Are you using potentially dangerous exercises in your workout?
You have to be very careful with strength training equipment
because it may not be the most effective or functional available.
How do you know that the exercises you are performing are safe?
Found below are some potentially dangerous exercises with suggestions
on how they should be done correctly or avoided completely.
Sit-up
Traditional abdominal exercises such as the sit-up, incline
sit-up and hip-raises are exercises that are used to train
the obliques and the upper and lower abdominals.
They are performed by first anchoring the feet on an
abdominal board which prevents you from sliding back then
raising your shoulders up towards your feet, tensing your
abs at the top of the movement. Slowly lowering your shoulders
back down and then completing the movement again.
The dangers of performing this movement are the shearing
forces on the vertebrae and spinal discs when you have
a flexed and rounded spine. In this position, the pressure
is mostly placed on a very small area of the disc area,
which can cause small ruptures. The safest and most productive
way to train the abs is to use the brace and hollow technique.
This is a basic isometric exercise that helps strengthen
the abs and the muscular girdle around your waist.
Pec Deck
The pec deck is an exercise that trains the chest (pectorals)
and shoulder (front deltoid) muscles.
This exercise is performed by sitting at the machine
with your back flat against the back pad. Placing your
forearms on the padded levers and position your upper
arms parallel to the ground. Pushing the levers slowly
together and squeezing your chest muscles at the end of
the movement. Return slowly to the starting position.
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This exercise is potentially dangerous because it places the
shoulder into one of its least stable positions, the dislocation
position. Because of the extreme position when performing this
exercise at the starting position it can also cause tearing
of the ligaments and injury to the rotar cuff tendons.
More effective and less dangerous is the bench press, keeping
the arms at shoulder width and exercising in the strongest range
of motion (partial reps) and the parallel bar dip with the elbows
out.
Behind the Neck Press
This exercise trains the neck (traps) and shoulder (deltoid)
muscles and is performed by placing a loaded barbell onto your
upper back just above the trap muscle.
This exercise is done by standing with your feet about shoulder
width apart. Placing your hands on the bar about three inches
wider than the width of your shoulders. Pushing the bar overhead
to arm's length, holding and then slowly lowering back down
to your shoulders. This exercise can also be done seated. Try
performing it in a smith machine or power rack for added safety.
This is an exercise that places the shoulder joint into the
dislocation position and the range of motion puts unnecessary
stress on the rotator cuff tendons of the shoulders.
Many trainees may experience injuries from this behind-the-neck
movement. As with before stick with dips and bench presses for
your shoulder work.
Dead Lift
The dead lift is a compound movement that works the hips, lower
back and also exercises the hamstrings and glutes (buttocks).
You can perform the dead lift by approaching a loaded barbell
and taking a stance about as wide as your shoulders. Grip the
bar so that the arms are slightly on the outside of your thighs.
Your feet should be pointing straight forward with the shins
about two to three inches from the bar.
Heave the load upward using the hips and lower back keeping
the back straight and the bar as close to the shins as possible.
At the top of the movement hold for a few seconds and then lower
the bar to the starting position.
The exercise has a knock-on growth effect on the whole body
when worked hard. The problem with the lift is that if the spine
becomes rounded during the lift it then becomes dangerous. Because
of the forces working on the vertebrae and the spine injuries
may occur.
A lot of these problems can be solved by keeping the back as
straight as possible during the lift and keeping the bar held
close to the body during the lift as the forces are then not
that excessive.
Leg extensions
Leg extensions are arguably one of the most popular leg exercises
for strengthening the quadriceps (thigh) muscle.
These are done by using a leg extension machine and sitting
in the seat with your feet hooked under the padded lever. Raise
the weight with your legs until they are pointing straight out
in front of you. Hold briefly, and then slowly lower the weight
back to the starting position.
Leg extensions are a potentially dangerous exercise because
when only the shin is in motion, the exercise draws the patella
back onto the femur increasing joint compression forces, which
can damage the connective tissue and the ligaments supporting
the knee joint. It can also cause anterior knee pain so people
with existing knee problems may aggravate them by doing this
exercise.
For greater safety and equal effectiveness, try doing the Squat,
Leg Press, and Lunge for safer and more functional use.
Gary is the author of several ebooks, including "Maximum
Weight Loss in Ten Weeks" - the complete ebook and time-saving
solution for burning away unwanted fat, and "Maximum Weight
Gain in Ten Weeks" - easy-to-use and follow techniques
that serve as a guide to muscle growth without having to "live
in the gym".
Visit Gary’s website at http://www.maximumfitness.com/
