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3 Injury-Causing Exercises to Remove from Your Workout Routine

Posted on August 12th, 2016 by Orthopaedic Specialty Group

Regularly lighting weights can increase muscle strength, lessen your chance at injury, and contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle – if done correctly. However, performing the wrong movements can have the opposite effect. If you want to stay out of the doctor’s office (as most of us do), you need to ditch these three exercises immediately.

Bench Dips

Dips are a great upper-body exercise when done on parallel bars, but the bench variation can do more harm than good. Bench dips force the shoulders into internal rotation, where they are not in a great position to bare weight. This leaves your deltoids, rotator cuffs, and bursae at a high risk of injury. If you have bench dips in your current workout routine, swap them out for regular dips or close-grip bench press on a decline bench.

Leg Press

The leg press machine can be dangerous because it doesn’t allow your muscles to perform in a functional manner. The 45-degree angle and seating position can force your pelvis to rotate away from your body as you lower the weight. This puts excessive pressure on your knees and lower back – many reported cases of herniated discs have come as a result of this movement. Opt for squats or lunges instead.

Behind-the-Head Exercises

A common variation to the shoulder press and lat pulldown exercises involves lowering the weight behind your head. Similar to bench dips, this motion puts your shoulders in a compromised position where they are susceptible to impingements and rotator cuff tears. Shoulder presses and lat pulldowns are safe to perform, as long as you bring the bar to your upper chest – not behind your neck.

Want to see a list of more exercises to avoid at the gym? Check out this list from Men’s Fitness.

Do you suffer from pain in your bones, muscles, or joints? Connecticut residents don’t need to look any further than Orthopaedic Specialty Group to get them on the road to recovery. Visit our website for more information, or give us a call at (203) 337-2600 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed physicians.