Dangerous Exercises
Chest - Shoulders - Triceps

Dangerous Exercises Chest - Discussed:

It really frustrates me to know that this machine is still out there as it is one of the most dangerous exercises that Health Clubs and Home Gyms have. What's more some even recommended it. There are so many more functional exercises that you could be spending your time getting amazing results with...

Firstly the Pec Dec machine places the shoulder in the dislocation position. This is such a horrible position to put one of the most important parts of your body in. It causes the joint to be unstable and less effective.

The external rotation of the arm (position its in) places the Chest Muscles (pectoralis major) in an ineffective line of pull that places internal rotation force on the shoulder joint.

Ok let’s analyse this machine and have a go yourself (if you have equipment!) so you can fully understand why it truly is bad for you.

Please ensure you have very little weight when trying ANY of these potentially dangerous exercises. This is simply to highlight why you should NEVER consider adding these machines to your exercise routine.

Perfect Posture:

• Sit tall with your back against the seat, your shoulders creating the arch in the back.
• Use the foot pedal (If provided) and bring the weight forward
• Measure your hands on the handle bars ensuring they line up evenly with your chest.
• This is "Perfect posture."

The Set:

• Using the foot pedal bring the weight forward to starting position
• Take a deep breath and push the weight out

Right here is where you can again feel the crunching of the shoulder joint!

Another danger point in strength training…

The shoulder joint is in the vulnerable dislocation position (external rotation) and by doing this movement your adding to the already enormous strain already placed upon the joint just by being in a position it doesn't want to be in!

Solution:

This is one and only time you should perform this horrible exercise. For the beginners a much more effective and much less dangerous exercise is the Chest Press or for the more advanced check out the Bench press or Dumbbell Press.

Another one the shoulders DO NOT like! Again this is putting the shoulder joint into the dislocation position...

If you perform this dangerous exercise the bone that connects from your shoulder to your elbow (humerous) can impinge the deep tendons that lie under the acronion process (shoulder cup) which can lead to tendonitis, inflammation and general pain in the area. 

This is a common exercise you will see the typical Body Builder perform. The results are minimal but the risk is huge. 

Lets analyse the movement… Remeber this is  one of the most dangerous exercises  so ensure the weight is VERY light if you want to try...

Perfect Posture

• This is a free weight exercise so posture is crucial
• Sit tall with your back against the back rest (a spotter is required)
• Place the weight on your shoulders, behind your neck
• Have your hands shoulder width apart

The Set

• Have someone help you to lift the weight off your shoulders and hold
• Extend the arms all the way to the ceiling as you lift the weight
• Keeping your head as still as possible bring the weight back in

Why is this so dangerous?

The shoulder is placed in the Dislocation position and then made to work hard all through the set in a position it DOES NOT want to be in!

On top of the shoulder joint being put under Major Stress if you perform this exercise with Free Weights then your neck can also take a lot of the heat. 
The delicate muscles that are attached to your skull can be strained as you lift the weight in this awkward position.

So the bottom line here is stay away from anything that puts your shoulder into the dislocation position.

A normal Tricep extension are recommended. It’s when we start to add just that little bit more to try and get that little bit extra that we can fall into a trap.

One of the exercises that falls under this category is the Tricep extension with rope. This is done in the normal way a Tricep extension is done… Except…

As you push the weight to the bottom the hands flick outwards. This is bad for the body for two reasons:

1. The wrists are placed under a lot of stress as you turn them outwards. Decreasing the efficiency of them for life long use (if done repeatedly over a period of time)
2. As you twist the wrists outward, the tendon connected to the elbow is placed under a huge amount of strain. This is the same tendon associated with Tennis Elbow. An injury that will potentially keep you out for a very long time.

Most of the time if you have trained to your potential the Triceps will be sufficiently worked out during Chest exercises. They are a small muscle being used in a prime movement. 

Research shows that the tricep curl showed no added benefit in terms of added strength or muscle size when added to a compound program. 

However these exercises are included as an option during the Beginner Stage 2 workout program for the simple reason i know your going to do them anyway so i may as well teach you how to do them properly! 

Coming soon...