6 Popular Exercises Trainers Won't Do (and What to Do Instead)

Let's be totally transparent: There are some exercises that just look cool — or are just so common they feel like a workout requirement. But that doesn't mean they're actually good, or that fitness professionals recommend you do them.

There are actually a few exercises out there that most trainers absolutely refuse to do — and they may even be in your usual workout routine. Read on to learn the six exercises personal trainers won't do and what you can swap them with instead.

An upright row is a popular shoulder exercise that involves pulling a barbell, set of dumbbells or kettlebell up toward your chin, leading with your elbows. And although it's a relatively popular move, it's not one that Mathew Forzaglia, CPT, a New York-based personal trainer, likes to include in his workouts.

This exercise can put you at risk of shoulder impingement (nerve pinching), especially if you don't sit and stand with the best posture (which is the case for most people), he says. When you stand with poor posture, your shoulders rotate inward, particularly if you have tight chest muscles from sitting throughout the day.

But even for those with perfect posture, the position of this exercise increases your risk of shoulder pain and injury, Winnie Yu, DPT, a New York-based physical therapist and personal trainer, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Although many high-intensity interval workouts sprinkle in plenty of burpees, they're another move Forzaglia prefers to keep out of his training sessions. While they do a great job at spiking your heart rate, they're easy to mess up (especially as you fatigue), which can cause strain or injury in your lower back.

"Burpees can be an injury waiting to happen," according to Carolina Araujo, CPT, a California-based certified personal trainer and strength coach. "Most people speed through them and end up using poor form. Plus, they put a lot of pressure on your joints every time you drop to the floor."

For those set on keeping burpees in their cardio workouts, try slowing down the exercise to focus on form. Considering the exercise has so many components, chances are, your heart rate will still get plenty high.

"I hate curtsy lunges with a fiery passion," Forzaglia says. The reason? When you do the side (lateral) step in this exercise, your foot stays planted while your knee twists inward. Most people don't have the ankle mobility or knee stability needed to support their weight during this motion, he says.

Often, doing this move with poor form can cause knee or ankle issues, especially if you add extra resistance, like dumbbells.

Even for those who have good form and ample mobility, a lot of people do this move too quickly, Araujo says. "Momentum helps make curtsy lunges a lot easier, which can defeat the purpose completely because you don't build as much muscle."

Triceps dips are a not-so-safe exercise that Araujo likes to keep far away from her (and her clients') upper-body workouts. For most people (even trainers), dips go beyond a comfortable, safe range of motion. This makes your shoulder joint unstable while lifting your body weight, putting you at a higher risk of injury.

Plus, a lot of people don't have the strength needed to do the move correctly, according to Sam Becourtney, DPT, CSCS, a New York-based physical therapist. Your shoulder joints are sensitive and rely on the muscles around them for stability. When you don't have the necessary strength, dips can cause shoulder pain or iunjury.

You probably see some form of crunches in nearly every ab workout you find online, Araujo says. But they're a lot more ineffective than you may think, which is why she likes to leave them out of her workouts.

Not only do crunches fail to build much core strength, but they can cause you to strain in your neck and back, according to Yu.

"Although crunches are commonly seen as a fundamental core exercise, I personally would never do crunches or prescribe them to my clients because it is so easy to crane your neck while doing them," Yu says. "They can also feel uncomfortable on your lower back each time you press your spine into the floor."

Kipping pull-ups aren't too common around traditional weight rooms, but you may see plenty of them in CrossFit boxes. Although they look pretty cool (imagine hanging from a bar and using your body to swing up into a pull-up), they're usually an injury waiting to happen, according to Yu.

The flailing motion puts a lot of stress on your shoulder joints, which are sensitive as it is, Araujo says. Even for those with strong, mobile shoulders, flailing your body while your shoulders support your entire weight is often too much to handle.

This move also demands a lot of strength from your back, she says. So, if you don't have enough strength or perfect form, back pain or injury is pretty common, too.