Have you ever imagined 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.
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.
Some food for thought isn't it, so try to avoid these exercises if possible
or try to perform the alternatives given.
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