4 Worst Exercises For Your Body
You’ve been told for years that exercising and working up a sweat is the way to stay fit, healthy and attractive. But more and more women are choosing to exercise in such a way that is actually harmful to their joints and musculature.
Here we’re going to look at some of the worst offenders, and hopefully convince you not to include them in your exercise routine. Here are the most dangerous exercises that wreak havoc on your body.
Sit Ups
Sits ups were first pioneered back in the 1970s by health nuts who were ignorant of the way the human body worked. They thought that they could get everybody a six back by recommending 1,000 situps a day. But research later found that the movement was pretty ineffective in improving abdominal muscles. And that it was also really bad for the lower back. If you want to stay out of harm’s way, avoid this exercise. Do movements like hanging leg raises, or Roman chair leg raises instead.
Bench Dips
If you ever wanted a shoulder arthroscopy, this is the exercise for you. Bench dips are sold as a great way to improve shoulder muscles and triceps. But there’s a reason why modern athletes stay away from this movement. It’s unnatural, and it can damage the shoulder. When the shoulder is rotated backward, the ball of the joint moves in the shoulder socket. There’s a risk that the small muscles around the ball could be damaged. And when these are damaged, it can take years for them to be repaired.
The 45 Degree Leg Press
If you’re trying to build leg strength, you might think that it’s a good idea to hop on the leg press machine. But when you think about it, the leg press machine is a little weird. When you push on the leg press, your body is locked in place. The only things that move are your legs and hips. But this isn’t the way that the human body moves when people stand up. Their weight shifts, protecting their knee joints from taking the additional strain.
And that’s the problem with the leg press. All of the weight is transmitted through the knee joint at an unnatural angle. This then produces shearing forces in the knee joint that can cause it to be damaged.
Steer clear of using large weights on the leg press. If you want to tone your legs and backside, stick to squats and the farmer’s walk.
Behind The Neck Shoulder Press
Here’s another movement that puts your shoulder in a position that it shouldn’t be put in. The behind-the-neck shoulder press is designed to target the muscles at the front of the shoulder. This movement was opposed by bodybuilding greats, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, right from its inception. Again, it puts pressure on the shoulder in an unnatural position and should be avoided. If you want to build the front of your shoulders, try different movements. The parallel bar dip is a great alternative, so long as you don’t go past parallel.
