1. Abdominal hernia

Hernias occur when a part of an organ or tissue pushes through a weekend part of the abdominal wall. Limit your risk by doing abdominal exercises, such as crunches, to build a stronger, more stable core. Deano has suffered with a double hernia in the past so he’s added some additional comments about this below. Problem exercises: Any heavy lifting, deadlifts or squats.

2. Tendonitis

Most commonly caused by overuse, tendonitis is a painful inflammation that can affect any joint. Knees and the achilles tendons tend to bear the brunt of this injury.If you feel any pain, stop immediately and treat with ice to reduce swelling. Problem exercises: Treadmill running.

3. Rotator cuff pain

The rotator cuff is made-up of 4 muscles, which stabilise the shoulders. Going heavy in the gym too soon will only force you out of it. Problem exercises: Shoulder press and lateral raises.

4. Pain in the neck

Problem exercises: Lat pull-downs behind the head. This is one of my favourite exercises on the machine and I have suffered from bad necks in the past. Now I just make sure my neck is stretched correctly before I start and I up the weight accordingly throughout my sets. Alternatively you can just bring the bar down in front of you level with your chest.

Stay fit and healthy folks,