Six Exercises You Should NEVER Do-#5

The Seated Rotation Machine

The myth: Twisting on this machine helps melt your love handles.

The truth: It works the muscles under your love handles, but will do little to reduce the fat that covers them. What's more, because your pelvis doesn't move as you rotate your upper body, this exercise can put excessive twisting forces on the spine.

The alternative: As long as you don't expect to shrink your love handles, you can use rotational exercises to work your obliques. But here's the secret to safety: Before you do any rotational exercises, brace your abs forcefully -- as if you're about to be punched in the gut -- and hold them that way as you do the movement. This limits your range of motion and helps to keep you from rotating excessively at your lower spine.