Workouts That WRECK Your Joints (I Wish I Knew This Sooner)

Click here to try 2 weeks free of a customized fitness plan personalized to you and your body: https://bws.plus/_b Most people make common gym mistakes that quietly wreck their joints — and often lead to joint pain, from shoulder pain to deadlift pain (especially in the lower back). But they’re easily avoidable. Instead of just copying the big guys in the gym or online, the real fix is actually understanding YOUR own anatomy. After years of researching movement science and working as a Kinesiologist, I found 5 simple tweaks that instantly fix those workout mistakes and ease joint pain — and more importantly, save you from bigger problems down the road. Click below to subscribe for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/jeremyethier/?sub_confirmation=1 Now, the first fix for your joint pain you need to make is to start using a form that matches your anatomy. It’s not talked about enough, but your individual bone length, joint mobility, and even the shape of your sockets change what “proper” form looks like for you. So experiment with simple adjustments. If you lean forward when you squat, try elevating your heels onto plates. Now this will hit more of the quads rather than the glutes, but you might also feel less low back strain, less joint pain, and just a smoother squat overall. But also play around with your squat stance. Then for deadlifts, let’s say you have trouble getting into position and struggle with deadlift pain, that’s where I’d try elevating the bottom position or using sumo instead. This applies to machines, too, where you’ll want to adjust the setup to better suit your anatomy. Everyone blames a weak rotator cuff when shoulder pain shows up. But you can’t ignore your bigger mid-back muscles like the traps and rhomboids. If they’re weak, your shoulder joint wobbles with every press or pull — and that instability is a fast track to joint pain. To make matters worse, most of us sit all day with our shoulders pitched forward, making it tough to activate these muscles. So how can you fix it? Two things: learn how to properly engage your back muscles. And sprinkle in some “prehab” exercises to further strengthen these areas, as well as the rotator cuff. After every upper‑body session, I finish with 3 sets of face pulls or prone arm circles. Then, every morning and anytime I step away from the desk, I’ll lean on the wall and bang out 10 wall slides to keep things strong. Now, while these changes will make a massive difference in your back strength and shoulder health, you don’t want to make the next mistake, which has to do with your grip. Most people don’t know this, but your arms have what’s called a natural “carrying angle.” Anytime you do an exercise where both of your hands are locked onto a bar, handle, or even a machine, you’re forcing both sides to follow the same fixed path. Plus, even though elbows angle in or out, your wrists can’t rotate to match. Tendons, ligaments, and muscles pull on each other, which means that strain in your wrists can eventually lead to strain in your elbows and even your shoulders. And when this goes on long enough, it can absolutely turn into joint pain. Now, the fix for one of the most unknown gym mistakes isn’t to eliminate these exercises altogether. Instead, it’s this: For each muscle group, work in at least one exercise that lets your hands and elbows rotate. E.g., Dumbbell presses for chest and shoulders. But now that you’ve fixed your workouts, it’s crucial you avoid the next mistake if you don't want joint pain — which has to do with how you’re progressing them over time. Fourth of our workout mistakes causing joint pain: not being smart with progression. Pushing too soon and making little compromises with your form just to lift that extra weight adds up, and can lead to an immediate injury, or a slow‑burn strain that shows up months later. And often, that strain is disguised as joint pain that never seems to go away. So if a PR isn’t there, don’t force it. If your body isn’t ready for more weight, just aim to do 1–2 more reps. Or, try to match the same reps as last time but with better form or less effort. The farther you advance in the gym, the slower your progress, and your programming needs to reflect that. But you also need to pay attention to your body along the way… If your elbow whispers “that doesn’t feel so great,” don’t reply with “suck it up.” Lift lighter for higher reps or just switch it up. In fact, every 8–12 weeks, take a look at your plan. Are there any exercises you feel are starting to wear you out? Your joints need a break from doing the same movement over and over again, so consider changing things up to avoid joint pain. Even minor changes can help with joint pain, and you can always go right back to your favorite exercise after giving your joints a breath of fresh air. These small adjustments can prevent recurring joint pain and keep your body training longer and stronger.