One exercise I personally think many newer lifters should be very cautious with is the behind-the-neck shoulder press.
Years ago, it was much more common in bodybuilding routines, and some people still swear by it. But over time, I’ve seen too many lifters force themselves into positions their shoulders simply are not built to handle safely.
The problem is that the exercise demands a combination of shoulder mobility, stability, posture, and control that many people honestly do not have, especially beginners sitting at desks all day with tight shoulders and poor thoracic mobility already.
Once heavy weight gets involved, the position can place a lot of stress on the shoulders and rotator cuff very quickly.
I also think many people perform the movement incorrectly without realizing it. They force the bar too low, arch excessively, lose shoulder positioning, and turn the exercise into something much riskier than it needs to be.
For me, the bigger question is always this: What are you gaining from the exercise that cannot be achieved more safely another way?
There are already many excellent shoulder exercises available. Dumbbell presses, machine presses, lateral raises, cable work, and more controlled pressing variations can build impressive shoulders without putting the joints into awkward positions repeatedly.
That does not mean nobody should ever do behind-the-neck presses. Some experienced lifters with exceptional mobility and years of training may tolerate them perfectly fine.
But I think newer lifters often assume an exercise must be good simply because they saw advanced bodybuilders doing it online somewhere.
Experience changes exercise selection a lot.
As people train longer, they usually stop chasing exercises that only look hardcore and start paying much more attention to longevity, recovery, joint health, and staying able to train consistently for years without unnecessary injuries.