The Most Common Ways To Get Hurt in the Gym You go to the gym to look better, get stronger, feel h...
The Most Common Ways To Get Hurt in the Gym
You go to the gym to look better, get stronger, feel healthier or, at
the very least, check out the hot girls training in yoga pants. What you
don't want, however, is to walk in the gym fired up for a great session
and walk out hobbled from injury. Here's a list of the most common ways
to get hurt in the gym and what you can do to avoid them.
You're Not Using Good Technique.
Nothing is more likely to cause injury than using poor/bad form,
especially when dealing with the big, compound lifts such as squats,
deadlifts and presses. You're number one goal is to always strive for
perfect technique, which should be honed through using non-maximal
effort lifts. Once your reach technical failure (the ability to complete
the rep with perfect form) regardless of the scheduled rep range, end
the set. You are better off walking away from a set a few reps short of
expectations than not being able to walk away at all.
You're Lifting Too Much Weight
We're all for ‘going for it’ while training, but if you're using loads
that you just can’t handle, the chances are that your form will break
down and your risk of injury will go up. A good way to avoid this is to
choose loads that allow you to execute one or two more reps than your
target range. You can still progress and get stronger using this method
while keeping the risk of injury to a minimum or you can get a spotter.
Your Warm-Up Sucks
Too many people walk in the gym, load up the bar and get straight to
work. But as you start to develop strength and the weights start to
increase, warming up properly should be an essential part of your
training routine. Foam rolling or other myofascial release, dynamic
warm-up, activation drills and sub-maximal specific warm-ups should all
be used prior to your first work set. Your training session will be much
more effective and beneficial and your chances of pulling a cold muscle
will be eliminated.
You're Not Focused
While checking out the forementioned hot girl in the yoga pants,
checking out your cellphone or the top play on SportsCenter might be
part of the gym experience, these are certainly things that should not
be done while you are under the bar. Keep in mind that most sets only
last anywhere from 10 to 50 seconds. You’ll have plenty of time to talk
to your buddies about your fantasy football picks once the set is over.
For now, focus on making every rep a good rep.
You're Doing The Same Workouts
We get it. You love running on the treadmill. You like the sweat and the
stress-reducing effects it has after a long day, but repetitive
movements can lead to muscle imbalances which can lead to injuries. Make
sure you are incorporating a smart blend of strength training and
pre-hab exercises to keep all your muscles healthy and strong. And this
strategy is not just limited to runners. If you're getting carried away
with bench pressing, your softball league or even your yoga practice,
you may be at risk for overuse injuries.
You're Overdoing The Plyometrics
Plyometrics are simply defined as any exercise that uses the
stretch-shortening cycle, which is your muscles and tendons ability to
store and release energy. Plyo’s, such as box jumps, bounds, hops and
depth jumps have become increasingly popular recently due to their
inclusion in boot camps and other group exercise classes. What people
fail to realize is how demanding these types of movements are on your
structures. It’s critical to start with a limited amount of reps (known
as ‘contacts’) and build up as your connective tissue strength improves.
So if you're spending an entire hour jumping, bounding and hopping you
may be opening yourself up to injury.
