You May be Performing Potentially Dangerous Gym Exercises

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 exercise 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.

_By: *Adam Khan*_

*About the Author:*

Adam Khan *www.argos-sports.com [1]*

Links:
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[1] http://www.argos-sports.com