Tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can have life-altering effects. That’s because even after reconstructive surgery, the ligament may not regain its previous strength and function. However, tearing the ACL in both knees could have devastating consequences. That’s what the fitness community thought about when one gymgoer’s mistake resulted in a simultaneous tear.

A video of an unidentified individual doing a risky exercise surfaced online. The exercise looked core-focused but risky because the knees acted as a fulcrum. They were locked in place while the fitness enthusiast lowered his entire body back, maintaining core strength. The exercise looked exactly like the opposite of the Nordic curl.

The Nordic curl stresses the hamstring, glutes, and core. Meanwhile, the exercise that the gymoger engaged in, trains the core, glutes, and quads. On top of that, the exercise seemed far riskier than the Nordic curl because the hamstring bears the brunt of the force. As risky as it looked, the individual also grabbed a black bumper plate to increase the difficulty.

In the video, one could see how he successfully leaned backward, keeping the torso straight. However, at the point where the force on his knees was the highest, disaster struck. The man’s knees twitched, and he immediately collapsed backward on the floor. The weight landed on him and bounced off the floor. However, when he tried to pick himself up, he couldn’t. The fitness enthusiast then grabbed his knees.

Although the video ended at that point, it was clear as day that he had torn the ACL in both knees. The horrifying gym fail stunned the fitness community, who doubted the man’s decision to make an already dangerous movement even more dangerous.

Fitness enthusiasts showed no empathy

The fitness community had no empathy because they felt the man tried to ego-lift. “Very good workout. He warmed up his ACL by tearing it,” wrote one sarcastic netizen. Another Instagram echoed a similar sentiment. “10 reps of dislocation,” he wrote. “Bro, what would have been the gain out of that workout tho?” asked one Instagram user, hinting at the fact that the exercise was in fact one that had too much risk, with less rewards.

“It looked like it was meant to tear ligaments,” added the man. “He took that forever life-altering event pretty well. Hardcore,” commented another fitness enthusiast. Meanwhile, another individual explained how the man in the video increased his chances of injury. “Improper workout, the back of his legs was poorly supported, inducing further strain,” he wrote.

While the fitness enthusiast suffered an unfortunate injury, most people in the comments thought he should’ve known it wouldn’t end well. What are your thoughts about this attempt? Let us know in the comments below.