I've heard several people say that, a behind the back Lat pulldown can result in injury. Is this an okay exercise to do or not? I would say half of the people I've asked say it's okay, and the other half say it's bad to do. In my experience, any exercise done improperly can result in injury, but is this behind the back movement really risky?

I will appease my colleagues in the health profession by stating that the behind the neck lat pulldown exercise is a higher risk exercise for most people. But this is only because most people don't exercise frequently enough and subsequently elicit muscle imbalances, strength deficiencies, and range of motion concerns (political correctness intended!).

You hit the nail on the head when you said that any exercise done improperly could result in an injury. The best example of this is the bench press, which everyone seems to do (including myself!) with an almost mystical reverence to its strength and size enhancing qualities. It's a great exercise but it can blow a shoulder out just as quickly as anything else when done incorrectly!

The statement, “Any exercise done improperly could result in an injury” should be followed by the statement, "Any exercise done correctly could result in positive development." I say this because I believe that every exercise ever developed has its place. This includes what many "fitness experts" have designated as the "bad" or contraindicated exercises. This list seems to grow every year! It includes not only behind the neck lat pulldowns but also upright rows, military presses, deep squats, straight leg deadlifts, good mornings, straight leg raises, neck flexion and extension, dips, the hurdler stretch, etc.

Now, it is true that you will not find most of these exercises in specific Fitrex workout categories like the General Fitness Programs. But, you will find just about all of them in the Sports Specific Programs! The most important thing to remember about exercise selection is that it’s more about the individual and their particular goals and fitness levels than it is about a specific exercise.

This is the exact reason why we made Fitrex the way it is. I initially set up and write a program based on what I feel are the best exercises to develop the specific goals connotated in the program title. But, I am not naive enough to think that my particular exercise prescription will fit everybody at all times. So, I have allowed each individual to exchange exercises on their own particular program.

How do you know if an exercise is good for your particular needs and physical status? It’s as simple as this statement, “if an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable to you, don’t do it!” However, if you continue to exercise consistently and perform your exercises with proper technique you will find that very few exercises will be problematic for you.