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Sports Injuries

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Weight Training-Five Things To Avoid Injury

Training with weights can cause injury if they are not used properly. There are precautions we need to take when we are training to avoid disaster and here are probably the five more important points to consider. It is important to always make sure the use of weights are taken seriously.

Great results for fitness and strength can be achieved with weight training and it would be a shame to get an injury through lack of concentration or lack of proper technique and preparation. So lets look at the five points to get right when using Weights.

Warm ups and Stretches

Warming up the muscles to be trained is important, a cold muscle is less flexible than a warm muscle. So getting those muscles warmed up for their weight training punishment is a must to protect them from pulling. We can warm up using a combination of the up and coming weight training exercises, but using very light weights with high reps at a faster rate than normal. So effectively we could do our whole workout twice, once as a warm up with light weights, high repetitions and then for real with the heavier weights and less repetitions. This way we know that we are going to warm up the exact muscles we are going to be using. Warm ups can be by way of an Exercise Bike, a Treadmill or even a Swim if you have access to a pool.

When it comes to stretches, after the warm ups the blood is flowing well through our muscles and they are ripe for stretching and stretching does exactly what is says to the muscle. Stretch those muscles and get them relaxed ready for the workout ahead, you can even do this between different exercises to help keep those muscles loose.

Always perform stretches at the end of a workout, not only to bring the body down from its high intensity workout known as a cool down or warm down but also to end the workout with those muscles being loose and pliable which can decrease the chance of muscle soreness the day after a hard workout.

Technique

This is so important, an injury can happen so easily with poor technique. It can be quite easy to pull a muscle when turning quickly and it has even happened when people have sneezed in the past, so imagine what can happen if when resistance is added through a heavy weight. Learn the technique properly at the beginning of your weight training career, it is best to learn the right technique without weights first and then only with light weights until you are sure you are performing it the correct way.

The heaviest weights we lift during a Workout is the squat and bench press. Incorrectly lift and end up twisting during a squat and your back can be the victim and a back injury is not a funny business. The same goes for the bench press, the victim laying beneath that heavy weight is the chest and neck, it doesn't bear thinking about. But the right technique goes for all exercises.

To Heavy

This goes hand in hand with the technique. There is no need to load on the weight and then not be able to lift it correctly, what is the point you are only going to compromise you technique. You will find them in every gym, the ones that try to look good by packing on the weight, the bicep curl is the classic when someone tries to curl double the weight they are capable of and then all that happens is they look totally demented rocking backwards and forwards like a rocking horse. They are using their back and shoulders to lift a weight that the bicep should be lifting. This is not going to do their backs any favours.

Only ever use weight that the particular muscle that you are targeting can cope with using the right form and technique. Don't risk injury and look ridiculous by impersonating a rocking man, but look out for them there is always one in every gym.

Over Training

There is the tendency to train more than we need to, Weight Training believe it or not can become addictive especially if we have achieved some results. We want to push on and get some more results. Some people end up training everyday, this is crazy the body needs to rest and rest it must if we want those results to carry on. Training to much can fatigue the body to the point where injury is going to be inevitable.

Don't train the same body parts two days running and definitely not every day of the week, for muscles to grow they need to rest between workouts. Try training the upper body on a Monday and then the lower body on a Tuesday, take Wednesday as a rest day and then Thursday repeat Monday and Friday repeat Tuesday. Rest over the weekend unless you fancy a good walk, but no weights. This is only an example but you can adapt it to suit your lifestyle, but don't fall into the trap of over training, you will put a halt to your results.

Diet

This may not seem like it connects with injury, but it works in a similar way to over training. If you are working out several times a week with heavy weights you are going to need to give your body the right amount of fuel to deal with this pressure, if you don't put fuel in your car it will come to a stop well the same goes for your body. Our muscles need nutrition for them to keep lifting those weights. If you are depleting your body of the fuel it needs then the muscles will become weak and unable to lift the weights you want them to and through a lack of concentration due to exhaustion injury can be on the horizon. Eat right for the energy needed to train hard.

You could have just taken my word for it and I could have said; before you workout with weights warm up and stretch properly, make sure your technique is correct, don't lift weights that are to heavy, don't train to much and make sure you are eating properly and then you will lower the risk of any injury. But it is always good to get an explanation.

The main point is to train safely and enjoy your training and build your dream body.

Always consult your Doctor before starting a new exercise program.