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5 Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up (Don’t make these Mistakes)

Avoid these mistakes.

Check out these simple exercises that everyone screws up. Jeff Cavaliere explains how to fix these common problems.

Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“Did you know that there are 5 common exercises that everyone screws up at some point in their lifting career? In this video, I am going to show you what those 5 exercises are and how they get messed up so that you never get them wrong again when trying to build muscle.”

crossfit beginner mistakes Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“It is important to note why these specific exercises are often performed wrong and it come down to two simple reasons. First, we may have learned to do the exercise this way in the first place and just never learned how to do it the right way. Secondly, it’s something we might revert to as we become fatigued throughout the workout. This is more often the case with seasoned lifters that have learned how to properly perform the exercise over time.”

Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“The first common exercise that gets screwed up is the Glute Bridge. When trying to reach full hip extension, it’s easy to see that most people are putting themselves into anterior pelvic tilt throughout the movement. This shifts the load of the exercise from the glutes to the low back, which can lead to low back problems if done consistently. Tp prevent injury and to get the most out of the exercise itself, keep a posterior pelvic tilt – allowing the glutes to be the prime movers throughout. This will ensure you do the exercise correctly and see the most benefits from it.”

Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“Next, a commonly incorrectly performed exercise is the Pullup. The biggest problem I see with the Pullup is that people will often forget to plug their energy leaks. By allowing the legs to dangle and cross back behind our bodies, we are losing rigidity throughout the entirety of the body. I’ve suggested in the past to point your legs at a slight angle forward with your quads and glutes flexed to plug those energy leaks. Doing so will also make sure that you can perform more Pullups which will in turn allow you to see more muscle growth as well.”

“The Bench Dip is one of the most commonly performed exercises that I see get screwed up the most. As I’ve shown on Live With Kelly & Ryan, hand placement is everything.”

“By keeping our hands pointed forward, as is often taught, you are allowing the shoulder to push into the anterior capsule. Reps accumulated over time in this position can lead to discomfort or even injury. To keep your shoulders safe and to get an even better activation of the triceps, turn the hands outward, getting your shoulders into external rotation. This will help you to grow bigger triceps without worrying about safety.”

Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“This next exercise uses the body’s ability to compensate to try to hide the fact that it is performed incorrectly. The Kettlebell Swing makes use of the glutes through the hinging motion of the exercise to keep the kettlebell moving through space. The problem comes when our glutes are weak or fatigued; we start to utilize our quads and our delts. Instead of hinging the hips back, you simply squat down and to get the kettlebell moving upwards again, you begin to actively lift it up. In order get the most out of the exercise, you need to perform it correctly – so make sure you hinge!”

Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

“Lastly, this exercise is most often screwed up by beginners or those that simply never learned the right way to do it. With the Pushup, you might see someone with their elbows flared, around 90º. Doing Pushups with our arms in this position creates less travel through the exercise, effectively making it easier to perform. The problem is that it takes away activation of the pecs and adds it to the shoulders while also putting more stress on them in an internally rotated position. To get the most out of the Pushup, keep the elbows at a 45-60 degree angle.”

“Now that you know what these 5 exercises are and how they commonly get messed up, you have the ability to make sure that you get them right every time. Remember, it’s not just what exercises you do, but how you do them that matters. If you want to build the most muscle possible, you need to make sure that you are avoiding any possible mistakes that could jeopardize your gains.”

Video – Simple Exercises Everyone Screws Up

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