FITNESS: Avoiding excercise mistakes

It is easy to make common mistakes in your workout. By making slight changes to your exercise techniques, you can avoid injuries and increase the benefits.

The bench press is still one of the first chest exercises performed. Check your hand positioning so that when the bar is lowered the wrist lines up with the elbow. Having your hands too wide or too narrow can put extra stress on the joints.

Also, there is no reason to bounce the bar off your chest. Going extra deep with your range of motion might feel like a good stretch but in fact could lead to injury. Many times the rotator cuff is not as strong as the chest and is the first to go when put under too much pressure.

Push-ups are also a great pectoral exercise but can be performed incorrectly. First, check your body positioning. Whether you are doing modified (on the knees) or military push-ups, your body should be in a straight line.

Start with the palms directly under your shoulders, with the creases of the elbows facing each other. If you want to make the push-up more challenging, try using push up handles or dumbbells.

The biggest mistake most people make when performing abdominal crunches is pulling on the neck and head. Try crossing your hands over your chest. If you find you cannot perform as many reps this way it means you probably have been pulling too hard on your neck the traditional way. Keep your eyes on the ceiling. This naturally keeps your head from flexing forward.

Many exercises are performed incorrectly simply because the exerciser has not updated their knowledge of current techniques. An example of this is the lat pull down.

I still see many people pulling the bar behind their neck and straining the head forward. The muscle actually lines up better with the resistance when the bar is pulled to the front of the body with a slight lean back (held in a fixed position).

Squats and lunges can also be performed incorrectly. Always start with the most simplest version of the exercise before adding weight or movement.

When squatting, keep the knees pointed in the same direction as the toes so that the knee tracks properly. Super wide squats, with the feet pointed out, might do more harm than good to the knees.

When lunging, take a wide stance but monitor your posture. If the middle of your body caves in when you perform the exercise, correct yourself at that point. Keep your shoulders back and your head level.

Whatever exercise you choose to perform, try to do so in a controlled and deliberate manner. Swinging and contorting your body to lift a weight is usually not appropriate for most exercisers.

The beauty of performing exercises properly is that you do not waste time, effort and energy. Do it right the first time and you will reap the rewards of a fit body.

Kim Springer and her husband, Mike, are certified personal trainers and owners of Springer Training. They can be reached at 233-9442 or at their Web site www.springertraining.com.


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