Strength training has many health benefits including; increasing bone density, weight control, better body bio-mechanics & assisting in chronic disease prevention. If they are not performed correctly, strength exercises can cause havoc on an individual through injury.
At PROHEALTH PHYSIO we commonly see the conditions outlined in the previous article due to poor dead-lifting and bench-pressing technique.
The deadlift is a great exercise to strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain (i.e. hamstrings, glutes, erectors, rhomboids, lats and traps). However, when the exercise is performed incorrectly, it can place the back in a vulnerable position, putting the individual at risk of a muscle strain and or disc herniation. All too frequently do we see patients coming into the clinic with disc herniations and associated muscle strains after performing a high amount of repetitions of deadlifts with poor form. Anecdotally, it is PROHEALTH PHYSIO’s suggestion that deadlifts should not be performed at a high rep range. High rep ranges may fatigue the muscles that hold the spine in a neutral position. This can result in inadequate form, which will increase the risk of injury. For information on how to perform the deadlift correctly, please see our previous article “Deadlifts to Improve Posture.”
Another exercise commonly performed incorrectly is the bench press and or dumbbell bench press. Frequently, we see individuals pressing heavy weight with their shoulders flared at 90 degrees of abduction. Performing the movement in this manner decreases the sub acromial space and puts a large amount of stress on the rotator cuff. This therefore puts the individual at risk of either sub acromial impingement, a rotator cuff tear and or shoulder instability. A study by Green and Comfort (2007) described that shoulder abduction at 45 degrees offered the safest method of bench press for the shoulder joint. Furthermore, retracting the scapula and activating the scapula stabilizers will also be beneficial in reducing the chance of shoulder injury. A study by Paine and Voight (1993) stated that weakness of the scapular stabilizers can result in abnormal stresses to the font of the shoulder capsule, increased stress on the rotator cuff and decreased shoulder performance.
Finally, an exercise disliked by the PROHEALTH PHYSIO team is the upright row. A study by Kolber et al. (2014) found a significant association existed between clinical characteristics of sub acromial impingement and upright rows. This makes sense, as the action of the upright row is very similar to a pain provocation test physiotherapists use (Hawkins-Kennedy test) to determine whether a patient has a sub acromial impingement. The test works by decreasing the sub acromial space which compresses the irritated structures, causing pain. Therefore, frequently performing an upright row decreases the sub acromial space, which compresses and agitates the structures in the sub acromial space (i.e. the bursa and supraspinatus tendon).
For further information on how to improve your strengthening program and avoid injury, contact the PROHEALTH PHYSIO team.
This article was based on:
- Green, C., & Comfort, P. (2007). The Affect of Grip Width on Bench Press Performance and Risk of Injury.Strength And Conditioning Journal, 29(5), 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/1533-4295(2007)29[10:taogwo]2.0.co;2
- Kolber, M., Cheatham, S., Salamh, P., & Hanney, W. (2014). Characteristics of Shoulder Impingement in the Recreational Weight-Training Population.Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, 28(4), 1081-1089. http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000000250
- Paine, R., & Voight, M. (1993). The Role of the Scapula.Journal Of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 18(1), 386-391. http://dx.doi.org/10.2519/jospt.1993.18.1.386