“There are no dangerous exercises, just dangerous coaches”
For the most part I completely agree with that statement.
When people talk about how squats wrecked their knees, deadlifts destroyed their backs and bench presses jacked-up their shoulders they have it all wrong.
Fact is:
“Squats didn’t hurt your knees. The way YOU squat hurt your knees”- Dan John
Obviously, there are people who for whatever reason, usually mobility/ stability or anthropometric related limitations, should not do certain exercises.
But for the most part it’s not the exercise its you….
There are however a few exercises which are inherently stupid.
Granted, you may be lucky and do these for a looooonnnng time and never have a problem, but chances are eventually these will give you an issue.
Triceps Bench Dip:
This one shouldn’t take a lot of convincing.
Just do one, they’re really uncomfortable.
Take note, even Ahhhnold had to round over at the chest……
How often do you see people do these and they have to round the chest over to get into position or complete the rep?
ummmmmmmmm, like, all the time.
You have this thing called a Scapula (shoulder-blade) that gets in the way.
Unless you have really good thoracic extension and scapula retraction…you are going to be in a bad position.
Why they suck:
- promote thoracic flexion (rounding over of the chest) to give the scapula room to rotate upwards.
- Promote upward rotation on the scapula, which for most is a bad thing.
- Can put the triceps tendon in a vulnerable position at the bottom of the exercise.
- Can’t grip the bench hard so the rotator cuff doesn’t fire to stabilize the humerus in the shoulder.
Over Head or Lying Triceps Extensions:
Skullcrushers and standing triceps extensions put a TON of tension on the triceps.
Thing is, anyone who has been lifting a long time will tell you that they have thrown those lifts away…….only to come out every couple of months, cause pain, and go back in the trash.
Almost universally the triceps tendon does NOT like these movements.
The tendon passes over this thing called bone, a pointy one at that… and there isn’t a lot of protection for it…
At the bottom of the movement we get HUGE forces, HUGE stretch, and lots of tension on a tendon, when the muscle is at its mechanically least advantages point…..
Bad idea, lots of irritation which leads to
….pain.
Empty Can:
Honestly, I didn’t think people still did these.
But, I actually saw them in a magazine recently as a way to get “sexy shoulders”……and a trip to physical therapy
Yet I’m convinced this sh@t will tear your shoulders up.
Why?
Cause it hurts like hell….even in most uninjured, healthy people.
Why does it hurt?
“the deltoid overpowers the supraspinatus, the rotator cuff can not keep the humeral head centered within the glenoid fossa and superior migration occurs. Superior humeral head migration = impingement. Not good, and that is why it hurts. ” Mike Reinold
Just don’t do this…..EVER…
Leg Extensions:
Mostly you shouldn’t do them cause they are a supreme waste of time.
Like most isolation exercises these cause problems because they force the body to work “unnaturally”.
- without antagonist contribution (hamstrings)
- constant ACL tension
- increased lateral patellar deviation
- increased patallofemoral joint reaction force, knee movement and joint stress.
That said, if you have perfectly healthy knees and good quadriceps strength you’re probably A-OK to do leg extensions.
But why waste your time?
Back Extension Machine:
I once had someone tell me, “This machine put 2 years on my career.”
Then I found out he was talking about beer league soft ball.
What a rousing endorsement, eh?
This machine sucks not because it’s jacking you up itself, although it may be, but because of what it teaches you to do…
which is….
MOVE FROM THE LOWER BACK
which is a bad thing….it causes back pain.
“those who have more motion in their backs have a greater risk of having future back troubles.” –McGill
While these may “feel” good while the muscles are working they are teaching a destructive motor pattern which can lead to pain down the road.
The “core” is built to be an “anti-movement” group of muscles.. they should work together to resist, not create, movement.
Think about that; The spinal errectors primary purpose is to keep the body upright:
NOT EXTEND THE SPINE
To purposefully try to develop more movement in this area is a destructive mistake for most people.
There are ways to use some of these low back machines that are not destructive…bracing the abs and using the hips for motion but I’ve never seen any one actually perform the exercise that way.
I know what you’re thinking.
“why would these exercises be in group exercise classes, trainers have people dot hem and these machines be in the gym if they hurt people?”
Easy Answers:
Group Exercise and “Trainers”:
Most of the group instructors, while passionate, are poorly trained and educated in kinesiology.
Read that again, they have no clue what the hell is going on….Sorry a weekend certification course doesn’t cut it.
This is not true for all, but unfortunately for most……. don’t worry most “trainers” suck it up too.
Machines: They are a scam
Machines = marketing and sales commission.
Virtually every machine mimics a free weight movement.
At $2,500 to $7,000 a machine .
Good Barbell and 400lbs of weight? Maybe $500…maybe
Someone (also known as gym owner who thinks lifting makes you a “muscle-bound”, angry, testosterone laden mad man. But still believes Step class will make a comeback never mind the only people who take it are all over 35) got duped a machine that’s “safer” and someone else got a sales commission.
Plain and simple.
About Roy:
