6 exercises that are highly overrated and can easily lead to injury. Beginners are advised not to attempt them lightly. Check how many of these you have tried:
1. Burpees
Burpees combine elements such as squats, push-ups, and jumps, demanding a high level of coordination and strength. For beginners, attempting burpees requires a series of movements to be performed in a short time, and any slight error could result in sprained ankles or muscle strains. For instance, during the transition from jumping to push-ups, if the rhythm is not well managed, the body may not be able to cope. Beginners should be cautious when training with burpees and are advised to start with basic exercises to gradually improve their physical fitness and coordination before challenging this move.
2. Sit-ups
Once considered the ‘miracle’ for exercising abdominal muscles, sit-ups have been found to have many hidden risks. For many beginners, incorrect exertion can put immense pressure on the cervical and lumbar spines. Research data indicates that incorrect sit-up postures can cause the cervical spine to bear a pressure of over 300 pounds!
Therefore, for abdominal muscle training, sit-ups should not be chosen. Instead, it is recommended to replace sit-ups with crunches to reduce the risk of injury, enhance training safety, and improve exercise effectiveness.
3. Barbell Squats
Barbell squats are often seen as the king of exercises for lower body strength in the fitness field, but for beginners, it is an exercise that is severely overrated and carries a significant risk of injury.
Due to a lack of experience and muscle control, beginners are prone to errors such as shifting their center of gravity, knee valgus, or excessive forward lean. Studies have shown that incorrect barbell squat movements can put several times the body weight on the knee joints, making it highly likely to cause meniscus damage and ligament strains.
Before attempting barbell squats, beginners must fully understand the correct exercise standards and preferably perform them gradually under the guidance of a professional. Never blindly pursue weight and repetitions to avoid irreversible damage to the body.
4. Barbell Deadlifts
Some say the benefits of deadlifts do not match the effort because the risks often lie in the technique. From the starting position to lifting the barbell, any mistake in any link could lead to injuries in the waist, back, and other areas.
For example, an incorrect starting position may lead to a curved back or an unstable barbell trajectory. These mistakes not only reduce exercise effectiveness but also easily cause muscle strains or even joint injuries.
Moreover, blindly choosing an excessively heavy barbell can cause the waist to bear too much pressure when lifting due to not maintaining a neutral spine position, thus increasing the likelihood of injury.
It is recommended that beginners first master the correct exercise standards and start with lighter weights to exercise more safely and effectively.
5. Plank
As an internet-famous exercise, the plank can help train the core muscle group. However, the effectiveness of the plank is not as good as imagined, and its training effect on the internal and external oblique muscles and the rectus abdominis is relatively poor.
Incorrect exercise postures, such as an inability to tighten the abdomen, leading to a sinking waist, not only fail to train the core muscles but also put excessive pressure on the waist, increasing the risk of injury.
Therefore, do not overestimate the plank exercise. To enhance core strength, you also need to combine it with other exercises, such as bicycle crunches, mountain climbers, hanging leg raises, and side crunches, to further improve core strength.
6. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Many fitness enthusiasts firmly believe that dumbbell shoulder presses can bring significant shoulder strengthening effects. However, in reality, dumbbell shoulder presses require a very high level of exercise standardization. Any deviation not only greatly reduces the exercise effect but also easily leads to injuries.
If you excessively extend your neck or shrug your shoulders during the press, it puts too much pressure on the cervical spine and shoulder joints, which can easily lead to cervical spine diseases and shoulder injuries.
At the same time, if you choose excessively heavy dumbbells, beyond your strength-bearing range, it forces the body to compensate with incorrect movements to complete the exercise, thus increasing the likelihood of injury.
We should re-examine the dumbbell shoulder press exercise and not blindly overestimate its effect. Instead, we should choose suitable training exercises based on our own situation.
