4 Strength Training Exercises You Should Stop Avoiding and Why

The split squat is the quiet contradiction in strength training: humbling, awkward, and almost always ignored, yet biomechanically indispensable. In the beginning, I (and every beginner) hated it with a fiery passion. The split squat forces the body into its natural asymmetry—one leg bearing, one leg balancing—exactly as we move through the world. It strips away ego and reveals hidden discrepancies in strength, mobility, and stability that bilateral lifts politely conceal. More than a leg exercise, it's a diagnostic tool in disguise, strengthening joints while teaching alignment, economy, and control. To overlook it is to pretend we walk and run on two legs at once.

One exercise I used to avoid but now consider essential is the cable fly. Early on, I stuck almost exclusively to barbells and dumbbells because I thought they were the only 'serious' strength training tools. What changed my mind was realizing how cables keep constant tension on the muscle throughout the movement, unlike free weights where tension drops at the top. Incorporating cable flys helped me build better chest development, improve muscle control, and add variety to my training. Now I see them as a staple, not an accessory.

For me, it would be the deadlift.

I avoided it at first because it looked pretty intimidating - heavy barbell, complex form, and plenty of horror stories about people injuring their backs. I thought it was an exercise only for powerlifters, not for someone just trying to become stronger and healthier.

What changed my mind was realizing how fundamental the movement was. Once I learned proper technique and started light, I saw how much it carried over to everyday life - lifting boxes, carrying shopping, even posture. It's a true full-body exercise, building not just strength in the legs and back but also grip, core stability, and mental toughness. Now I'd consider it a non-negotiable.

I avoided deep squats for a long time; although I could do some, they were either not deep enough or I felt too tired after a couple of reps and just quit doing them. However, every time I had deep squats in my training session, I really felt the work in my legs and, surprisingly, in my core. I started to see how I had a better shape in my lower body, and I could progressively increase the loads I worked with.

Now, I don't understand a lower body routine that doesn't include deep squats. With or without weight, it is a great exercise not only for building lower body muscle mass but for working out the whole body.