10 Biggest WORKOUT FAILS (Dangerous!!) – ATHLEAN-X™

by YouTube Team

Stop wasting time making mistakes in your workouts (fail this way instead!)

Workout fail videos are always some of the most watched on youtube. Probably has something to do with the fact that they are pretty damn funny! What isn’t funny is the fact that the most common workout fails are the ones that never get put in a compilation video. These are the exercise mistakes that are made every single day in the gym and affect way more than just one random person.

In this workout fail compilation video I go over what I feel are the true fails when it comes to working out. These are the common errors made in each muscle group that hold guys back from getting the best results from their hard work.

We cover what I feel are the ten biggest workout fails…

1. The chin up reach – thinking that you are getting your body up to the bar and actually getting it there are two completely different things, and your back knows it! Stop reaching with your chin and actually use your lats to pull you all the way up to the bar.

2. The Traps Trap – substituting traps for medial deltoid is one of the biggest shoulder workout fails you can make. Stop doing it by leaning to the same side as the weight during the lateral raise.

3. The triceps extension is one of the most “failed” exercises. People tend to keep their upper arm too upright at the end of the movement which takes away all of the tension on the triceps. Keep your upper arm angled back more to keep the stress where it needs to be, and get bigger triceps because of it.

4. Most have seen the guy who drops the weights off the end of the bar when bench pressing, but what I think is worse is the guy that arches his back in an effort to shorten the distance for the bar to travel. Not necessary. Don’t lower the bar so much and you’ll not only save your back but your shoulders as well.

5. Biceps curls are the most common gym workout fail exercise. People just swing way too much. I for one don’t think that swinging much in the beginning is that bad, but doing it at the end of the rep is. See how to fix it with the wall curl variation.

6. The hanging leg raise is named wrong. It should be the hanging pelvis curl since that is the only way to really target your abs. This ab workout fail will hold you back from seeing a six pack fast.

7. Cervical crunches are torture on your neck! It’s worse than lots of the typical gym fail exercises that have the bar come crashing down on the guy in the squat rack because the person doing it rarely knows that they’re doing damage.

8. The RDL lends itself to some common back workout fails. To prevent this, be sure that you’re not leaning too far forward at the waist and instead hinge at your hips to keep your back safe, and the hamstrings doing the work.

9. The biggest workout fail for the shoulders is forgetting to work the anterior deltoids specifically (they don’t get enough work indirectly despite what you’ve been told). Second, cheating the way up is a recipe for disaster. Instead, lighten the weights you’re lifting and do this right or you’ll wind up getting hurt.

10. Finally, the back squat fail is quite common. I think, instead of crashing under the bar that doing the exercise without enough hip flexion is more serious. Fix this fail by sitting back and down, with equal parts hip and knee flexion.

As you can see, workout fails don’t always have to be dramatic or even funny. In fact, they can be very serious if done over time since you’ll not only wind up getting hurt but you’ll never get the results you were looking for. Stop failing the wrong way and start training to failure the right way. Head to to get the ATHLEAN-X Training System

For other workout fail prevention tips and videos on nutrition and supplementation, be sure to subscribe to our channel on youtube at

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38 comments

S I July 12, 2019 - 4:17 pm

Who’s watching this in 3019?

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KB July 28, 2019 - 8:21 pm

"The road to nowhere treadmill" 😂😂😂 That's why I never run on the treadmill

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RACE A.T August 9, 2019 - 3:39 pm

Keep up the good work love your channel 👍.

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Karbow August 11, 2019 - 2:24 pm

he said top 10 gym fails and showed us a mirror

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jackson green September 3, 2019 - 8:22 am

Nobody:
YouTube algorithm: athlean x ten biggest fails

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Anthony Dunn September 6, 2019 - 11:45 am

4:25 yes and no. Arching can put stress on your lower spine but only if your ass doesn't touch the bench. Same with no arch. Either way it's a no rep. I arch and I have no back pain, I had pain when no arching tho. Also when doing pause bench you have to pause.

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Artem Kukushkin September 6, 2019 - 4:43 pm

Can’t believe you didn’t hurt yourself by acting out bad forms. My back was in pain just watching you.

