What Do You Thinks The Most Dangerous Exercise When Lifting Weights?
By elmiko
@elmiko (6630)
United States
December 3, 2008 11:51am CST
I was doing Deadlift exercises at a gym I was once a member of and this guy who was a personal trainer said thats the most dangerous exercise you can do. He said something like theres a small bone in the back that can mess you up by doing it and than your backs not the same ever again. I've never had a problem with doing Deadlifts besides getting a sore lower back but it works the lower back to begin with. Although I like Deadlifting because its one of my best exercises i'm probably going to stop doing it because of his advice.
4 responses
@alextrg (86)
• Malaysia
7 Dec 08
That's funny coming from a Personal Trainer, as the deadlift movement is basically one of the most basic exercise routines that everyone should do.
It a functional movement, think of when you bend over to pick things up. Or when you bend over to write on a table that's low.
Any exercise can be dangerous if you don't do it properly.
There is actually two mindsets on lifting weights. One coming from body building(ie focus on low reps, heavy weights, and usage of weight belts) , one coming from fitness(ie focusing on technique, execution and proper body control(ie core control)).
If the personal trainer can say that about deadlifts, then you should ask him what about squats, as people who like to go extremely heavy with weights on squats. Or people who like to use weight belts, and do simple movements like bicep curls, but with weights that's obviously too heavy for them to handle, and literally swinging their body all over the place.
@elmiko (6630)
• United States
16 Dec 08
He mentioned squats can be dangerous as well with the back involved. Later I found at why when doing squats. The backs the weakest muscle in your body so I could understand about getting bad injuries from it. I had a big scare one time when doing squats but it was out of my own stupidity and had to learn the hard way. I lifted so much and struggled while doing it I experienced a big pump of pain in my upper back and I just gave out with the bar and fell to the ground. I luckily had a squat rack where the bars could catch the all the weight while I went down on the ground. I was having problems breathing due to the pain in my back. It just seemed I could not get enough air and everytime time I exhaled my back hurt. The back pain went away after a couple of days and luckliy I didn't rupture a disk and had bars to protect all that weight from falling down on me. So I know squats can be bad for the back from experience. Theres no need to use a weight lifting belt with curls unless your going at it so hard your arching your back which is too hard. You can do alot when doing curls before your arms give out compared to other lifts.
@tdavis (117)
• United States
17 Dec 08
I agree with you. The only time I hurt myself working out was with squats. I leaned forward just a little bit and felt the tweek in my lower back, knees go week and it took me awhile to be able to move around again. That's why for fitness I started doing circuit type training using my body weight.
@BART78 (2927)
• Canada
19 Oct 09
use weight belt to support your back, that trainer, he is just distructing your momemtum,i think his brain is clog with muscles, there's no dangerous or risky weight lifting exercise as long you are executing it right to avoid injuries, proper tempo and always rehydrate..
@elmiko (6630)
• United States
23 Oct 09
i strained to hard with the squats at that time with too heavy of weight. i would have got the bar up to finish the set but my back gave out. the back is the weakest muscle in the body and the legs are the opposite. the combination of back and legs are what caused the back problem to begin with. it wasn't permanent damage thank God.
@missybear (11391)
• United States
4 Dec 08
You need to wear 1 of those belts that are specially for lifting weights, so you won't throw out your back.
