The Top 5 MUST-DO Exercises 🧐

I. The MUST-DO Exercises 🧐

Have you ever noticed that social media and Google searches are packed with articles about the "Top Five Must-Do Exercises," "Must-Eat Foods," and so on? While these articles are well-intentioned, they often use clickbait titles to grab your attention; and yes, I see the irony in me using one of those titles.

My favourite is "The ONLY Five Exercises You Need to [achieve X]." It sounds super sexy and cool, right? The truth is, there is no definitive list of the top five exercises. No best exercises for runners, tennis players, or anyone looking to build muscle or maintain their health. Most of these lists are based on opinions and preferences but are often presented as gospel truth.

To be honest, I've been guilty of this too. I'm an avid kettlebell user, and the kettlebell "swing" is often touted as the gold standard exercise that fixes everything. But the reality is that plenty of exercises strengthen your back, butt, and hamstrings, and the kettlebell swing is just one of them. If you love the kettlebell swing, great! But if you don't, that's cool too.

Another example of this is the "top runners exercises." The single-leg deadlift is a common exercise in this list, but why? Is it because most runners prefer not to lift heavy weights, making this exercise more appealing? Or is it because running is single-leg, and this exercise is, therefore, better for running? Remove the specific exercise and the truth is that having a stronger back, butt, and hamstrings helps runners, and exercises like the swing or the barbell deadlift can achieve that too.

Yes there are differences…The single-leg deadlift challenges stability more, the swing explosive power and the deadlift force production, but they all would help a runner.

So before you get sold into a specific exercise because it's "Top Five" status or "Must-Do" list, remember that the best exercise for you is the one you enjoy(ish), which you can do consistently.