How To Avoid Common Weight Training Injuries

The muscles of the back seem to be taken for granted. We think that since it holds us up all day, it must be a pretty sturdy muscle right? Well yes it is, but only to a certain extent. The muscles of the back are able to hold us up for extended periods of time because of asynchronous recruitment of motor units. This means that while one group of back muscles are working on keeping us upright, another group of these muscles are resting. The muscles can switch off back and forth which allows us to be able to stand and maintain our posture without feeling like we are working our back out. When we switch to an unnatural position though, as when we are working out, we lose this asynchronous system because all of the muscles have to be recruited to allow us to maintain the position. In order to prevent back injuries, make sure to keep your form correct, be aware of the positions of your muscles as you perform reps. Your back should be as flat as possible at all times. You can also alleviate the work that your back has to do by using other muscles to help. By squeezing your lower abs, you can help keep your back straight as well as reduce the work that your back has to do. In order to ensure that your back is straight and that your form is correct, make sure to do your workouts in front of a mirror and check your form periodically. The next part of the body that will be discussed is the knee. The knee functions as a hinge joint so when you think about its range of motion, picture a door opening and closing. The door can open and close just fine, but when you attempt to move it in another direction, it won’t really move or you could damage your door. This same principle applies to the knee. The knee is basically meant to perform flexion and extension, lateral motion is what causes damage. In order to prevent injury to the knee, ensure that you are performing workouts that require a 90 degree or greater bend correctly. Your knee should go over your toes every time. If you have an imbalance in muscle development between the inner versus outer thigh, make sure to correct as soon as possible or the position of your knee can be altered which will make it easier for you to incur knee injury. I will end this discussion with the ways you can avoid elbow or shoulder injury. The elbow, like the knee, is a hinge joint. Therefore, when working out, you should ensure that you are moving the elbow back and forward instead of side to side. The shoulder, on the other hand, is a ball-and-socket joint. It has a wide range of motion but because of the way the humerus fits loosely into the “socket” of the scapula, there is a risk of dislocation. The cooperative effect of the elbow and shoulder, allow for a wide range of movement. The elbow has a limited movement but because of its connection to the shoulder through the humerus, there is a significantly increased range of motion, but injury can still occur. In order to avoid injuries to the elbow or shoulder when performing exercises you should ensure that you don’t use more weight that you can reasonably move. You don’t want too much pressure to be put on your shoulder, causing it to move too far in any specific direction which could lead to a dislocation. In conclusion, to avoid injury of the back, perform exercises with a straight back. Injuries of the knee can be prevented by ensuring that your knees go straight over your toes when performing exercises that require a 90 degree or more bend of the knee. With regard to the elbow or shoulder don’t perform exercises that could cause a sudden force to move the shoulder farther than its normal range of motion. Performing exercises in the mirror or watching the movements of your muscles while you are working out will help this.