Thinking about getting in shape for Summer? You may be a little behind the curve but starting anytime is better than not so here are some exercises you shouldn’t do because it may hurt you progress and possibly injure you.

According to Yahoo you should not use the leg curl machine, stop doing box jumps and if you do kettlebell swings, don't go any higher than chest level. According to a personal trainer, here are the five exercises you should stop doing and the reasons why.

  1. Don't use the leg curl machine.  It puts too much pressure on your knees, and can also hurt your lower back.  You're better off just doing squats.
  2. Stop doing box jumps.  That's the one where you hop on top of a wooden box, and back down.  Most people get hurt jumping OFF the box, because landing puts a lot of stress on your knees, feet, ankles, and lower back.
  3. Don't run on a flat treadmill.  It's not a great workout, because the momentum pulls your feet forward.  But you can also end up running faster than your body's used to, which is hard on your knees.  So set the incline at 2% to simulate flat ground.
  4. Don’t wear a weightlifting belt.  You don't need one unless you're doing major, Olympic-style powerlifting.  Plus your back and core don't get as good of a workout.  Instead, just flex your abs to activate your core during things like squats and deadlifts.
  5. Don't do overhead kettlebell swings.  You can still use kettlebells, just don't swing them any higher than chest level, or you can hurt your neck and lower back.

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