The 5 Riskiest Exercises That Lead to Injury

Yahoo

3 days ago

Nothing throws a wrench in your fitness goals quite like an injury — whether it's a lumbar strain or ACL tear. As it turns out, certain exercises are far more likely to lead to injury — mainly because a lot of gym-goers haven't nailed the proper form. Knowing which exercises are more risky, and what you can do to protect your bones, ligaments, and joints, can ensure you don't have to take that dreaded hiatus from your workouts.
By the way — just because you've been lifting for a while doesn't mean you're not at risk of hurting yourself. In fact, a 2020 study found that advanced-level CrossFit athletes were 2-3 times more likely to experience injuries than beginners.
'As lifters get stronger and more experienced, they tend to push heavier weights, train more intensely, and sometimes skip over the basics because they feel like they've got it down,' explains Phillip Solomon, NASM-certified trainer and Barry's Bootcamp coach. 'That confidence is earned…but it can also lead to overuse, ego lifting, or ignoring early signs of fatigue or imbalance. Advanced athletes also chase performance goals that put more stress on the joints, tendons, and connective tissue over time. Add in less recovery, less attention to mobility, and the pressure to always improve, and the risk starts stacking up.'
According to Solomon, it's important to keep in mind that the more challenging your workouts become — as in, you're leveling up to heavier dumbbells and more advanced moves — the more intentional you have to be with rest, form, and technique.
With that in mind, here are the exercises most likely to cause injuries — and some pro tips for how to avoid any issues while performing them.
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1. Kipping Pull-Ups
What distinguishes a kipping pull-up from a regular pull-up is the dynamic movement: it involves a swinging motion that's initiated from your shoulders, allowing you to leverage momentum to help lift your body. The advantage here is more reps in less time.
The disadvantage? That a lot of people don't know how to perform this style of pull-ups correctly — and reap the consequences.
'When folks swing into these before building foundational strength and control, the shoulders absorb a ton of chaotic force,' says Solomon. 'It's like asking your joints to take the brunt of every rep.'
Alwaleed Alkeaid, a certified personal trainer, Ironman athlete, and founder of the Saudi Sports Professionals Network, notes that many people make the mistake of swinging too aggressively when they don't have the scapular stability or rotator-cuff strength yet, and as a result, end up yanking the shoulder into hyperextension.
Solomon's advice is to just stick with standard pull-ups — or at the very least, master those before moving onto kipping pull-ups.
'And if you're still developing strength, use ring rows or chest-supported lat pulls to train the same muscles with less joint stress,' adds Alkeaid.
2. Deadlifts
That aforementioned 2020 study revealed that deadlifts are one of the top injury-causing exercises.
'Deadlifts are a great full-body move, but when form breaks down — especially with heavy weight — your lower back takes a beating,' explains Solomon. 'Rounding the spine or yanking the bar up is when injuries creep in.
According to Alkeaid, some of the most common deadlift mistakes are ego lifting (lifting too heavy), not engaging your lats before liftoff, rounding your lower back, spinal flexion under fatigue, and jerking the bar off the floor rather than bracing and wedging.
Solomon advises first mastering the hip hinge and starting with a lighter weight until you have the form down.
'If you're new to the game, or just want to reconnect to the basics, take a long foam roller, place it at the top of your hips, close your eyes, and push the roller down the front of the legs, mimicking that deadlift movement,' he tells AskMen. 'Closing your eyes is a great tool used to focus on how the lift feels in addition to what it looks like.'
Alkeaid also recommends capping your sets to a 'technical max' of three perfect reps, and filming yourself from a side-view to confirm that you have a flat back and vertical shins at liftoff.
'Brace the core 360 degrees, grip the bar hard to set the lats, and drag the bar up the shins instead of jerking,' he adds. 'And switch to a trap-bar or kettlebell sumo deadlift if your conventional form keeps breaking down.'
3. Crunches and Sit-Ups
These ever-popular ab exercises may seem simple — but fitness professionals agree that there are a lot of things that can go wrong here.
'Traditional sit-ups can strain the neck, pull on the hip flexors, and stress the lower back, especially if you're doing a ton of them fast or with momentum,' explains Solomon.
Amanda Grimm, a physical therapist and sports and remedial massage therapist with Knead Massage, also notes that when you do use your neck (rather than your core) in these moves, you can actually cause herniated disks as well as neck tension.
'Solid abdominal muscles will never come from speed, but rather, control,' says Solomon. 'So, slow down, include breath work to achieve ideal core engagement, and be specific and deliberate in your ab training, working with targeted amounts of reps or for a given amount of time.'
Grimm advises focusing on really harnessing your core muscles to lift your body, and not pushing forward with your neck. Fold arms so that your hands are behind your head, above your ear line, and take your time to sit up, rather than aiming for count over quality.
If you're not totally sure you can perform crunches or sit-ups without arching your back or putting stress on your neck muscles, Solomon suggests trying planks, deadbugs, or bird-dogs instead.
'They work your core in ways that support real-life movement and spine safety,' he tells AskMen.
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4. Behind-The-Neck Presses
This particular move is popular in the Olympic weightlifting community — and while it can definitely build upper body strength, it's also riskier than a regular ol' shoulder press, especially if you don't have enough shoulder mobility to perform it properly. Basically, it entails lowering the barbell behind your head first before pressing it overhead.
'The problem is that the bar path forces extreme external rotation,' explains Alkeaid. 'Many lifters compensate by over-arching the lumbar spine, pinching the rotator cuff, and stressing the lower back.'
According to Grimm, the risk for rotator cuff injuries is high with behind-the-neck presses. In fact, this specific exercise causes about 70% of all shoulder injuries she sees in her practice.
'If caught early, sports massage can help to treat and relax overactive muscles around the shoulder and reduce pain, but if the injury has gone too far and has caused a tear, this will require surgery,' she tells AskMen.
In order to avoid injury, Alkeaid and Grimm recommend the following:
Start with a lighter weight
Keep your wrists stacked and ribs tucked
Finish with your biceps right beside your ears
Have a spotter ready to help if you need to release the weight
Stop immediately if you feel pain
According to Grimm, not only can it be safer to use dumbbells as opposed to a barbell for this exercise, but dumbbells also offer more control and variations. And if you're looking for an alternative, Alkeaid suggests trying a landmine single-arm press or seated dumbbell Z-press — both of which provide the same shoulder stimulus without the joint crunch.
5. Squats
Another one of the riskiest exercises, according to the 2020 study in CrossFit athletes, is one that's probably already in your workout rotation: squats.
Alkeaid notes that some of the most common squat mistakes include inadequate ankle dorsiflexion, which forces lumbar rounding at the bottom, and weak glute medius muscles, which cause knees to cave inward.
According to Solomon, it's a good idea to start with bodyweight squats and then only loading gradually once you feel totally confident in your form. Alkeaid also recommends strengthening your abductors with mini-band work before squatting with a heavier load.
'Warming up your hips, ankles, and glutes makes a big difference too,' Solomon says. 'And don't be afraid to use props like a box, wedge, or even a resistance band around the knees to help your form stay sharp.'
Solomon suggests focusing on keeping your chest proud, your core engaged, and your knees tracking in line with your toes (not collapsing inward).
'Everyone's squat depth looks a little different depending on mobility and body structure, so honor where your body is today — the flexibility and the depth will come,' he adds.
And if you're looking to train your quads and glutes without the stress on your spine, Alkeaid proposes trying a goblet squat to a box or a front squat, both of which allow you to stay more upright.
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