4 Dangerous Shoulder Exercises to Avoid

Estimated 5 min read

Is your shoulder injured from your weight-training routine? Here are 4 dangerous shoulder exercises to avoid.

Exercise is a great thing when it’s performed correctly. There are times, however, when exercises can be dangerous (poor exercise selection or improper form) and they can compromise joint health and integrity. If you want to avoid shoulder injuries when exercising,

Nick Bolton encourages you to skip these 4 dangerous shoulder exercises in the gym:

Dumbbell Chest Fly: These bring you dangerously close to shoulder dislocation. If you MUST do chest flys, put down the dumbbells and grab a cable machine.  You can adjust these settings to allow for reduced stress on the joints.

Lat Pulldown (Behind-the-neck): Every time you crank your shoulders back behind your head, you’re compromising the integrity of your shoulder.  Try pulling down in front of your body and to your upper chest. This is safer and more effective.

Lateral Shoulder Raises (above the shoulder): Once you raise the weight above your shoulder, you place additional stress on the joint.  Not only is this a weakened position but you’re asking too much of your rotator cuff muscles, risking straining, or even tearing these supporting muscles.

Overhead Shoulder Press (Behind-the-neck): Most people don’t have the ability to safely move a bar behind the neck when pressing it overhead. Again, this is a compromised position for the shoulder joint and no more effective than moving it safely in front of your head.

Unfortunately it is incredibly easy for injuries to happen as a result of popular, but harmful shoulder exercises.