27 Mar Do this, not that: tips for best upper-body exercises

Inverted rows eliminate the unnecessary strain on your shoulders of pull-ups, and give your body a balanced workout. It can help improve your posture and help or even get rid of back pain.

There are many exercises that have been around seemingly forever, but are actually not the best alternative for everyone. They put the body at greater risk for injury, and are not as efficient as other ways to exercise the same muscle groups.
Do this, not that for the following upper-body exercises:
For triceps, do triangle pushups — Do a pushup with your hands close together under you, touching to make a triangle shape. They work not only the triceps, but also activate muscles in your chest, shoulders and core. You get more extensive results for your time and effort without an increased risk of injury. Some experts have said triangle pushups are the single best exercise you can do for this muscle group.
For triceps, don’t do dips — Although dips work for some people, they also put extra force on your shoulder joints and can lead to developing rotator cuff problems.

For back and shoulders, do inverted rows — Lie back on the floor inside your squat rack with the bar at arms length. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Lead with your chest, not with your stomach or head. Keep your chin tucked, chest forward and shoulder-blades back & down. They eliminate the unnecessary strain on your shoulders of pull-ups, and give your body a balanced workout. It can help improve your posture and help or even get rid of back pain.
For back and shoulders, don’t do pull-ups — Pull-ups may be OK for some, but many people who are even in decent shape can’t even do one correct pull-up. Many just don’t have the shoulder flexibility or strength to safely hang vertically from their arms and that can put pressure on the joints and muscles. Inverted rows are simply more efficient and safer to do for many, while greatly reducing the chance for injury.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com