Be Careful With These High Risk Exercises

One of the biggest things we care about at Cardio High is avoiding injuries. That is why we have structured our workouts to get you the most intense exercise possible without getting hurt.

But outside of our gym we can only try and steer you to smarter ways to work out.

That’s why we appreciate this CNN article that goes over 10 exercises where you’ll need to be extra careful because they pose some of the biggest risks of injury. If you want to see all ten, then check out the article here, but below is a list of the four we think are the most common and likely to be a problem.

Kettlebell Swing

No one likes these things in the first place. But since they are actually a great exercise, that means you need to be doing them the right way — and that means using your glutes and hamstrings and not getting all the power from your shoulders, which is how you’ll end up in trouble.

Bent-Over Rows

This exercise, where you are kneeling over your workout bench and lifting a weight, is a great exercise but you may be too focused on your arms and not enough about how your back is arched. Make sure you are not putting too much pressure on your lumbar — and if you can’t help it, try the rows while lying face down.

Seated Leg Extension

This one may surprise you because it doesn’t seem like much could go wrong while sitting. But a lot of thought needs to go into getting this right because it’s a pretty unnatural movement. Don’t flex your toes, don’t put too much weight on one specific muscle… and maybe just do squats instead.

Pull-Up

This classic exercise can also be a big problem if not done correctly. This exercise is actually meant to help your lats, but that is not usually what people are thinking about when they’re trying to do even just one of them. From the article:

“You need to have your chest up with your abs engaged, and lead the pull with your elbows,” says Sulyn Silbar, orthopedic massage therapist and owner of Body + Mind NYC. “Most people cannot do them properly, as their lats aren’t working or aren’t strong enough, and therefore the body compensates by using the upper traps and chest to do the movement.” This can lead to short, tight pecs, or worse, shoulder issues.

In other words, if you aren’t sure if you are prepared for this, then asking a professional, like we have at Cardio High, can help you find an exercise that is better suited for your body type and experience.

-Shane M.