1. Bad Form On A Cardio Machine
You see it all the time. Heads down, crouched over the handlebars of an exercycle, bringing unnecessary tension to the entire shoulders and neck section, when an exercycle is not the Tour de France. Shoulders should be relaxed and neutral, back should be straight and the head should be back in the shoulder structure, otherwise imbalances will cause muscle and nerve problems. Rowing machines are a big risk as well. Great for neck difficulties! Rowing movement should be a combination of leg power flowing through to abdomen and arms and shoulders, each adding to the exertion. There's often very little flow, with a somewhat jerking violence applied by the arms instead. Head needs to be high, and slightly back on the shoulders, chin level a little down from what comes easiest for most of us, and back straight.
2. Upright Rows
This is where you grasp a barbell near the centre, and you pull it from your waist to chin level for a repetition. It’s supposed to strengthen your deltoids (shoulders) and trapezoids muscles at the back of the neck. It’s quite an unnatural movement, however (always an indicator of doubtful value or safety) and is not good for the rotator cuff muscles (which stabilise the shoulder) and places a lot of stress on the wrists. There’s a lot written on the topic, especially on the rotator cuff issues, and some less negative than others, but seeing there are plenty of other things to do, it’s worth avoiding.
3. and 4. Behind-The-Neck-Pulldowns and Shoulder Presses
These are both quite unnatural movements which stress the rotator cuff muscles (shoulder stabilisers) in unnatural positions, which can in turn cause compression and damage to the shoulder. Many people have suffered neck problems as well through presumably some compression or impingement of the nerve.
5. Waist Rotation Exercises
This includes, particularly, the waist rotation machine. Much advice suggests that the torque effects do nothing, and indeed risk damage to the lower spine. If you want that risk, play golf! Twists with sticks on the shoulders use the same movement but tend to be less dangerous without the same amount of force. They’re otherwise useless, apart from a mild stretching effect, as are side bends, where you bend from one side to the other extending your hands down your thighs.
6. and 7. Hip Abductor and Hip Adductor Exercises, usually done on a machine
This is where you sit on a machine, with your inner legs, and then outer legs pressed against resisting pads, and you push against them. Some thigh muscles – the adductors and the abductors, are thus strengthened. Performing this exercise in a seated position is highly unnatural, and something you’d never normally do, and so develops muscles in a way contrary to their natural inclination. Instead, to build those stabilising muscles, try squats; forward and reverse lunges with a weights in each hand held high are better, as are sideways lunges.
