Certain exercises and training practices will break your body down over time,
pretty much regardless of how well executed they are. Here’s a list of 5 Things
You Should NEVER Do in the Gym, with references to the scientific literature to
back each one up. Be sure to read to the bottom so you don’t miss anything.
Which of these 5 things do you do/recommend?
1. Deep squats
Due to the excessive anterior translation of the knees past the toes
and the resulting high compressive and shear forces at the knee joint, deep
squatting greatly increases the risk of injury to the menisci and ACL
(Escamilla 2001), as well as development of arthritis (Hefzy et al. 1998). In
addition, squatting below parallel does not increase muscle activation
(Escamilla 2001). Finally, the deep squat position is rarely required
in the majority of sports, so its functional
benefits are minimal (Schoenfeld and Williams 2012). For these reasons,
deep squats should be avoided.
2. Deadlift
The deadlift exposes the spine to excessive loading. Due to the poor
mechanical advantage of the exercise, the muscles of the low back must produce
forces over ten times greater than the amount of weight being lifted (Harmon
2008). In powerlifters the compressive loads at the lumbar spine have been
shown to exceed 3,000 pounds (Cholewicki et al. 1991)! Consequently,
deadlifting can significantly increase the risk of bulging a disc (Gardner and Cole 1999) and should therefore be
avoided.
3. Low intensity cardio when attempting to build muscle
Studies show that muscle and strength gains can be diminished by as
much as 50% when cardio is programmed concurrently with resistance training
(Kraemer et al. 1995; Dolezal and Potteiger
1998). Thus, due to the antagonistic effects of endurance training and strength
training, it’s best to avoid training the cardiovascular system during phases
in which muscle hypertrophy is the primary goal. If endurance is essential to
sport, cardio should be performed at high intensity in order to avoid
decrements in hypertrophy (Wilson et al. 2012).
4. Lifting weights before puberty
Growth cartilage, or “pre-bone,” can be found at three main sites in
a growing child’s body: growth plates at the end of bones, articular cartilage,
and tendon-bone attachments. Due to the relative weakness of growth cartilage
compared to surrounding tissue, it is easily damaged (Micheli 2006). In fact, a
number of case studies have shown that heavy weight training is injurious to
this growth cartilage in children (Gums et al. 1982). Hence, resistance
training should be avoided before maturity.
5. Lifting heavy weights if your goal is to tone
The use of weights that are high percentages of a woman’s
one-repetition max have been shown to increase muscle cross-sectional area by as much
as 45% (Staron et al. 1990)! To avoid gaining excessive muscle mass, err on the
side of lighter weights and higher reps.
The Truth
Before
reading this post, you may have been under the impression that all of the above
gym exercises and practices were actually safe and effective.
You were
right.
Allow me to break down the arguments point-by-point:
1. Deep squats
The Schoenfeld and Williams paper from 2012 is actually a
point/counterpoint in which Schoenfeld takes the pro deep squat side and
concludes that deep squats are, in fact, a safe and effective exercise for
individuals with healthy knees.
2. Deadlift
It’s true that loading of the spine is high in heavy deadlifts, and
this is certainly a risk that elite powerlifters assume. However, tissue adapts
to the stresses imposed. Through use of proper form, sub-maximal loads, and
progressive overload, the risk of injury is reduced. Opting for a
kettlebell or hex bar over the traditional straight bar can further reduce spinal
loading.
3. Low intensity cardio when attempting to build muscle
From a practical standpoint — provided you don’t do an excessive
amount of it — low intensity cardio will not make you lose all your gains. But
what constitutes excessive? A meta-analysis by Wilson et al. in 2012 found the
threshold for “interference” to be >3 days and >20-30 minutes per bout.
In addition, moderate amounts of cardio can actually enhance between-set and
between-workout recovery, which will only augment one’s ability to build
muscle.
4. Lifting weights before puberty
There’s actually no evidence suggesting resistance training stunts
growth and maturation in preadolescents — and plenty of evidence that it doesn’t
(Falk and Eliakim 2003; Malina 2006). Reports of growth plate fractures are
most likely attributable to misuse of equipment, inappropriate loading
parameters, and improper form (Caine et al. 2006; Gums et al. 1982).
Of course, training for 18 hours per day is unwarranted and will stunt growth (Theintz et al. 1993).
But engaging in a sensible amount of sub-maximal resistance training and
learning proper technique under the supervision of a qualified coach is
perfectly safe and salubrious — even at an early age (Faigenbaum et al. 2009).
5. Lifting heavy weights if your goal is to tone
The vast majority of women who engage in resistance training will
not blow up to the size of the woman pictured above. It takes a rare combination
of genetics, drugs, and probably photoshop to look that big. In that 1990 study by Staron et al., although resistance training did result in increases in lean
body mass and cross-sectional area of the quadriceps, there was actually no
change in thigh girth due to an accompanying decrease in body fat (i.e. “toning!”).
In reality, women simply cannot become as muscular as men —
even if they lift heavy. In a study of male and female bodybuilders,
cross-sectional area of the biceps was 76% greater in the men than the woman
(Alway et al. 1992). Moreover, the latest research is showing commensurate
muscle hypertrophy with both high- and low-load training carried out to failure
(Schoenfeld et al. 2015). So that whole light-weight-high-rep-for-toning thing?
It’s pure myth. Women can and should lift heavy without the fear of getting bulky.
See What I Did There?
Perhaps you
see what I did there. I “cherry picked” from the literature. That
is, in the top section, I chose studies that directly supported the claims I was making.
For just about every scientific journal article that says one thing,
you can find another that says the opposite. For this reason — although it can
be exhausting — we must always consider the entire "body of evidence," not just a single
study, when attempting to determine the safety and efficacy of a particular
exercise or gym practice.
Read more about evidence-based training here: Evidence-based or Schmevidence-based.
Read more about evidence-based training here: Evidence-based or Schmevidence-based.
References
Escamilla RF. Knee Biomechanics of the
Dynamic Squat Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33(1): 127–141, 2001.
Hefzy MS, Kelly BP, and Cooke DV. Kinematics
of the knee joint in deep flexion: A radiographic assessment. Med Eng Phys
20(4): 302–307, 1998.
Schoenfeld B and Williams M. Are Deep Squats
a Safe and Viable Exercise? Strength Cond J 34(2): 34-36, 2012.
Harmon E. The Biomechanics of Resistance
Exercise. In: Essentials of Strength and Conditioning (3rd ed.). Baechle TR and
Earle RW, eds. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008.
Cholewicki J, McGill SM, and Norman RW.
Lumbar spine loads during the lifting of extremely heavy weights. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 23(1):1179-1186, 1991.
Gardner PJ and Cole D. The Stiff-Legged
Deadlift. Strength Cond J 21(5): 7-14, 1999.
Kraemer WJ, Patton JF, Gordon SE, Harman EA,
Deschenes MR, Reynolds K, Newton RU, Triplett NT, and Dziados JE. Compatibility
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Theintz GE, Howald H, Weiss U, and Sizonenko
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Always SE, Grumbt WH, Stray-Gunderson J, and
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[Epub ahead of print]
