Tuesday, 30 August 2011

• Exercise Machines to Avoid

  

  Did you know that there are some weight machines at your gym that could cause you injury even when you're using it correctly? Women's Health put together a list of ten machines to avoid when you're working out. This might mean I need to put my plans to jump right back into the circuit at my gym on hold. 

  Seated leg extension machine - This can put undue strain on the ligaments and tendons surrounding the kneecaps, because it's strengthening a movement that the legs aren't designed to do. I knew there was a reason I hate this machine! 

  Seated shoulder press machine - This puts undue stress on your shoulders, putting the joints in "vulnerable biomechanical positions." It also doesn't let you use your hips to help your shoulders, which is the natural way to push something overhead.

  Seated behind-the-neck lat pull-down machine - Wait, they make machines to do a lat pull-downs the wrong way? Well, avoid them, because they can cause pinching in the shoulder joint and damage the rotator cuff if your shoulders aren't flexible enough.

  Seated chest fly machine - Here's another machine that pus the shoulder in an unstable position. This places undue stress on the shoulder joint and its connective tissue. 

  Seated hip abductor machine - Being seated means this machine trains a movement that has no functional use (ya know, I have noticed that while using this one). It can put excessive pressure on the spine if done with too much weight and bad technique.

  Seated rotation machine - This puts too much twisting force on the spine, since your pelvis doesn't move.

  Seated leg press machine - "It often forces the spine to flex without engaging any of the necessary stabilization muscles of the hips, glutes, shoulders, and lower back." Ugh, definitely have to revise my workout!

  Smith machine squats - Because it makes for linear movements as opposed to natural, arched movements, this machine puts stress on the knees, shoulders, and lower back. 

  Roman chair back extension machine - You put pressure on the spine by repeatedly flexing your back while it's supporting weight, which increases the chances of damaging your disks.

  Roman chair sit-up - "The crunching motion can put undue stress on the lower back when it is in a vulnerable rounded position." Does that mean we can avoid all crunches and sit-ups? Not that planks are any more fun, but hey.

  Click here for the original list, which includes alternate exercises to do instead.

  Do you use any of these machines? Had you been aware of their dangers?

  Image Source

  Image Source

  • 11:00 AM
  • 6824 Views
  • 50 eProps
  • 26 Comments