High-Risk Exercises and Alternatives to Them

Have you ever thought about what type of exercises are more dangerous, especially if you are not in the perfect form? If you are worried about staying safe during your workout and do not like the risks then this article is for you! Every time you do some kind of exercise, your joints and ligaments may experience an increase of load on them, which are excluded in normal life.

This situation can cause you serious injuries, making you further weight training unclear. You think these exercises are worthless and are not ready to use them during your workout. If so, then you have to know almost all dangerous exercises have an alternative exercise to them. Generally, they are safer and provide you with the same benefits as excluded exercises do.

Below we will give you a list of the most dangerous exercises, with a high risk of injury. These suggestions are perfect for beginner bodybuilders, who usually are not ready (or do not respect the right technique) for these exercises included in the category of high-risk exercises. Thus, they can easily choose a replacement, taking all advantages, while staying safe.

• Leg Extensions / One Leg Squats:

Leg extension is an exercise for more experienced bodybuilders. And even they can get injured. The target muscle group is quadriceps. Despite it is considered to be one of the most effective exercises for building quadriceps muscle, it has also had negative aspects. During this exercise are performed movements unusual for daily life. This fact cause increased stress on the ligaments and tendons of the kneecap.

If you are not ready to take the risk of this exercises, you can replace it with a safer one- one leg squats. This exercise has the same effectiveness in building quadriceps muscle. By alternating legs, quadriceps get enough load and thus grow.

Must Read: How To Do One Leg Squat

• Rotation Machine Exercises/ Kneeling Cable Crunches

During this kind of exercise, the pelvis moves in the opposite direction from the chest, which is very dangerous for the lumbar spine. By the way, the effectiveness of this exercise is questionable.

Instead of rotation machine exercise, you can do, with the same success, kneeling cable crunches. During this exercise are worked upper, middle, lower, and side abdominal group of muscles.

To do it use a rope or a bar with a pull-down machine. Bend your knee as you go down while dragging the rope. Perform 12-15 repetitions for each side of the body.

• Setting Bench Press / Throwing a Heavy Ball:

This exercise works muscles of the shoulder belt. It is dangerous since ligaments and joints are not familiar with isolated rises above the head. Typically, these rises anatomically oriented to support the involvement of other muscles, but it does not.

As a result, these presses can cause strain on the shoulder joints and inflammation. A replacement to this exercise is throwing a heavy ball. Such exercise greatly reduces harmful pressure on the shoulder joints.

Must Read: How to Bench Press Properly?

To do it get near to a wall and throw the ball as it touches the wall at a distance of 1 meter above your height. Catch the ball, slightly crouched, damping load on shoulders through hips.

• Smith Machine Squats:

Smith machine squats are great for building leg muscles, but with a high risk of injury as well. It is considered dangerous since fixing the trajectory rod leads to overstress the knee, shoulder and lower back. That’s why you can easily replace it with simple squats.

This exercise will force you to move along the arc of the trajectory (and not in a straight line, as in Smith), reducing the negative pressure on ligaments and articular apparatus. Contrary to the mistaken belief classic squats, being more heavy exercise, are safer for the lower back.

• Leg Presses / Deep Squats:

Leg presses work hamstrings and calf muscles. When performing this kind of exercise, your back is bending.  At the same time, are excluded from the work of the muscles that provide stability. Even a small deviation from the dash or equipment can result in injury.

Deep squats are safer than leg presses. To do deep squats you have to first place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and perform the deepest squats. Perform 15-20 reps so. As you get more experience, increase the number of repetitions.

Must Read: 9 Squats Variations For Bigger Muscles

• Roman Chair Twist / Side Plank Raises:

Roman chair twist is largely used for training abs, hip flexors muscles groups. This exercise has to be performed carefully, following the right technique of execution. otherwise, is better to avoid it. The main risk of injury occurs when loin is loaded in the rounded state. If you use some extra weights then risks are even greater.

Instead of roman chair twits, you can opt to do side plank raises. To do them, stand up to the elbows, straighten the body and thighs n line. Pull your stomach and tighten your glutes statically. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

• Wide Grip Lat Pulldown/Smith Machine Inverted Pull Ups:

Wide grip lat pulldown is used for building muscles of the back and shoulders. It is quite popular among bodybuilders, but few of them knows about the risks it involves.

Despite it is so easy to execute, this kind of exercise requires a very good knowledge of the right technique of execution. The most common mistake beginners do is to work with big weights on lat pulldown. As a result, because lack of flexibility, they get severe trauma shoulder joints.

A safer variation of this exercise is Smith machine inverted pull-ups. For this set the bar at waist level in the Smith machine. Grasp a wide grip and take a position under it, hang, straighten the body and legs in line. Accomplish pulling, throwing elbows to the sides and bottom of the chest touching the bar with your neck.

This is the top of seven high-risk exercises in bodybuilding. The good news is that we do not only show you what exercises they are but give you great alternatives to them. These recommendations might be especially useful for newbies or people get back in the gym after an injury and want to replace harder exercises with some softer options.

Must Read: Bodybuilding For Beginners

However, keep in mind that, if you do not feel good at doing one of these exercises, is better to avoid it and replace it with one of the options shared above. This will way you will manage to build your wanted group of muscles while staying free of any injury.