Lifts You’d Skip or Change to Keep Your Joints Healthy

[AntLewis]

I’m all about pushing heavy weight, but I also want to stay pain-free as I get older. For those who’ve been training for a while, are there any exercises you’ve cut out or swapped to protect your shoulders, knees or lower back? Curious what movements people avoid lifting for decades without wrecking their joints.

[Christopher White]

Flat barbell bench beat up my shoulders. Dumbbells feel way smoother.

[Matthew Allen]

Behind-the-neck presses were fine when I was younger, but now they just click and grind. Landmine presses are my go-to.

[AntLewis]

Yeah, I’ve heard barbell bench is a shoulder killer. I do love the movement, but I might have to lean on dumbbells more.

[Mky88]

I don’t barbell back squat anymore. Safety bar + split squats let me train hard without wrecking my knees.

[Dona-h90]

Skull crushers wrecked my elbows. Switched to close-grip bench instead.

[Paulk23]

Traditional deads fried my lower back. Trap bar + RDLs give me the same stimulus without pain.

[AntLewis]

Trap bar deadlifts keep coming up. I’ve never really used one consistently, but it might be time to give it a serious try.

[Andyxx66]

Incline barbell bench = shoulder pain. Dumbbells only now.

[Maxr4677]

Olympic lifts never sat right with me. Just stick to pulls and rows less risk, same payoff.