Are These Exercises Really Dangerous? What You Should Know Before You Panic
Some exercises get labeled dangerous, but most of the time it’s not the movement — it’s how people perform them. Here’s what to know before you panic and avoid them altogether.
You might’ve seen my last post: what's the best workout split where I mentioned the behind-the-neck press (BTN). It’s one of those lifts that gets labeled dangerous, and depending on the person, that might be true. For others with good shoulder mobility and smart form, it’s perfectly fine.
But BTN isn’t alone. There’s a whole collection of exercises that get a bad reputation online, mostly because of viral fail videos, gym horror stories, or someone’s cousin’s friend’s neighbor who swears a certain machine “destroyed their rotator cuff.”
So the question is: Are these exercises actually dangerous… or are we blaming the movement instead of the mistakes?
Spoiler: Most exercises aren’t dangerous. Bad form is dangerous. Ego lifting is dangerous. Skipping warm-ups is dangerous.
Let’s break down a handful of common “dangerous” exercises and talk about what really goes wrong — and what you can do instead.
Behind-the-Neck Press (BTN)
This movement gets dragged through the mud more than any other shoulder exercise.
Why people fear it:
- It looks awkward
- Most people lack the shoulder mobility to do it safely
- Too many viral clips of lifters getting hurt
What actually goes wrong:
- Limited mobility
- Loading the bar too heavy
- Forcing a range of motion your shoulders can’t handle
- Poor bar path
Safer alternatives:
- Seated dumbbell press
- Arnold press
- Standard overhead press: seated or standing
BTN isn’t inherently dangerous — just unforgiving. If your shoulders aren’t ready, it’ll let you know.
Preacher Curl
There is no exercise with more dramatic injury videos than the preacher curl. Because of that, a lot of new lifters avoid it completely.
Why people fear it:
- Extreme stretch position
- Bicep tears seen online
- The pad locks your arms into place
What actually causes problems:
- Loading way too heavy
- Bouncing off the pad
- Using momentum instead of strength
- Losing tension at the bottom of the rep
Safer approach:
- Control the bottom half of the rep
- Use a weight you can actually handle
- Keep your ego outside the curl station
Preacher curls are fantastic — just don’t curl your bodyweight.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts get blamed for every back injury in existence… even though they’re one of the best posterior-chain exercises out there.
Why people fear them:
- “Deadlifts destroy your spine!”
- Someone’s uncle hurt his back in 1998
- They look intimidating
What actually goes wrong:
- Rounding the back
- Yanking the bar off the floor
- Going too heavy too soon
- Poor bracing
- No warm-up
Safer alternatives:
- Trap bar deadlifts
- Romanian deadlifts
- Block pulls
- Technique work with lighter weight
The deadlift isn’t dangerous — sloppy deadlifting is.
Smith Machine Squats
This exercise gets labeled dangerous because the bar path is fixed.
Why people worry:
- It forces a specific plane of motion
- Knees may travel differently than in a free squat
- People say it “ruins your joints”
What actually causes issues:
- Placing your feet too far forward or too far back
- Not adjusting stance for your biomechanics
- Going heavy before finding your ideal position
Safer variations or fixes:
- Free barbell squats
- Leg press
- Correct Smith stance for your build
For some people, Smith squats are actually safer. It all depends on your setup.
Upright Rows
This one is often labeled “shoulder impingement territory.”
Why it’s considered risky:
- Hands too close
- Pulling too high
- Jamming the shoulder joint
What actually goes wrong:
- Poor mobility
- Narrow grip
- Pulling the bar too high
- Heavy loading with bad mechanics
Safer variations:
- Lateral raises
- High pulls
- Cable Y-raises
- Wide-grip upright rows kept below shoulder height
The movement isn’t cursed — it just requires the right technique.
Final Thoughts
Exercises themselves aren’t dangerous. It’s the decisions we make around them.
Most "risky" movements become risky because of:
- bad form
- poor mobility
- too much weight
- skipping progressions
- copying something from social media without context
If an exercise bothers you, swap it. If something feels sketchy, replace it. And if you don’t have the mobility or strength yet, choose a safer variation until you do.
Pick movements that work for you, lift smart, recover well, and stay consistent.
Stay safe, stay fit.