Like bad 80’s shoulder pads and frosted tips, some exercises go out of style—and for good reason. Here are the exercises trainers would never recommend you do nowadays, and their safer, more-effective alternatives.

STOMACH SLAPS

Some trainers thought that hitting the stomach of someone performing crunches would cause them to brace their core, creating a tighter muscle contraction.

Better option: The hollow-body hold

Try the hollow-body hold if you want a serious punch to the gut—in a good way.

“It’s a stability exercise used by elite gymnasts to build extreme core strength,”  And it works. After all, how many gymnasts have you seen without high-definition abs?

Do it: Lie on your back on the floor or a mat with your legs straight and your arms down by your side. Bend your knees and lift your feet until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor.

At the same time, contract your abs, raise your head and shoulders blades so they no longer touch the floor, and lift your hands a couple of inches so they hover next to your body.

To progress the movement, straighten out your legs so they are a few inches above the ground. Your body should form one long line.

To take it up another level, reach your arms over your head so your body forms a banana shape. Hold this position.

BEHIND-THE-NECK PULLDOWN

The movement was originally used to zero in on the upper-back and shoulders. But trainers soon found out that the exercise puts your shoulder joints and upper spine in an awkward position, increasing your potential of injury to those areas.

“The risk definitely doesn’t outweigh the benefit,”

Better option: Front pulldown

You’ll minimize your injury risk, and maximize your muscle activation.

Do it: Sit down in a lat pulldown station and grab the bar with an overhand grip that’s just beyond shoulder width. Without moving your torso, pull the bar down to your chest as you continue to squeeze your shoulder blades. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

BARBELL TWIST

“Apparently, loading a barbell on your shoulders and twisting back and forth was supposed to work your obliques,”  But it’s actually more likely to damage your spine or knock out another gym patron, he says.

While your obliques play a role in bending and twisting your torso, they actually work harder when you try to resist movement to protect your spine—so that’s how you should work them.

Better option: Band-resisted anti-rotational press

Your obliques won’t twist during the band-resisted anti-rotational press. Instead, they must keep your torso from rotating against the pull of the band.

Do it: Grab a continuous-loop exercise band and tie it around a vertical post so it’s just below shoulder height. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the right side of your body facing the post.

Pull the band in front of you so it’s even with the middle of your chest. Holding it in both hands, take a step or two away from the post to create more tension in the band.

Extend your arms out in front of you, pressing the band away from your body. Pause, and then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

These three moves will help you look better and feel better

There are some exercises that you just can’t get enough of. Three such examples: wall slides, thoracic rotations, and single-leg hip raises. Unusual names, yes. But while you may not be familiar with these moves, chances are, you should be doing them every day. Why? Because they help offset the toll that working on a computer—or even a mobile device—takes on your body. Specifically, that toll is poor posture, which frequently leads to neck, shoulder, and back pain. And because sitting and slumping as you type, surf, or text can consume hours of your day, the more frequently you perform these moves, the better. The best part: You can do these no-weight, no-sweat exercises anywhere.

Exercise 1. Wall Slides
Stop what you’re doing right now, and imagine that there’s a string attached from the ceiling to your chest. Now imagine that the string is being tightened, pulling your chest closer towards the ceiling. If you were sitting with good posture, your chest wouldn’t rise much. But if you’re like most people, you just raised up a few inches. (You can also remind yourself to sit as tall as you can.) This is a good way to see how much you slump. And if you do, you should start doing an exercise called the wall slide immediately.

For best results, do 10 to 15 reps of this exercise up to three times a day. (It’s easy to do in your office, and a great warmup before you lift weights.) Yes, it looks simple—and it is. But you’ll love how good it makes your shoulders and upper back feel.

2. Hip Raises
It’s not just slumping that hurts your posture. Simply sitting can be harmful, too. For instance, when you sit constantly—as most of us do—the muscles on the fronts of your hips become short and tight. What’s more, your glutes—or butt muscles—actually forget how to contract. (Think about it: With so much chair time, they’re not being used for much of anything except padding for your hipbones.) Now, the combination of tight muscles on the front of your hips and weak muscles on your backside causes your pelvis to tilt forward. This pushes your lower abdomen outward, making your belly pooch out—even if you don’t have an ounce of fat. Worse, it also puts more stress on your lumbar spine, which can lead to low-back pain.

But the single-leg hip raise can help. It strengthens your glutes and teaches them how to contract again—which helps allow your pelvis to move back in its natural alignment. Do 5 to 6 reps for each leg, holding the top position of the exercise for 3 to 5 seconds.

3. Thoracic Rotation
Like wall slides, this is another great exercise for your upper body posture. Just look around your office: See anyone with a hunch in his upper back? (Make sure to take an honest look in the mirror, too.) Compare his posture to that of Superman. The difference should jump at you: Superman has his chest up and shoulders pulled back; your colleague is just the opposite. The reason is simple: Your muscles and connective tissue tend to “set” in the position your body is in the most often.

Now you can’t fix 8 hours of slumping with just one exercise. But you can counteract some of the daily damage using thoracic rotation. This exercise helps “mobilize” your upper back by rotating at your thoracic spine. (That’s where the name comes from.) This helps restore natural, healthy posture. It also feels really good! Do 10 reps on each side. Frequently.

By Adam Campbell