When it comes to a workout routine, sadly, most people concentrate on lifting heavier and doing more repetitions rather than building a healthy long-lasting physique. For that reason they don’t pay attention to the fact that some exercises tend to do more harm than good, especially if they’re executed using improper form. Incorrect form is one of the most practiced damaging functions in working out.
Everyone thinks that anyone should just know how to work out so they don’t look for guidance or assistance…because that would make them look incapable? Foolish? Unknowledgeable? How hard can working out be? Most people find out after serious injury that they should have sought help from a qualified trainer.
Here are some commonly used exercises that we can all do better without.
The Leg Press – Stress on knees and back.
The leg press machine can easily cause lower back injuries when it is used incorrectly, but it can also injure your knees as well if you are not careful. Fully locking out your knees is one rookie mistake that can result in injury because this puts a lot of stress on the knee joints instead of the quads.
Triceps Dips on a Bench– Strain on elbows and shoulders-
If you don’t use proper form, triceps dips are a risky exercise for your shoulders. Doing them in a sloppy manner places your shoulders at a higher risk of injury. According to the American Council on Exercise, dips exert substantial stress on the anterior deltoids. Weighted dips also put an incredible force through the ligaments in the anterior shoulder, and it pinches the rotator cuff and long head of the biceps tendon
Knee Extensions – Sheer force on the knees
The leg extension machine is bad for your knees because: 1) it loads the quadriceps in a nonfunctional way. 2) it creates a shear force at the knee which is potentially damaging to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Leg extensions are infamous for causing knee injuries. Because weight is placed on the ankles, the knee experiences a great deal of added force as it extends, which increases the likelihood of a patella or quadriceps tendon injury.
Behind the Head Lat Pull Downs – Excessive external shoulder rotation and horizontal abduction. This exercise can contribute to shoulder joint hypermobility, instability, and impingement. Much like most behind the neck exercises, the behind the head pull down also has adverse effects on the rotator cuffs. Mostly due to the external rotation needing to compensate for the large amounts of stress to maintain stability. That can easily lead to both short-term injuries in terms of damage to ligaments and joints, as well as long-term joint damage from repetitive strain.
Smith Machine for Squats– Mid lower back injury
The very fact that the machine allows less freedom of movement can set you up for injury: If you don’t lean far enough forward during a squat, you can strain your back and knees.
Upright Rows – Extreme force on shoulder joint. Tendon and muscular impingement. Wrist stress
The main issue with upright rows is the risk of shoulder impingement (inflammation from repetitive shoulder activities. Injury and aging are other causes. Pain may be consistent and increase with lifting or reaching movements). Generally, shoulder impingement occurs when you internally rotate the shoulder (roll it forward slightly) and then lift it out to the side
© Copyright – Hector Sectzer
