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Trainer Shares 5 Dangerous Exercises Men Over 40 Should 'Never Do Again'
Trainer Shares 5 Dangerous Exercises Men Over 40 Should 'Never Do Again' originally appeared on Men's Fitness.
Trainer Bobby Maximus isn't afraid to speak bluntly when it comes to gym mistakes, especially for men over 40.
"Sometimes, all it takes is one bad rep to ruin your day,' he says in a recent video, listing his most hated exercises for men 40 and up.
His advice is to take these outdated exercises out of your program before they wreck your joints and swap them for smarter, more functional to Avoid for Men Over 40
Behind the Neck Pulldown
"People do this because they think they're isolating the lats," Maxiumus says. "That type of movement is going to put an excessive amount of stress on your rotator cuffs, on your joints."
Instead, try pullups with a neutral grip or inverted rows. They're more joint-friendly and still hit your back hard.
Behind the Neck Presses
Maximus says these are a disaster waiting to happen for your shoulders. Swap them for dumbbell presses, which allow a safer range of motion and more control.
Crunch
"People get down on the ground, think they're gonna get a six-pack," he quips. "Yes, if you do enough of these you'll feel a burn in your abs—I'm not gonna deny that. But this is one of the least functional exercises you can ever do when it comes to abdominals."
Not to mention, they often lead to neck strain. A better option? High planks. They hit your core and improve overall stability.
Leg Extensions
Unless you're rehabbing a knee injury, Maximus sees no value in this isolated movement. Instead, go for squats. They work more muscles and carry over to real-world strength.
Hip Thrusts
Maximus calls hip thrusts his most hated exercise of all time. He thinks it's "absolute trash."
He's seen too many people blow out their backs trying to isolate their glutes. Replace it with deficit Bulgarian split squats for a safer, more effective lower-body Shares 5 Dangerous Exercises Men Over 40 Should 'Never Do Again' first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 23, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
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