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Strength training should be a key part of your weekly exercise routine. Not only will you build your muscles, you’ll set your body up for more efficient fat burning. However, it is critical to observe safety protocols when working out as injuries can derail your efforts for weeks or months. Common mistakes made by folks during weight training are adopting an all-or-nothing approach, undertaking unbalanced training programs, not incorporating enough variety, neglecting to adjust machines to individual body size, using bad form, and not setting realistic goals.
But it’s not just about how you perform the moves – the moves themselves may be doing you more harm than good. We’re about to let you in on five strength training moves you shouldn’t even attempt because the risk of injury is too high for the potential gain. But don’t worry; we’ve also got alternatives that will do much better for you.
Behind the Head Lat Pull-downs
We have said that it’s important to build variety into your strength training, but this advice doesn’t apply to a lat pull-down. A lot of times people will pull the bar down behind their head to their neck during a pull-down as a variation they hope will build upper back strength. However, this asks your shoulders to move in a way that is not natural. Much like the upright row, this tends to cause injury to the rotator cuffs, especially when done with a lot of weight.
To build strength in your back, you can’t beat the classic pull-up. There are a variety of other moves that utilize a resistance band or dumbbells if you don’t have access to a pull-up bar.
As with all new workout routines, it’s best to consult a doctor if you’ve had prior injuries or health concerns. Start slow with basic bodyweight exercises before moving up to resistance bands, dumbbells, and finally barbells with increasing amounts of weight. However, there’s no reason to keep pushing more weight unless you want to bulk up. Maintaining a simple bodyweight routine is great for building and maintaining a strong, lean physique. There are many different types of bodyweight exercises as well, so you can vary your routine to work your whole body and stave off boredom.
Strength training does involve incurring small tears in your muscle fibers, which are then repaired even stronger. Soreness is a part of building strength, but you should never be in agony. Just scratch these injury-causing exercises off your list and you’ll have a safer and more comfortable time of building the strong muscles you want. Your workout should make you hurt so good, not send you to the hospital!
Smith Machine
The Smith machine was designed to assist with squats under weight. The barbell is supported between two rails on each side so that it can’t move forward or backward, only up and down. This is intended to increase safety, but in reality, the limited range of motion puts unnatural strain on the body. You actually need to bend slightly backward when completing a squat under weight to exercise proper form.
If you are advanced enough in your squats to want more than just bodyweight, don’t bother with the Smith machine. Instead, perform the moves with a regular barbell or dumbbell that is not too heavy. This will maximize muscle gain while preventing injury.
Leg Extension Machine
The problem with the seated leg machine is that the resistance point is at your ankles. When you perform the leg extension, a lot of stress goes to your knees and creates excess ACL tension. As you add weight, your risk of knee injury goes up exponentially. The seated leg extension is also not the most effective choice you can make when focusing on leg strength because it is an isolation exercise that targets just one muscle group.
To multi-task your workout in a safer way, try a compound exercise such as squats. Squats develop strength in the entire lower body, but they also help with balance, core strength, and even weight loss. Because it is an intense exercise, proper form is important to avoid injury – you can perform the move over a chair for some added support when you’re just getting started.
Upright Rows
An upright row is when you pull a barbell or dumbbell up from your waist (with arms extended down) to your collarbone (arms up and elbows out). The problem with this move is that it causes your shoulders to rotate inward and puts too much stress on the rotator cuff. This can easily lead to injury, and does for approximately 2 million people per year according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Another common injury from upright rows is called shoulder impingement syndrome; this makes it difficult and painful to lift your arms upward.
A better option for building strength in the shoulder area is to do lateral raises. Rather than pulling the weight up in front of your body, work one shoulder at a time with weights held down by your side and then lifted slowly no higher than shoulder height.
Crunches
This old standard is not good for much, despite its popularity with those seeking six-pack abs. In reality, basic crunches don’t engage your core enough to help. Straining to accomplish the move instead puts pressure on your neck and back. Rounding your lower back in order to bend at the waist also pushes discs back toward your spinal cord, which can result in a herniated disc. It’s nearly impossible to maintain proper form during crunches unless you already have super strong abdominal muscles.
Instead, try other effective abdominal exercises that carry a much lower risk of injury and actually target the 20+ muscles that make up your core. These include planks, bicycle kicks, and alternating heel touches. Include them in your strength training workout to achieve true core strength, which gives you more than just a pretty washboard effect.
