Shoulder Injuries and Exercises to Avoid

During my years of working in the gym industry I have noticed as well as learnt that some exercises aggravate the rotator cuff muscles within the shoulder joint and occasionally damage them. In this article I am going to give examples of some exercises that I do not recommend performing if you are a weight trainer just starting out or have suffered from a shoulder injury in the past.

Rotator cuff muscles

The Rotator Cuff muscles are not the Deltoid muscles, they are the supporting muscles surrounding the shoulder capsule. These muscles are called the Supraspinatus, Subscapularis, Teres minor and the Infraspinatus.

If you injure, strain or slightly tear any of rotator cuff muscles I recommend seeing a qualified physiotherapist for exercises to assist in strengthening the injury. To avoid injuring your shoulder joint it is important to perform an adequate warm up before beginning exercises. To save the hassles of injuring yourself avoid the following exercises in your gym program.

Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press:

This is one of the most popular shoulder strengthening exercises performed by trainers of all ability levels. The main problem with this exercise is the fact that many trainers do not have enough flexibility within the shoulder capsule itself to perform the exercise safely. When trainers with poor flexibility do the exercise the small rotator cuff muscles are placed under a significant load resulting in a potential injury. You may have done this exercise in the past or it may be part of your current gym program if it is I advise you to adjust this exercise by bringing the bar in front of your head opposed to behind the head. This will relieve the pressure on your shoulder capsule and still work the shoulder muscles.

Behind the neck lat pull down:

This is one of the most popular exercises to do especially with the older generations of trainers. Many people watch Arnold Schwarzenegger's Pumping Iron and see him doing behind the neck lat pull down and think this is the way to perform the exercise correctly. A few years ago a new law has passed in Australia stating that no one is allowed to teach a behind the neck lat pull down. This is because in the rare occurrence that the cable snaps the trainer may suddenly smash the bar bell into the base of their neck and could cause a potential injury. Similar to the behind the neck shoulder press a behind the neck lat pull down also puts your shoulder capsule in a weak position. To avoid injury perform a lat pull down by pulling the bar in front of your head not behind.

Pec dec:

Pec Dec is an exercise that is very common among trainers wanting to stimulate the chest muscles. To perform a Pec dec most machines ask the trainer to rest their forearms on the pads before pulling the arm rests together. Trainers need to be aware that whenever your elbow joint is at a ninety degree angle and at chest height you are likely to injure the rotator cuff muscles. Try to use the pec dec machine that asks for you to have your arms straight not at a ninety degree angle. If you do not have access to one of these machines then replace the Pec dec with a Dumbbell fly instead.

Overhead triceps extension

This exercise is performed by sitting down and placing a heavy dumbbell behind your head, from here you extend your elbows stimulating the triceps. This exercise is a great exercise to build strong triceps due to the big amount of weight you can lift. It is very rare but if, when you are doing this exercise, you feel a 'pinch' feeling within the shoulder joint, stop immediately and replace the exercise. This pinch feeling may lead to injury if one day you lift too much weight or you lower the weight a bit too low and your shoulder can't handle it.

Upright row:

Upright row is another exercise that many trainers complain of a dull ache or slight pinch in the shoulder the day after doing this exercise. This is due to how trainers perform this exercise. Many trainers each that the top of the movement "the elbows must be higher than the shoulders," this is incorrect. At the top of the movement the elbows must be level with the wrists, and your forearms horizontal to the floor. If you raise your elbows above the shoulders you are putting extra stress on the shoulder joint but keeping the elbows horizontal to the floor will keep the shoulder in a strong position throughout the entire movement.

With all of the above exercises you may have been doing them for years and never once injured your shoulder. I am not saying that if you perform these exercises you will get injured I am just simply stating that due to the fact that you are lifting in an biomechanically bad position means that these exercises may put you at a higher risk of injury, compared to others. Many Olympic weightlifters perform behind the neck presses all the time but these athletes spend a lot of time stretching their upper-body because they need excellent shoulder flexibility for the lifts their sport.

Author: Matt D'Aquino
http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/

Matt D'Aquino is the founder of Beyond Grappling fitness and conditioning. He is a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian as well as nationally ranked freestyle wrestler and National Champion in Brazilian Jujitsu. Matt has a passion for teaching all forms of grappling and is on the journey to qualify for his 2nd Olympic Games.

To learn more about Matt and his fitness and conditioning training visit http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/

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Best Lower Back Exercises

The lower back is a very significant part of the human body. Chronic pains can be avoided if the lower back is being trained regularly. There are several exercises that are for lower back strengthening. Here are some of them:

Barbell Dead-lifts

Barbell dead-lifts is probably the best and most effective exercise for the lower back. Here is how to perform it correctly:

Stand in front of the barbell, keep your back straight and slowly bent over and grasp the barbell at a shoulder width. Start lifting the barbell slowly while you push your legs bringing yourself to a standing position. Repeat the whole movement. It is important to breathe out while you stand up and breathe in whenever you bent.

