Fitness Swap: This for That

There are few absolute right answers in fitness. When it comes to staying in shape and building that perfect body you've always dreamed of, you might have to swap this for that or that for this. This isn't to say that the exercises your swapping for are bad exercises. No, these are variations of the exercise that will take your physique and overall fitness level to new heights.Front SquatSwap out your traditional back squat for the front squat. The front squat engages the glutes and lats more than in the traditional back squat. This has far-reaching implications for your posture and strengthens your core as well. Your abdominal muscles have to flex and hold to stabilize the loading more than the back squat as well giving you a solid core challenge as well. The great thing about the front squat is that it's extremely difficult to go too heavy and have bad form because if you do, you'll drop the weight. Bad form with heavy weight is unsustainable for the front squat.

Dumbbell Bench PressFor shorter guys, the barbell bench press may work great. However, for taller guys, the barbell bench seriously limits their ability to engage the pectoral muscles. Utilizing the dumbbell bench press allows the taller guys to have a much larger range of motion, truly stretching out and engaging the pectoral muscles, the stretch and subsequent contraction is essential to growth. In addition, the dumbbell bench press engages stabilizer muscles that the barbell bench usually neglects.

Medicine Ball SlamCrunches aren't the best way to transform your gut into a six-pack. Compound movements that utilize your core as a bridge between upper and lower body power are much better at chiseling out that midsection. The medicine ball slam is one of those exercises. Combining and transferring power between upper and lower body, the medicine ball slam is a great swap this for that in the realm core exercises.