I often see people performing exercises that are incorrect, or downright harmful!
1. UPRIGHT BARBELL ROW
The Upright Row exercise is done to develop the shoulders and traps.
The Upright Row is one of the most harmful exercises you can expose your shoulders to. The problem with the exercise lies in the position your arms must be in in order to perform the movement. This position is called "internal rotation."
Every time you raise the weight, a small tendon in your shoulder gets pinched (known as impingement) by the bones in the shoulder. The problem is the tendon will gradually become worn down and damaged. You may not even know you have a problem until one day the tendon snaps!
INSTEAD DO THIS: Front Dumbbell Raise
2. BEHIND-THE-NECK LAT PULL-DOWN
This exercise is done to work the muscles of the back. While the exercise itself is actually effective for working the back, the problem with the exercise lies in what it can do to your shoulders.
In the previous exercise, I talked about internal rotation of the shoulders. The problem with the behind-the-neck pulldown lies in "external rotation."
The supporting muscles of the shoulders (known as the rotator cuff) are not in a good position to stabilize the joint and injury to those supporting muscles can result, which can lead to further injury in the connective tissue of the joint.
On top of that, since most people do not have enough shoulder flexibility to get a straight line of pull behind the neck, they must bend their neck forward to even do the movement. This can result in neck strain on top of shoulder strain.
INSTEAD DO THIS:
Front Pulldown
3. BARBELL PRESS BEHIND THE NECK
The Behind-The-Neck Press gives us the same shoulder issues associated with the Behind-The-Neck Pulldown. To do the movement, you must maximally externally rotate the shoulders.
Again, this places the shoulders in a very vulnerable position, which can easily result in strain in the Rotator Cuff muscles.
INSTEAD DO THIS:
Military Press (IN FRONT)
4. TREADMILL SPRINT AND STOP
Ever heard of "VENOUS POOLING"? Sprinting on a treadmill, then jumping out to the sides... I see this almost everyday and I want to scream.
During a sprint, the heart rate is elevated, and blood is circulating accordingly... However, when you jump off to the sides to catch your breath, all the blood pools in your lower extremities. This phenomenon is known as Venous Pooling and the result is poor perfusion, and the risk of an ischemic event.
5. SIT-UP
Yep. A SIT UP can hurt you!
When you do a sit-up, the mechanics and position of your body place torque on your lower back.
The hip flexors pull on your spine (in order to raise your torso) leading to strain in the lower back.
Plus, it is not that great for the abs... They are only worked isometrically. This means they don't actually contract and move, they just work to hold the torso steady while the hip flexors do the pulling.
This is not very effective...
INSTEAD DO THIS:
CABLE CRUNCH, BALL CRUNCH, JACKKNIFE CRUNCH
EXERCISE IS MEDICINE!
- Dr. Fredrick Peters "The Fitness Doctor"