Exercises you "can't" do

S

soflsun

New Member
I guess it's unavoidable; as time goes on, the list of exercises that we just "can't" do grows becuase of previous injuries, or pain that would most likely precede a new injury.

What exercises are on your list of definite NO's and what do they aggravate?  Also, which seem to bother you to the point that you think they either need to be discontinued, or some other change needs to be made to keep them in your routine...the watchlist.

My NO's:

Dips - right shoulder and most recently wrists
Upright Rows - shoulders

My Watchlist:

Bench - when my form breaks down at the end of a set, it tends to really bother my right shoulder.  If I don't stay tight throughout the whole set, I believe an injury could be on the horizon.

Squats (low-bar) - I need to pay close attention to these.  As my shoulders and wrists lack flexibility, a tremendous strain is on them right now.  My wrists seem to be bearing quite a bit of the load to keep the bar from rolling off my back and has the potential to casue a major injury.
 
don'ts:
pretty much any kind of tricep exericse done with free weights--elbows
barbell shoulder press---rotator cuff
any bench press that is not close grip---rotator cuff
parallel squat---right knee patellar tendinitis

beware:
deadlift--right knee, etc. etc.
close grip flat bench--rotator cuff
atg squats--right knee, etc. etc.

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> As my shoulders and wrists lack flexibility, a tremendous strain is on them right now</div>wrist wraps
 
<div>
(soflsun @ May 10 2008,12:17)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I guess it's unavoidable; as time goes on, the list of exercises that we just &quot;can't&quot; do grows becuase of previous injuries, or pain that would most likely precede a new injury.

What exercises are on your list of definite NO's and what do they aggravate? Also, which seem to bother you to the point that you think they either need to be discontinued, or some other change needs to be made to keep them in your routine...the watchlist.

My NO's:

Dips - right shoulder and most recently wrists
Upright Rows - shoulders

My Watchlist:

Bench - when my form breaks down at the end of a set, it tends to really bother my right shoulder. If I don't stay tight throughout the whole set, I believe an injury could be on the horizon.

Squats (low-bar) - I need to pay close attention to these. As my shoulders and wrists lack flexibility, a tremendous strain is on them right now. My wrists seem to be bearing quite a bit of the load to keep the bar from rolling off my back and has the potential to casue a major injury.</div>
For the wrist strain with the low bar squat, try using a thumbless grip, which should have the bar contacting lower on your palm, i.e. your wrists bent less back.
 
Anything behind the head - Rotator impingement
Steep incline presses - same
Upright rows - same
Lateral raises - same
Reverse forearm curls - wrist
Hangs, grip work - hand injuries (working on that somewhat)
Hypers - low back popping and pain

Former injuries:
Low back pain, healed by ATG SQUATS and DEADS.
smile.gif

Knee problems, healed by ATG SQUATS

Before you say it, I've done the 7-minute RC solution; didn't work. I play with face pulls now and they seem to do some good.
 
I'm not allowed to do anything involving external rotation.
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However, I am permitted to do flat bench and dips so long as my arms don't go out too wide.
 
I remember reading it and the one about scapular pushups, but I was one of those who thought it was more prone to feeding the external rotators on pushups and just kind of sissy-weighted on the scapulars. I probably need a change of thought.
 
With my ongoing shoulder problems and now the beginnings of patellar tendonitis it would be easier for me to list the few exercises that I CAN do. However, there's one exercise that I've never been able to do because of the extreme discomfort even when I was younger - Upright Rows.
 
Why are we all injuring our shoulders? This is not good! There must be a way to lift without injuring these sensitive areas of the shoulder?
 
<div>
(soflsun @ May 10 2008,4:46)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Why are we all injuring our shoulders? This is not good! There must be a way to lift without injuring these sensitive areas of the shoulder?</div>
There is a way, but dummies like me don't learn the right way until after the damage is done.
blush.gif
 
Shoulder issues of one kind or another definitely cause the most bother. Likely because this joint is the most mobile and can easily be worked through extreme ranges of motion. Also, nerve and tendon impingement problems are often caused by differences in individual shoulder physiology.

My right shoulder has given me the most trouble. Due to pain in my right AC joint I couldn't do bench for about a year. During that time I did RC work and I could still do dips without exacerbating the problem. It's still dodgy now (more clicks and clunks than the left) but as long as I maintain my form it can be kept under control. Plenty of warmup work seems to help prevent some soreness from work sets. My left AC joint now seems to get as sore as my right after a bench session but the soreness goes after a day or two.

