By: Erin Kelly
Credit: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
It's not difficult to find articles touting all the magical benefits of burpees, planks, and squats. I'm not saying these aren't good exercises. They are! But sticking to staples like these during your workouts gets old in a hurry, and is more likely to burn you out.
To help you mix up your gym routine, we asked personal trainers to reveal their favorite underrated exercises.
More: The Only Machines You Need To Bother With at the Gym
Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell workouts surged in popularity in 2013 along with CrossFit and the Paleo diet. But after that brief moment in the sun, most people moved on to bigger and better things. Cristina Osorio, kettlebell and fitness instructor at TruFusion, suggests reviving the weighted handlebars. "The kettlebell is one of the most dynamic tools for strength, flexibility, and endurance training," Osorio explains. "Because kettlebell swings create very minimal impact on your lower body, it's the perfect solution to bringing cardio into your workout routine without agitating your knees."
Bridges
You know that weird exercise that makes you look like you're dry humping... well, nothing? Those are called bridges, and according to Ellen Thompson, head personal trainer at Blink Fitness Penn Plaza, you should do them more often. "If you really want to target the butt and activate those glutes, bridges are where it's at," Thompson says, adding that bridges are one of the best glute-activation exercises around. Plus, they're a versatile exercise. "You can perform standalone [bridges] as a bodyweight movement, with weights for a strength movement, or add an exercise ball as a stability movement."
Calf raises
This exercise may not look like much more than standing on your tippy toes, but Courtney Paul, trainer at YG Studios, claims it's a must when training the lower body. "Nothing is more unappealing than someone who has muscular quads, hamstrings, and glutes with underdeveloped calves," he says. "So before you hit the showers, polish your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles!"
Single-leg squats
Up the ante on traditional squats with single-leg squats, says Patrick Mason, yoga instructor at TruFusion. "By using only one leg on a hack squat machine, or doing pistol squats freestanding, you're ensuring that each leg does exactly the same amount of work," Mason explains. "This helps build your leg muscles evenly."
Credit: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
Rowing
Though it may be the case on House of Cards, in real life you don't need to be an elitist to hop aboard a rowing machine -- so don't be afraid. Eric Salvador, head instructor at New York City's The Fhitting Room, praises the benefits of this low-impact, total-body workout. "Rowing works all the major muscle groups, from the quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats, core, shoulders, lower back, and biceps," Salvador says. "That means rowing packs a punch and torches calories while building muscle." Rowers work like stationary bikes in that the user controls the intensity; the harder you push or pull, the harder it gets. "You can have fun performing different kinds of workouts, like slow, steady, longer distances, versus shorter, more high-intensity intervals," Salvador says.
Plyo knee tucks
You might think that a push-up is challenging enough, but you could double its effectiveness by adding knee tucks into the movement, says Alonzo Wilson, founder and athletic director at New York City training center Tone House. "Begin in a push-up position, then jump -- exploding your knees toward your chest in the air -- before returning to the original push-up position," Wilson says. "Then, do a push-up." Not only will you engage your abs, shoulders, chest, and legs, but this movement revs up your heart rate, too.
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