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Bob & Brad - 15 Common Exercises You Should NEVER Do.

Thumbnail of the video “Bob & Brad - 15 Common Exercises You Should NEVER Do.”
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Author: Bob & Brad
Categories: Fitness
Tags: fitness
Views: 1 · Last viewed: 2026-10-13 11:24 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: avoid these 15 common exercises because they place excessive stress on the spine, shoulders, knees, or ankles, and safer alternatives exist for the same muscle groups. The speakers, physical therapists Bob Shrum and Brad, argue that these movements raise injury risk, especially with age, and that the presenters' view is based on their clinical experience.

Key Points

  • The 15 exercises the video says to never do are: (1) windmills, (2) full sit-ups, (3) V-sits, (4) tricep dips off a bench, (5) running on the same side of the road, (6) upright rows, (7) weighted chest work with a barbell or dumbbells, (8) loaded side bends, (9) behind-the-neck press-ups, (10) wide-based push-ups, (11) landing jumps with knees caving in, (12) the quad extension machine, (13) medicine ball or kettlebell twists with back flexion, and the video's remaining items are the ones covered in the segments above.
  • Spinal flexion combined with twisting (windmills, V-sits, twisted ball work) and unilateral loading (loaded side bends) are described as the main back-injury risks.
  • Shoulder-related exercises (tricep dips at end range, upright rows, behind-the-neck press, wide-based push-ups) are described as provoking impingement through internal rotation or end-range positions.
  • Knee and ankle risks come from the quad extension machine's patellar stress, knees caving inward on landing, and running on one side of the road's camber.
  • The presenters say the mechanical problem with weight machines and barbells is that resistance acts only downward, so chest and lat work against gravity is not achieved as they describe.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: Avoid windmills, full sit-ups, V-sits, and twisting ball work. For abdominal work, use supported sit-ups (feet anchored under a bench or held by a partner) or other core exercises. For triceps, use better alternatives than bench dips. For shoulders, avoid upright rows, behind-the-neck presses, and wide-based push-ups; keep arms closer to the body and avoid internal rotation of the shoulder under load. For jumping and squatting, keep knees lined up with the feet on landing so they do not cave inward. For runners, alternate sides of the road (or reverse direction on a track) to balance camber stress; the presenter says a patient's plantar fasciitis resolved within days after switching sides. Use good judgment about traffic safety when choosing routes.
  • The presenters cite a study that measured disc pressure with a needle in the spine, showing high pressure during full sit-ups.
  • Supported sit-ups also work hip flexors such as the rectus femoris, according to the presenter.
  • The presenters say the medicine ball or kettlebell twist combines spinal flexion and rotation, which they describe as a high-risk combination.
  • The presenters say they draw on about 700 years of combined experience working with patients, and they acknowledge some viewers may disagree.

Bottom Line

The video frames these exercises as higher-risk choices, with the core message being that protecting the spine and joints matters more than the appeal of these movements, especially as people age.