| There are many weight training exercises | | | | The starting position is very unstable for the shoulder |
| recommended today that are potentially dangerous. | | | | joint. The shoulders are placed in their weakest |
| These exercises are still being prescribed simply | | | | position. The range of motion during this weight training |
| because of word of mouth, ignorance, and unfounded | | | | exercise places the shoulder in a position that can |
| generalisations passed down from generation to | | | | cause impingement of the rotator cuff. The poke neck |
| generation. However, many scientific studies, along with | | | | posture also encourages rotator cuff impingement. |
| the basic laws of anatomy and physiology prove that | | | | Lifting weight while having this poked neck posture also |
| many of these exercises are not only ineffective, they | | | | puts a lot of undue stress on your cervical spine (neck |
| are potentially dangerous. | | | | vertebrae). These stresses can be a lot worse in |
| LEG EXTENSION | | | | people who have bad posture, lack shoulder flexibility |
| The leg extension is a classic example of an isolated | | | | and have poor control of their scapula (shoulder |
| exercise. (Stimulates only one muscle). It is not a | | | | blades). |
| functional exercise that is performed in our daily | | | | BEHIND THE NECK WIDE GRIP LAT PULLDOWN |
| activities. The actual movement draws the patella | | | | This weight training exercise is very similar to the |
| (knee cap) back onto the femur (thigh bone) causing a | | | | shoulder press. Hence the problems are the same, |
| grinding type motion. This causes anterior knee pain, | | | | rotator cuff impingement and stress on the cervical |
| which is the most common place for knee pain. A | | | | spine. This exercise is also very easily performed |
| very good reason why this exercise should be | | | | incorrectly if you lack flexibility in the shoulder joint. This |
| avoided. Tests have also proved that they aren't | | | | can drastically increase the risk of injury to the neck |
| merely as effective at stimulating the quadriceps as | | | | and shoulders. A much better weight training exercise |
| compound lifts, such as squats, leg press and lunges. | | | | would be to do close grip lat pulldowns to the front, |
| PECK DECK | | | | pulling it down to your collarbone. |
| This weight training exercise places the shoulder joint in | | | | HAMSTRING CURLS |
| its least stable position, which makes it susceptible to | | | | Just like the leg extension, hamstring curls are also |
| injury. This shoulder positioning is also ineffective in | | | | extremely dysfunctional. When would you perform this |
| creating maximal force about the shoulder joint. | | | | movement in real life? Your legs are built to work as |
| Compound exercises like, dips, push ups or the bench | | | | one collective unit. The joints and tendons of the knee |
| press are much safer and more effective alternatives. | | | | (Or any other joint for that matter) are simply not built |
| BACK HYPEREXTENSION | | | | to be isolated then overloaded with weight. Hamstring |
| This exercise, because of the dysfunctional range of | | | | curls, pulls the tibia back onto the femur, putting a lot of |
| motion, puts a lot of stress on the intervertebral discs | | | | strain on the knee joint. A much better way to train the |
| of the lumbar region. Isolating the back muscles, by not | | | | hamstrings is the way they are meant to function, by |
| letting the ab muscles support in the exercise is | | | | extending the hip. Much more efficient exercises would |
| potentially dangerous. To improve your back strength | | | | be squats, lunges or deadlifts. |
| and decrease back pain, it would be a lot more | | | | Based on sound, scientific principles, these 6 weight |
| beneficial to strengthen your abdominal muscles. The | | | | training exercises increase the risk of sustaining an |
| erector spinae muscles this weight training exercise | | | | injury. So do yourself a favour and stop doing them. |
| aim to strengthen are rarely weak. They are used all | | | | There are plenty of alternatives that are not only |
| day long to maintain posture and carry out activities. | | | | safer, but deliver better results. |
| BEHIND THE NECK SHOULDER PRESS | | | | |