Is your current exercise selection optimizing your muscle gains? In March 2025, Dr. Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis (Dr. Pak) and Dr. Mike Israetel picked five overrated and five underrated exercises to account for when programming your next training split.
Overrated Exercises
- Barbell Bench Press
- Walking Lunges
- Face Pulls
- Hanging Leg Raises
- Rack Pulls (Above the Knee)
Underrated Exercises
- Deficit Push-Ups
- Machine Chest Supported Rows
- Smith Machine Squats
- Good Mornings
- Ab Wheel Rollouts
[Related: In Modern-Day Bodybuilding, Phil Heath Tells Jay Cutler: “We Don’t Have a Certain Talent Pool”]
Overrated Moves
Barbell Bench Press & Walking Lunges
People think they must dedicate part of their training life to barbell bench presses, but Dr. Pak argues dumbbells and machines offer a better stretch than barbells and don’t require a spotter. Dr. Israetel agrees.
According to research, dumbbell chest presses, using lighter loads, caused similar or greater chest activation compared to barbell bench presses. Machines and free weights produce similar hypertrophy. (1)(2)
Walking lunges are versatile compound exercises that don’t require weights and were ranked as the best glute builder by Jeff Nippard. They’re often used as a finisher after squats and leg presses.
Dr. Pak believes walking lunges serve more as cardio than an optimal muscle builder, lacking a quality eccentric phase.
“Split squats are more stable, with a deeper stretch if you add a deficit,” Dr. Pak added.
Face Pulls, Hanging Leg Raises, & Rack Pulls
Dr. Pak feels face pulls are trendy and overhyped, saying: “They became a must-have to bulletproof shoulders and [correct posture], but they’re just another rear delt exercise.”
Dr. Israetel thinks they’re a convenient lateral delt movement for high reps but admits they’re nothing special.
The hanging ab raise is another flashy exercise, but Dr. Pak isn’t impressed. Dr. Israetel believes it’s a decent move that builds strong hip flexors for athletics.
Outside of strength sports prep, the duo says rack pulls are taxing, noisy, and not worth the squeeze.
Underrated Moves
Deficit Push-Ups, Chest-Supported Rows
Push-ups are excellent chest, triceps, and shoulder builders but must be progressed like any other movement.
“[Do them] with handles or dumbbells and a neutral grip,” Dr. Pak said in order to achieve a greater pec stretch. There are many other ways to create a deficit, like using a chair or two objects on either side.
Deficit push-ups don’t typically require warm-ups; descend slowly and incorporate pause sets to make them more effective.
Up two-thirds, then back down; five-to-10-second breaks between mini-sets. They’re low fatigue on joints and tissues.
—Dr. Mike Israetel
A benefit of chest-supported machine rows is greater precision and grip variety than barbell bent-over rows.
Smith Machine Squats & Ab Rollouts
Smith machine squats get unnecessary hate, but they’re an elite leg exercise. (They were a favorite of six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, after all.)
“Smith machines are one of the most useful machines in a gym,” Dr. Israetel said. “It’s all in how you use it.”
They provide stability, control, and a safe way to lift heavy. Smith squats were also shown to elicit similar quad activation to barbell squats with reduced injury risk. (3)
Lastly, the duo agreed that ab wheel rollouts are an underrated core exercise, with Dr. Israetel saying: “They provide maximum [core] stretch and tension transfer to sports.”
References
- Saeterbakken AH, van den Tillaar R, Fimland MS. A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. J Sports Sci. 2011 Mar;29(5):533-8. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2010.543916. PMID: 21225489.
- Farias DA, Willardson JM, Paz GA, Bezerra ES, Miranda H. Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Jul;31(7):1879-1887. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001651. PMID: 27669189.
- Schwanbeck S, Chilibeck PD, Binsted G. A comparison of free weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec;23(9):2588-91. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b1b181. PMID: 19855308.
Featured image: @dr__pak on Instagram
