15 Workout Mistakes That Can Be Dangerous for Your Health

If you wish to achieve results in the gym, lose weight, and gain muscle, it is important to do basic exercises. But we often do them wrong, harming our health and canceling out our efforts.

15. Hip bridge

Wrong: If you arch your back when doing the hip bridge, you load your lower back instead of your buttocks.

Right: Bend your knees so that they form a right angle to the floor. Raise your pelvis up, and make sure that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees — it’s important. At the top, squeeze your buttocks as much as you can and contract your abdominal muscles.

14. Alternating side lunges

Wrong: If you lean too far forward and bend your knees at an acute angle, your spine and knees become overloaded.

Right: Keep your back flat, and don’t raise your pelvis. Make sure that your knee is bent at an angle of approximately 90° when squatting.

13. Plank

Wrong: If your back is not straight when doing the plank, the exercise loses its effectiveness and becomes useless.

Right: Hold your body in a straight line from the top of your head down to your heels. Keep your arms at an angle of 90°, and don’t bend your neck.

12. Back squat

Wrong: If your knees go beyond your toes, you round your back and lay the barbell on your neck, shifting the weight to your toes. You can severely harm your neck and fall down.

Right: Make sure the barbell weight is kept in line with the middle of your feet. Arch your back, and don’t lift your heels off the floor. Keep your thighs parallel to the floor, and don’t squat too deeply.

11. Grip the barbell correctly

Wrong: If the barbell is on your neck, it is extremely traumatic.

Right: Pull your elbows back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together so that a "shelf" appears through the contraction of your muscles. Put the barbell on this shelf as low as possible, provided that you can steadily hold it.

10. Squat with a dumbbell or a plate

Wrong: Your shoulders are rounded forward, hence your back is rounded too. Going too low on a squat gives you an extra load.

Right: Pull your shoulders back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Keep your back straight, slightly arched in your lower back. Your thighs must be parallel to the floor when squatting.

9. Deadlift

Wrong: Your legs and arms are not vertical, putting you at risk of falling down and injuring your joints.

Right: Bend your knees, push your chest forward, arch your lower back, and pull your pelvis back. Hold your legs and arms perpendicular to the floor.

8. Stepping on a platform

Wrong: The further we stand from the platform, the greater the load is on our knees instead of our leg muscles.

Right: Straighten your back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slightly arch your back, and stand closer to the workout bench or platform. Your knee must be in line with your foot.

7. Bench press

Wrong: Your knees are bent at an obtuse angle. Your back is straight, and the barbell is shifted forward. Thus the load is uneven, and the exercise becomes ineffective.

Right: The barbell must be approximately in line with your shoulders. Arch your lower back. Bend your knees, and move your feet slightly backward toward your hips.

6. Dumbbell lunges

Wrong: Your knee is twisted sideways, which is ineffective and traumatic.

Right: Your knee must be in line with your foot and bent at an angle of 90° when stepping forward.

5. One-legged squat

Wrong: Your shoulders are rounded forward, so your back is rounded too. The squat is not low enough.

Right: Pull your shoulders back, and straighten up. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

4. One-arm dumbbell row

Wrong: Your head is raised, so your back arches.

Right: It is important that your body makes a straight line from the top of your head to your buttocks.

3. Dumbbell overhead triceps extension

Wrong: If you grip the dumbbell in the middle of its handle, your joints will be loaded instead of your muscles.

Right: Take the dumbbell in both hands with your palms facing up. Keep your shoulders motionless, and press your elbows as close to your head as possible. Raise the dumbbell overhead, and slowly lower it.

2. Standing calf raise

Wrong: Your feet are halfway or almost completely on the platform. They are not aligned with your shoulders.

Right: Stand with 1/3 of your feet on the platform so that they are in line with your shoulders. Lift your heels as high as possible. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your heels until they’re below the platform.

1. Hyperextension

Wrong: Your body doesn’t form a straight line, and your lower back is strongly arched.

Right: Avoid rounding or bending your lower back. Raise your torso to hip level, and don’t round your back when bending down.