This post was inspired by my trip to the gym yesterday when I saw a guy who was guilty of this mistake. I could see him wincing as he was doing lateral dumbbell raises with his arms locked straight out to his sides. It’s a brief tip, but it’s very important and it’s applicable to a variety of exercises.

Any time you are doing upper body exercises that involve moving your arms without flexing at the elbows (as in biceps curls or triceps extensions), you want to keep a slight bend at the elbows anyways. In other words, do not lock your arms straight out. Doing so places unnecessary strain on your joints and can cause injury as well as unwanted pain. By having a slight flex in your elbow joints, you spread out the stress of the weight throughout your arm and will be able to perform the exercise properly. This advice applies to several exercises, including: lateral dumbbell raises, front dumbbell raises, bench flys, and cable crossovers.