Pretty disappointing article. Just a bunch of the typical spewed nonsense and stereotypes that non-coaches come up with simply because it has a ring to it.

Gotta have the classic “bicep curls are a waste of time, for young people who don’t have serious goals” oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize taking out the trash and recycling, carrying groceries, pulling weeds, and the myriad of other ways we use OUR ARMS was “purely aesthetic”. Christ. Do you know how many older folks I meet who basically gave up on gallons of milk because they’re too heavy? And did you know that working them up to reps with 15lb dumbbells completely solves that problem?

Sorry. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine. Just pure cringe marketing to give your customers something to feel smug and judgmental about as they look around the gym and see people doing popular exercises.

However this is the first time I’ve seen CABLE CRUNCHES lumped into the “useless muscle” category. YOUR CORE??? Really guy? Later on he says the trap bar deadlift is actually great for building your core, so I guess the argument is that directly targeting it is a waste of time. But that’s outdated information, basically straight from early 2010 reddit and the Starting Strength fiasco.

Squats and deadlifts, especially heavy ones, challenge your core and your bracing, which hits them isometrically. But you really don’t want your core to be anywhere near the limiting factor for these movements. Direct ab training will ensure your core is strong enough to never worry about it. Obviously even outside of the gym, having a reliable core gives you a myriad of benefits.

Finally, yes trap bar deadlift is a very good lift. It’s in my personal deadlift rotation. But again, the article is just a deluge of nonsense that can’t help but to throw shade at other lifts instead of just promoting a good thing and encouraging people to try it. Oh, and I guess explaining to people that the most popular exercises ever are “useless or dangerous” must be a good way to get people to click on your affiliate links for the various scammy apps you also write about.