Physical activities carried out to stay fit are awesome for the body but it is important to know the correct way of performing these workouts. When you force your body into a position that isn’t correct to train the muscles, you’re not getting the benefits you’re looking for but wasting time and energy and may end up in serious injuries.
According to a survey conducted by sports retailer Sweatband.com, the most popular workouts done incorrectly at gym include Bicep curls, Crunches, Bench press, Push-up, etc. Here are a couple of exercises done incorrectly all the time plus tips for how to fix them.
Bicep curls
Bicep curls is an exercise known for its effect on bicep muscles but it is often done incorrectly by adding too much weight which engages the shoulders and not targeting the biceps. If you lift too heavy a weight, you’ll be working the shoulders instead of targeting your biceps. When lifting too much weight, your shoulders will hunch forward or you may lean backwards creating a lot of stress on the lower back leading to injury.
How to fix it:
· Stand straight with your shoulder blades back and down and pull in the abs.
· Use the weight within your comfort zone.
· Curl your arms up until they are at a level of your shoulders.
Crunches
When done correctly, crunches can be a great workout to improve your posture, strengthen the core muscles and contribute to a healthy back. No matter how many crunches you repeat, you won’t get a six-pack if you perform them incorrectly. Many people raise themselves too high off the floor tucking the chin into their chest and not keeping their abs contracted throughout the exercise.
You should target the abs, not the neck. If done correctly, you should not feel any pain in the neck.
How to fix it
· Raise yourself to about three inches off the floor.
· Don’t force your neck into your chest as you rise – imagine a tennis ball placed between your chin and chest.
· Keep your abs contracted throughout the workout.
· Don’t jerk your head off the floor.
Bench Press
The bench press is a great workout for strengthening pectoral and triceps muscles. However, if this simple exercise is performed incorrectly it can seriously injure your body. The biggest mistake people do during this workout is using too much weight and slamming the barbell against their neck. Another mistake is they force themselves to get the weight up by arching their back. That seriously injures the connective tissue in their back which could lead to permanent problems in their body for life.
The right way to perform this exercise is to lower the weight with the same force as pushing it upwards. Don’t curl your shoulders forward and upward as you press. You may also take the support of your legs and buttocks to help with the press which is wrong to do.
How to fix it
· Start with low weights on the bar.
· Keep your abs contracted throughout the workout.
· Keep your elbows free when lifting the weight.
Author Bio:
Kelly Marsh is a freelance journalist who has been writing about mobile technology, customer relationship management and women’s health for more than a decade. These days she is busy to contributes on responsive design