Hyper-extensions

Hyper-extensions is another great exercise for the lower back. It gives strength and helps develop the muscles that surround your back. This is how you should perform it:

Lie on a hyper-extension bench facing down and make sure that your ankles are safely secured under the foot-pads. Start the exercise by bending slowly forward and make sure that your back stays flat during the move. Keep bending until you feel that you cannot keep your back flat any longer. You can hold a weight in your arms while you do the hyper-extension to increase the resistance. Be extra cautious with this certain exercise in order to avoid a potential injury.

Hugging Knees to Chest

For this exercise, you don't need any equipment and you don't have to be in the gym. You can do it practically everywhere including home.

Lie down on your back and start pulling your knees slowly to your chest. Then put your arms under your knees and pull your legs to your shoulders until you feel the pressure building up in your lower back and your buttocks. Repeat the whole movement for as many reps as you wish. Just remember that this exercise should be performed slowly and people with back issues should be aware of the pressure limits to be applied on their lower back in order to avoid worsening of their situation.

Atlas Stone or Barbell Back Training

This particular exercise is designed to give extra strength to the lower back muscle. Here is how to do it:
Most probably you will not have access to an Atlas stone, so alternatively load a bar with weight up to the point that it will not cause any problems to your back. Grab the barbell tightly and start pulling slowly the weight up to your chest. If you think, the weight is too much to handle and then start lowering it to the ground. While you have the weights at your chest level, you can hold it there for a second or two for some extra intensity. Be careful as you start lowering the barbell, in order to avoid an injury.

These are some pretty effective exercises to train your lower back. Just remember not to over train.

Cardiovascular training Cardiovascular training is also important for developing strength on the lower back. Keep those muscles pumping!

Chris G Pap
Since 1993 involved in bodybuilding and fitness area.Visit the following link for more info about bodybuilding, supplementation, workout routines and nutrition.
http://www.strengthtrainingmuscle.com/

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Two High Intensity Exercises That Will Boost Your Fitness Results

Virtually every fitness program, no matter how well designed it may be, eventually has to be changed or modified if we want to continue to improve. Our bodies have this amazing innate ability to detect change and immediately begin to adapt as an instinctive form of self-preservation. This naturally occurring phenomena is wonderful if we find ourselves suddenly with no food for several days... but when it comes to strength training or specific fitness goals it's known as a plateau.

Plateaus are not uncommon to fitness enthusiasts. They tend to occur after a prolonged period of diet and training where our bodies simply adapt to the routine we've been following and progress is stopped dead in its tracks. Most fitness experts agree that incorporating a varied and different approach to your work-outs is the best way to avoid plateaus altogether.

However, hitting this plateau wall can and does eventually happen to everyone that trains long-term. Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is the greatest investment you can make in yourself. Letting a set back or a lack of progress discourage you from continuing can and should be avoided. In this article, I'm going to show you two categories of exercises that have excellent results on your body and will help shock your system into growth again.

Sprinting

Dozens of university studies have linked a direct correlation between sprinting and the release of specific hormones within our body. Depending on the study, growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and testosterone have all been shown to have elevated levels immediately following the sprints and days later. For the average lay person, all you have to do is look at the bodies of Olympic sprinters, as compared to a long distance, marathon runner.

The tremendous intensity that comes from a 90% to 100% all out sprint sends shock waves through our bodies which in turn brings about an increase in these much needed bodybuilding hormones. It doesn't have to be relegated to just running... all out sprints on a stationary bike will produce similar results.

Squats And Dead-lifts

Squats and dead-lifts, when performed correctly, can provide a similar level of intensity that sprinting does. Without a doubt, the muscles in our lower body are huge when compared to the muscle groups of our arms or shoulders. By adding squats and dead-lifts into our routine, we use so much oxygen and energy in order to complete the desired number of sets and reps that the internal hormonal response is often overlooked.

Once again, the key component to these moves is the intensity. Going heavy is not necessary either... high intensity can also be reached by incorporating very strict form with higher reps. Either way, these muscle groups in the legs, thighs and glutes are so big that you should be exhausted when finished. Shaking, out of breath and maybe even a bit nauseous is ok according to the fitness experts that use these in their routines.

It's All About Intensity

The intensity that these exercises have on our system is the real magic behind it. As we get older, particularly after the age of 30, our bodies don't produce these hormones like they did at an earlier age. Each year those levels drop and this becomes a huge contributor as to why we age. Mixing in sprints one or two days a week, and squats or dead-lifts every 5 to 7 days is an excellent way to proceed. If your workouts have hit a plateau, try these out for 12 weeks and you'll be very happy with your results.

George C Taylor has been a fitness enthusiast for more then 25 years. He currently resides in Southeast Asia where he works as a freelance writer for internet marketers and web masters around the world.

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