There are many weight-bearing exercises that have benefits for you and your fitness. There are some heavy exercises that can cause serious problems if not executed correctly. Although I’m not one to avoid an exercise because it can be performed poorly, I do believe that there are better alternatives to those exercises. Isolation type exercises can cause problems and have no functional purpose. Doing leg extensions and leg curls seem like great leg exercises, but you can do better with back squats or dead lifts. Compound movements, such as lunges with bicep curls, are much better than these isolated exercise movements. But, I would avoid these two back exercises because they can cause serious back injuries. There are much better alternatives.

The first exercise I would avoid is the weighted good morning exercise. This is done by placing a bar on your back (as if you were going to do a squat). Then, with both legs straight, you lean forward and return to the starting position. Perhaps, it is a better exercise without weights on the back, but this exercise can cause serious back injuries. The late Bruce Lee strained his back while he was doing some of these good morning exercises with weights. I’ve always wondered why it’s called a good morning exercise. You have to make sure you keep your core tight or you will injure yourself. Back rows and deadlifts are a much better alternative. If you need to work your lower back more, try hyperextensions (inverted contractions) either on the floor or using one of those hyperextension benches. But you’ll get a lot of back development doing the deadlifts and back rows.

Another exercise that I would avoid is weighted side bends. This is done by holding dumbbells overhead and then leaning to the sides. Personally, I strained my back a lot doing this exercise. I made a huge mistake in not tightening my core enough when doing this lift. It hits your core stabilizing muscles, but if you make a mistake, you’re going to hurt yourself badly. Try doing one-arm barbell presses. They hit the stabilizing muscles of your core. Make sure you keep your core tight. This is not the time to relax them by doing these exercises.

Using dumbbells in the good morning exercise and side bends are dangerous if not performed correctly. The key is to keep your core tense and not relaxed. But, as I mentioned, there are better alternatives in the deadlift, back row, and one-arm barbell press. Always keep safety in mind to avoid injury.