Today we will talk about dangerous exercises. What makes an exercise dangerous? Below are some things I think about before throwing an exercise into someone's routine....

✔If an individual has not been assessed(current fitness level, previous injury) before the session even a so called "safe" exercise can be dangerous 

✔Is this exercise being coached in a large group setting? small group? Personal ?=> I have a lot of exercises that I only teach in our personal(1 on 1) and semi private(1 trainer for 3 to 6 people) settings, not in our group setting(7 to 16). 

✔What is the risk-reward of this exercise?

✔What are your goals?

✔Technique! Of course you have  to do the exercise correct!  If someone lacks the ability to do an exercise correct they may lack mobility, flexibility, or strength in certain areas. When I see newbie trainers forcing exercises on people without assessing the real issue it drives me insane!! They just frustrate people when they give them exercises they are not ready for. Maybe the reason they can't squat is because they lack hip or ankle mobility? Forcing  your favorite variation of a squat on them is going to do nothing but ruin that individual . 

✔How does this exercise fit into the OVERALL program!

✔Take the exercise and calculate the impact , over  decades, of doing it! 

✔...…...about 49 million other things 

IMPORTANT NOTE=>  This is also a process for ME! A constant learning process! I have done things wrong with my training and learned from them. I have been in the trenches training people since 2001 and guess what?! ..I made a few mistakes. I learned from them because I am constantly looking for ways to get better.A few examples of exercises  and notes below. I will reference people in our industry that I respect (with articles) for those who really want to dive in! I will not reference Jillian Michael's or discuss her today => http://www.liftingrevolution.com/jillian-michaels-kettlebell-swing-reminds-us-that-trainers-are-like-doctors/

Russian twist and other ab exercises=> If you are not familiar with this exercise think sitting with your feet in the air holding a med ball rotating from side to side. You feel your abs while trying to hit the obliques, but it's not the safest exercise for your low back.  People need to spend more time working on hip mobility and stability of the lumbar spine vs exercises that rotate the lumbar spine. This would fall under things I have done and analyzed the impact over time. Made the Change. Just because some people can "get away" with it does not mean it's worth it. Or they will "get away" with it in 5 to 10 years.  Below is a good article about this..

https://www.menshealth.com.sg/fitness/russian-twist-most-dangerous-core-exercise/   I am not a fan of side bends or sit ups either. => http://www.stack.com/a/dumbbell-side-bends

Most people don't realize the body is one piece and in most (or all) cases there is an exercise  MUCH better at targeting those muscles! Exercises I like....landmine rotations, dead bugs, planks, side planks, carries/farmers walks, pallof press, and other exercises that teach the body to resist rotation. Use the body as one piece. Believe it not, some of the best ab exercises are not "ab" exercises. 

The issue we run into is people using exercises to isolate certain parts of a muscle, because they "feel" it. People think they can isolate certain parts of a muscle or remove fat from areas by doing them. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN PEOPLE!!! READ THAT 3 TIMES!!

(Truth/Note to self/thoughts+run on sentence(s)=> tears on the other side of computer, un-subcribers up. People's feelings and what they feel will always win over logic?! Why they fall for these overnight certified  models who don't know the difference between an elbow and a knee scam artist in our industry. ..Why can't I just  lie, be ignorant,  or act like all the other group classes that throw 49 million people in a room while screaming at them to work harder, promoting fake backed by science lies about how they will burn 49 million calories per session and lose 30 lbs in 3 weeks, because they FEEL THE BURN!!......oh, yeah, I actually care about people! Know better! Don't want to see them get hurt! And only want to surround myself and our current members with educated team players who are tired of fads, willing to research,  have a sense of humor, and ready to put in the work over time and be held accountable to GETTING RESULTS...TEXT 757 589 7028 OR EMAIL [email protected] FOR A FREE SUCCESS SESSION.....NOW!!! Back to our regularly scheduled newsletter..

Dips with hands behind the back to target the triceps:  Bill Hartman is one of the smartest physical therapist /trainers in the world so I am going to quote him on this exercise and then summarize it==> “To achieve that much range of motion the scapula must tilt forward which is a pretty unstable position. This also means that the shoulder joint is unstable and increases demands on the rotator cuff especially the subscapularis. Over time this is a lot of undesireable stress leading to impingement of the cuff. This doesn’t even consider the stress on the AC joint. It’s also a crap exercise for overload.”

Summary=> It's not safe over time for your shoulders and better things can be done. Bill Hartman is not a  Physical Therapist who throws someone in the back room with an inexperienced newbie giving them exercises that (hopefully)won't screw them up. He is not the type who will sign you up for a 5 year package before knowing anything about you. Not the type who will take credit for solving your problem, when TIME away from doing stupid exercises solved it!  People like him and John Rusin are the type of Physical Therapist who are changing the model to include quality strength training and work with QUALITY TRAINERS.  Not the type of Physical Therapist  who trash trainers without getting to know them.  So another lesson for today …….

There are levels to everything. Do your research. More than exercise. If you are ready to get RESULTS with a TEAM  that has proven they can get them (Since 2011) then HIT REPLY or text 757 589 7028. 

In part 2 I plan to attack some other exercises that are doing more harm than good. Stay tuned!! 

Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist 

http://resultsperformancetraining.com/