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C L September 14, 2019 - 7:24 am

I only saw no1 and this is without a fail the best idea for a video, those who understand it will go places

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Bruno Corrêa November 3, 2019 - 7:11 am

I like these list videos you did in the past. Good job!

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Kelly Kizer November 10, 2019 - 1:22 pm

My rule of thumb for any kind of cheating is the last three reps on the last set of what ever exercise your doing any cheating before that the weights to heavy that's if your going to cheat at all. And its done just to push past failure but that's it.

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Barry Allen December 17, 2019 - 4:20 pm

I was shocked about the bench press

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Xiaofei Wei January 16, 2020 - 8:28 am

This video is a goldmine and criminally underappreciated at its time.

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Jayas Sharma January 16, 2020 - 3:28 pm

Can we just appreciate that 2020 jeff looks even more ripped?

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Make Wavez February 19, 2020 - 8:20 pm

If you are thinking to start lifting you should spend a week just watching Jeff’s videos first. No joke.

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Knx February 21, 2020 - 2:12 pm

Holy shit looking back it's weird, jeff is lean here but he's so damn lean now that this looks like him bulked up lol

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KOS Listed March 2, 2020 - 6:36 am

231 clicked dislike because they commit work out fails on a daily basis and the thumbnail gives them Gym PTSD.

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Akash Soni March 3, 2020 - 5:50 pm

I have a crush on u

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kendalleve March 4, 2020 - 8:01 pm

I already had noticed by myself a difference in sensation when I was getting accustomed to the exercise and was performing the triceps « extinctions » and then proper triceps extensions. I stuck with the « extinctions » because I could lift more weights but deep down I knew something was wrong. So I now know the proper execution…all for more gains ! Thanks 😉

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_Sky_ March 4, 2020 - 9:45 pm

Why the fuck have I not seen this video before?!?

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Sunny Tian March 5, 2020 - 12:57 am

dang i just realized i've dissed the front delts for a long ass time

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Robert Della Serra March 5, 2020 - 3:56 pm

Excuse me a second so your saying that the best bench pressers in the world have it all wrong not sure i agree.

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Jean Vieira March 5, 2020 - 4:53 pm

Great information as always.

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Ronald RT Leslie March 6, 2020 - 4:23 pm

What are your thoughts on using machines for fitness beginners?

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Gary Cook March 8, 2020 - 5:23 pm

Love the humor but truth

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Peter Vamvakaris March 12, 2020 - 12:11 pm

I like the fact that Jeff looks dressed even when topless

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DavyDave1313 March 16, 2020 - 11:20 am

Whoa. Is Jeff rocking a stache? the 2014s were wild lol

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MrDantesmonkey April 7, 2020 - 7:48 am Reply
Soul of an Unknown Soldier April 10, 2020 - 10:11 pm

Great video, much love brother 👊🏼💪🏼

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TK April 16, 2020 - 5:00 pm

Best coach in the world

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Paulo Rebelo April 28, 2020 - 10:32 pm

3:34 – Could you use a declined bench as well? (For the triceps)

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Chucky Cheese June 17, 2020 - 10:27 pm

Oh how the comments on these videos have changed

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Chucky Cheese June 17, 2020 - 10:46 pm

NUMBER 11: YOU MUST WORK OUT WITH TOASTERS

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Ilius Black September 4, 2020 - 5:51 pm

Спасибо

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OneTwo3 September 24, 2020 - 4:37 pm

youre a complete moron jeff

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ruchir rawat January 23, 2021 - 4:25 am

i was doing all but the deadlifts the right way. i'm blessed to have found this video before breaking my spine lol

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Mike's Viking Fitness March 13, 2021 - 3:21 am

Old Jeff, "dont arch in bench" new Jeff "arch in bench is better for you" ….. wtf Jeff which video do I listen too???

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WesEmC August 12, 2021 - 8:35 pm

Where is he? Is this his first gym? I've only been watching since Jesse existed in their big red gym

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SUM TING WONG August 20, 2021 - 8:45 pm

Great video, but in the average gym, there probably aren't 10% of lifters who could actually do a pull up, wrong or right.

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