypertrophy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/physiology\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2017.01105\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Studies<\/a> show compound lifts outpace isolation moves for building muscle mass, especially in big groups like the glutes. You\u2019re not a donkey, and your gains shouldn\u2019t bray like one.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Swap It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Heavy hip thrusts or Romanian deadlifts are science-backed and guaranteed to make your glutes pop without the barnyard vibes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>5. BOSU Ball Anything: Wobble Your Way to Zero Growth<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Some people&nbsp;<em>love<\/em> hopping on a&nbsp;<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BOSU ball for \u201cfunctional\u201d squats or push-ups, thinking they&#8217;re unlocking secret gains by wobbling through their reps. Newsflash: Instability kills hypertrophy. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15320684\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research<\/a> shows that unstable surfaces tank your force output and muscle activation compared to solid ground. If you\u2019re trying to get big, ditch the circus act; muscle needs tension, not a balance test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Swap It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Leave the balance training for yoga class and stick to regular squats and bench presses instead of BOSU moves. Make them heavy and you&#8217;ll pack on plenty of beef.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Bottom Line: Your Time Is Too Precious for Trash Exercises<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building muscle isn\u2019t about doing <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the things; it\u2019s about doing the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">right<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> things. Wrist curls, side bends, Smith squats, donkey kicks, and BOSU ball nonsense might burn a few calories or impress your gym crush for five seconds, but they won&#8217;t cut it for hypertrophy. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27928218\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a> says stick to compound lifts, max out mechanical tension, and keep the fluff off your program. So next time you\u2019re tempted by a shiny new exercise, ask yourself: \u201cIs this getting me jacked, or just jacking around?\u201d More often than not, your gains benefit best from sticking to the basics. (Need a little more guidance? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/workout-checklist-for-muscle-gains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Make sure your workouts check these boxes if you want to pack on size<\/a>.)&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"23050\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/fitness-supplements\/dr-jacob-wilson\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?fit=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"400,400\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dr Jacob Wilson\" data-image-description data-image-caption data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?fit=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" class=\"wp-image-23050 alignleft lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=213%2C213&amp;ssl=1\" sizes=\"(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=272%2C272&amp;ssl=1 272w\" alt width=\"256\" height=\"256\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=272%2C272&amp;ssl=1 272w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Dr-Jacob-Wilson.jpg?resize=213%2C213&amp;ssl=1\"><\/em><em><br>\nKnown as \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/themusclephd\/?hl=en\">The Muscle Ph.D.<\/a>,\u2019 Dr. Jacob Wilson has a knack for transforming challenging, complex concepts into understandable lessons that can support your body composition and health goals. A skeletal muscle physiologist and sports nutrition expert, Wilson is a leader in muscle sports nutrition. As the CEO of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theaspi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Applied Science &amp; Performance Institute,<\/a>&nbsp;he researches supplementation, nutrition, and their impact on muscle size, strength, and power.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s be real: The gym is a jungle of grunts, sweat, and way too many people doing weird stuff with dumbbells. Given the million exercises out there, you\u2019d think packing on muscle would be a breeze, but some moves are about as useful as a chocolate teapot when it comes to getting swole. As a<a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/exercises-waste-of-time-gains\/\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Trying To Get Big? Don&#8217;t Waste Your Time On These 5 Exercises<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":227,"featured_media":35212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[286,4,9,1356],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-picks","category-fitness","category-the-latest","category-wellness-council"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trying To Get Big? 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