A doctor has revealed the three exercise mistakes that could lead to snapped muscles and spinal cord injuries, potentially leaving gym-goers disabled for life.
A neurosurgeon who goes by Dr Z on social media took to TikTok to reveal the most severe weight-lifting-related injuries he’s seen in patients.
The doctor also showed videos of fitness buffs lifting too much and using improper form, resulting in the need for major surgery.
‘If you do these exercises, you could be at risk for a serious injury,’ Dr Z said in the video, which has nearly 85,000 views.
Dr Z, a neurosurgeon, shared the top three lifting injuries he has seen from patients using improper form during certain moves
Leg presses were one of the most dangerous moves, Dr Z said. Overextending your legs could lead to tears
In the video, Dr Z counted down from three, with one being the worst.
The third-worst exercise he mentioned was doing a heavy leg press with locked knees.
A leg press is performed using a machine that targets the quadriceps and hamstrings in the legs, as well as the glutes.
This is often done along with squats, supporting muscles that allow you to squat more weight.
It involves lying on your back on an elevated bench and pushing a weighted plate up with your feet.
Dr Z warned that locking your knees could lead to a hyperextension injury in the knees, which happens when the knee is bent backward beyond its usual limit. ‘This could seriously injure the tendons inside of the knee,’ he said.
‘It’s important not to lock your legs when you’re doing a leg press. Otherwise, it could necessitate a major surgery.’
Dr Z pointed to leg presses and clean and jerks as dangerous moves
Preacher curls performed with a barbell were the most dangerous move, Dr Z said. He showed a video of a man snapping both biceps
The second exercise was a clean and jerk. This is a combination of two weightlifting movements done while holding a barbell.
During a clean, you lift the barbell from the floor to underneath your chin. The jerk is when you lift it straight above your head.
However, lifting more weight than you can handle could make you unstable and lose your balance. The excess weight can also lead to passing out.
‘If the weight is too heavy, it might just fall on the back of your neck, which could then lead to a spinal cord injury,’ Dr Z said.
Around two-thirds of people with a spinal cord injury will experience some form of paralysis as a result, studies show.
‘If you’re going to do a clean and jerk, please make sure you do it with proper form, and you do it only within your means.’
The most dangerous move Dr Z mentioned was a preacher curl.
A preacher curl involves sitting down and holding a barbell in both hands.
From there, you bend your elbow and lift the bar to your chin.
However, Dr Z warned that extending your arms too far could lead to serious injuries.
‘If you extend your elbows to a full range of motion with heavy dumbbells, you could very well tear your bicep tendons,’ he said.
‘Most often, it happens in one arm, but it can certainly happen at the same time in both arms.’
He then showed a clip of a man performing the move and snapping both biceps at the same time.
‘If it does happen, it could potentially necessitate a major reconstructive surgery,’ he said.
TikTok users expressed their fear after watching clips of the gymgoers injuring themselves.
One user said: ‘These videos had me gasping in real life.’
Another user wrote: ‘I was NOT ready for the leg videos at first.’
And one named Justified_comment said: ‘No more preacher curls for me. Ill pass [sic].’