The only way that I can comfortably perform upright rows is to use an EZ-bar and have my hands placed close together on the innermost bends on the bar. Performed this way I get very little discomfort. Again, plenty of warmup sets help.

Overhead squats are uncomfortable for my right shoulder but working on flexibility has helped. Shrugging during the movement helps a bit but my right shoulder still clicks.

Power cleans tend to bother the tendons in my arms. I put this down to starting to learn this lift with a less than youthful body! It's annoying but I'm pretty sure that gradually I will toughen up - I hope so anyway.
 
Hmmm well close grip weighted chins did something to my forearms and I havent tried them since. I have no pain anymore but neutral close grip pullups hit the bis just fine so I see no reason to test the waters.

I have had other pains simply from not being used to the physical activity such as wrist/forearm/elbow pain from cleans, knee pain from deep squats, and neck strain from heavy deads. One SD was enough to heal them and my body got used to the rigor of the movements. I am pretty healthy and injury free right now.
 
No's:

Squats (Torn ACL on left Knee, Torn MCL on right). Both have healed with surgery physio etc. But it just scares me when I go down with that bar and I don't feel stable on the knees (even with the braces).

Barbell Military Press: I don't like the way my back curves when it is in front. I don't like the strain when in back so I opt for doing Military press with dumbbells.



Bewares:
Most leg exercises (see above). Though, deadlifts seem to be the less stressful (This is good thing) though I still can not go that heavy but it is better than nothing.

As for shoulders. Every once in a while I get some pain etc. But it doesn't last that long and it doesn't appear to be affecting me that much (knock on wood). But I guess since they have been tender in the past I should be careful and listen to them. So Bench, Dips, Military


CG Chins: Every once in while my right elbow gets tender after doing them.
 
Some general advice on &quot;dont's&quot;, before you &quot;can't&quot;:

Beware of shoulder abduction, as this may cause entrapment of the supraspinatus tendon. This includes lateral raises, press from the neck, and such. If you have entrapment syndrome, all excerices should be performed to the front with the elbows slightly forward.

Also beware of tearing the long head of triceps when doing lat pulldowns or chins. this can happen if you relax the lats and teres major at any point in the movement. Then the strain shifts to the triceps. So keep some tonus all the time.
 
Third beware. Biceps brachii tendon tear can occur when using a reverse grip during heavy deadlifts (one hand supinated and the other pronated). The strain on the biceps of the supinated hand can cause the tendon to rupture. To prevent, do not try to flex the biceps at any point during the heavy deadlift.

Fourth beware. Tearing the lateral part of the pectoralis major tendon when using rapid force and very heavy load. It is also associated with low-calorie diets as this weakens tendons, joints and muscles). So do not go explosive when load is extremely heavy on the bench, especially not when you're doing a hard cut.
 
Fifth beware. You really chould know this. Do not round your back when doing squats, deadlifts, or bent row. You risk disc herniation. The risk increases with age. Actually no matter what excerice you do, when going heavy it is essential that you create a 'block': Expand the chest by taking a deep breath, contract the abdominal muscles (do not such in your stomach), then contract the lumbar muscles to stiffen the core. The back should be straight all the time (avoid excessive arching of the back as this is bad too).

Sixth beware. Hamstring tears when doing squats. If your torso falls too much forward the hamstring becomes extremly stretched and might tear when contracting to straighten the pelvis. The hamstring can also tear when doing a leg curl, at the beginning of the movement, when the hamstring is stretched.

How to prevent problems? Proper warmup and stretching, but also progressive strengthening of the vulnarable muscles can help.

By the way, I'm currently injury free, but my wrist, my lower trapz and my pecs have taken a beating previously. But they have healed with proper rest.
 
That's a neat list nkl.

As for myself - skullcrushers. Bad left shoulder. Been a while since I last tried them though, so it might have become a little better.
 
Preacher curls - elbow pain
Seated flyes (machine ones) - shoulder &quot;dislocation&quot;
Leg extensions - patellar tendinitis
Going to low and heavy on calf extension - achille's heel
I once dislocated my shoulder doing DB presses, so I am afraid of trying that one again.
 
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