9 Exercises You’d Better Avoid If You Dream Of Having A Feminine Body

Women don’t just exercise to stay fit. Their purpose of working out is to amplify their curves and look hotter than ever before! If that sounds like you, you should know that just about any type of exercise is not going to help you achieve your goal. Which means you can’t really try out the workouts your boyfriend does and expect to look fabulous! Your anatomy is different, and you need a certain set of exercises that don’t rob you of your femininity but help keep you fit at the same time.

Here are 9 exercises you should never do if you want to look feminine!

Exercises That Make Your Side Abs Larger

Your side abs extend from your pubic bone all the way up to the lower part of your ribs (1). These are responsible for giving that curvy shape to your body. So, if you exercise these muscles, you don’t slim them down, you actually end up expanding them, which means no slim waistline! Hence, you should avoid these exercises:

1. Dumbbell Bends

Winner of the NPC Sunshine Classic and professional bodybuilder, Lena Boone, recommends avoiding bends with dumbbells if you want a thin waist (2). Calling it “abs abuse,” side bends with dumbbells enlarge your abs.

You should replace this with the vacuum exercise, wherein you suck in your tummy to the greatest extent possible and hold for 20-30 seconds before relaxing.

2. Side Extensions

While carrying out the side extension exercise, you have to bend your body sideways on a specially made sloping bench. This exercise too can expand your waistline.

A good substitute for this exercise is the plank. Similar to a pushup, elevate your body on your toes, letting your arms rest on the floor. Hold this pose for a minute, relax, and repeat.

3. Barbell Squats

Workout, an exercising channel focusing on women’s fitness, says that performing squats with weights might make your glutes firm but they also do the same for the muscles in your spine and abs. This makes them look masculine.

Straight up ab crunches will work much better. Continue performing crunches till you feel heat in your abdominal muscles.

Exercises That Make Your Shoulders And Neck Look Larger

The trapezius muscle, situated in the top-half of your back and neck, is flat and wide (3). If you exercise this muscle, you may end up with a thick neck and wide back. You should avoid exercises that cause this, and these include:

4. Dumbbell Or Barbell Shrugs

Anna Borisova, a fitness expert, explains that shrugs with either dumbbells or barbells can make your trapezius muscle grow, giving you a masculine touch (4).

Pushups are a great alternative to this exercise if you wish to tone your back. In fact, wide pushups can also help make your pectoral muscles firmer.

5. Bringing Up Dumbbells Or Barbells To Your Chin

To put it quite simply, this exercise too enlarges the muscle located in the upper half of your back and neck, i.e. the trapezius muscle.

Substituting this exercise with dumbbell arm lifts will do you good. Not only will this exercise help shape your arm muscles but even your shoulders. Just remember to pick up weights you can use without difficulty.

6. Kettlebell Lifts

This exercise involves lifting a kettlebell in front of you, up to your chest. If you lift these above your shoulder level though, you work out your trapezius muscles.

Since this exercise can be risky, it is best to swap it with arm bends. Arm bends with dumbbells will help you work out your triceps. Just lift your arm with dumbbell in hand above your head. Now take the arm of the other hand, place it on the elbow of the lifted arm and bend this arm slowly.

Exercises That Enlarge Your Legs

In a bid to make your glutes rounder, you forget that the same exercises will also affect your legs, making them look larger and thicker. If you don’t want that to happen, avoid these exercises:

7. Weighted Squats

Squatting with heavy weights not only destroys your slim waistline but also your legs. This exercise will add bulk to your hips and even potentially harm the muscles in your lower back and knees.

To avoid this scenario, simply do squats without weights. Make sure your knees don’t point ahead of your toes so you can work your glutes.

8. Using Leg Exercise Machine For Unbending Legs

You can do this exercise in several ways. That said, they enlarge your hips and make them look bigger.

Lunges are a better workout to exercise the lower half of your body. A neat trick is to take a small but rather deep step to achieve max results.

9. Exercise Machine For Pulling Legs Together

Working out your inner thighs is difficult. Which is why women use this machine to shape this portion. However, Jaime Eason Middleton, an exercise trainer, recommends avoiding this exercise as it can enlarge your joints.

Side lunges are the best replacement for this exercise as they can tone up your thighs.

All of the abovementioned exercises will help you retain your femininity while staying fit and strong. So, make them a part of your exercise regime.

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