In a recent YouTube video, 2023 World’s Strongest Man, Mitchell Hooper, breaks down the eight worst exercises for building strength. 

While any resistance training has its benefits, some moves are simply holding you back—or worse, putting you at risk. 

Ready to find out which popular exercises might be sabotaging your gains and learn smarter alternatives? Keep reading to discover how to train like a champion and maximize your strength.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press: Instability Limits Strength Gains

Why It’s Ineffective: The dumbbell bench press might seem like a staple in any strength routine, but its instability can actually hold you back. 

As you increase in strength, the challenge of getting heavy dumbbells into position and maintaining balance throughout the movement becomes a logistical nightmare. 

This instability not only limits the amount of weight you can press but also puts unnecessary stress on your joints.

Better Alternative: Barbell Bench Press
Switch to the barbell bench press for a more stable and effective strength-building exercise. The barbell allows you to lift heavier weights with greater control, reducing the risk of injury and maximizing your strength gains. 

Plus, it’s easier to set up and spot, making it a safer option for pushing your limits.

2. Bamboo Bar Exercises: Instability Overload

Why It’s Ineffective: Bamboo bars and similar tools that emphasize instability might look cool, but they’re not doing your strength any favors. 

These bars wobble and bend, forcing your stabilizer muscles to work overtime. 

However, this focus on stability over raw power means you’re lifting significantly less weight than you could with a regular bar, which stunts your strength progress.

Better Alternative: Axle Bar or Stiff Bar Lifts
For true strength gains, opt for a stiff or axle bar. These tools provide a stable platform, allowing you to focus on lifting heavy and building raw power. 

You’ll develop more strength in the primary muscles involved without the unnecessary distraction of excessive instability.

3. Bicep Curls: Isolation Over Integration

Why It’s Ineffective: While bicep curls are a gym favorite, they fall short when it comes to building overall strength. 

As an isolation exercise, they only work one muscle group, which doesn’t translate well to functional strength or compound lifts. 

Moreover, excessive focus on bicep curls can lead to muscle imbalances and even hinder your performance in more critical lifts like squats and deadlifts.

Better Alternative: Underhand Barbell Rows
Replace bicep curls with underhand barbell rows. 

This compound movement not only targets your biceps but also engages your back, shoulders, and core, making it a far more effective exercise for building total body strength. 

You’ll also improve your pulling power, which is crucial for exercises like deadlifts and rows.

4. Deadlifting Without Straps: Grip Limits Potential

Why It’s Ineffective: Deadlifting without straps might seem like a way to build grip strength, but it often limits your ability to lift heavier weights. 

Your grip is likely to give out before your back and legs do, which means you’re not fully tapping into your strength potential during deadlifts.

Better Alternative: Deadlifting with Straps
Using straps allows you to lift more weight without worrying about your grip giving out. 

This way, you can focus on training your larger muscle groups and truly maximizing your deadlift strength. If you want to train your grip, do so separately with dedicated grip-strengthening exercises.

5. Loaded Spanish Squats: Unsafe Shear Stress on Knees

Why It’s Ineffective: Loaded Spanish squats put your knees in a precarious position by introducing high shear forces. 

While these squats might seem like a good way to isolate the quads, they can easily lead to knee injuries, especially when you start adding weight.

Better Alternative: Close-Stance Leg Press
To safely target your quads, opt for the close-stance leg press. This exercise allows you to load your quads effectively without putting unnecessary stress on your knees. 

Plus, the controlled environment of the leg press machine ensures that your joints are protected while you build strength.

6. Unsupported Nordic Curls: High Injury Risk

Why It’s Ineffective: Nordic curls are often praised for their hamstring benefits, but doing them without support can be risky. 

The high eccentric load increases the risk of muscle tears, particularly if you’re not an elite athlete. This exercise can also strain your knees and lower back.

Better Alternative: Safety Bar Squat Good Mornings
For a safer and more effective way to strengthen your posterior chain, try safety bar squat good mornings. 

This exercise targets your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while also building core stability. It’s a great way to enhance your strength without the injury risk associated with unsupported Nordic curls.

7. Partial Squats: Inefficient and Overloads the Nervous System

Why It’s Ineffective: Partial squats might allow you to lift heavier weights, but they only strengthen a limited range of motion. 

This not only fails to develop full-body strength but also places undue stress on your nervous system, leading to fatigue and potential overtraining.

Better Alternative: Full Pin Squats
For a more effective squat variation, try full pin squats. This exercise allows you to train the entire range of motion, engaging more muscle groups and building balanced strength. 

Additionally, pin squats reduce the strain on your nervous system by eliminating the stretch-shortening cycle, making them a safer option for heavy lifting.

8. Shrugs: Narrow Focus with Limited Benefits

Why It’s Ineffective: Shrugs are often done to build traps, but they offer little benefit when it comes to overall strength. 

The movement is highly isolated, focusing only on the upper traps, and doesn’t contribute much to functional strength or compound lifts.

Better Alternative: Rack Pulls
For better upper back development and overall strength, replace shrugs with rack pulls. This exercise engages your traps, lats, and lower back, making it a more comprehensive strength-building movement. 

Rack pulls also help improve your deadlift and squat by reinforcing proper posture and thoracic extension.

Conclusion

When your goal is to build serious strength, every exercise in your routine should contribute effectively to that goal. 

The exercises listed above may have their place in other fitness contexts, but if pure strength is what you’re after, they’re not worth your time. By swapping these out for the suggested alternatives, you’ll be on your way to a stronger, more powerful physique. 

Remember, the key to strength training is not just lifting heavy but doing so in a way that maximizes gains while minimizing risk.