Nothing interferes with good intentions to exercise as much as injury. When you injure your muscles, tendons, bones you can be down and out for many months. If you are going to perform weight lifting exercises, it is better to know the most common injuries that you can sustain and how to prevent them.
1. Knee Cap Injury
The patella tendon just below the kneecap, is often injured during a workout. There are various ways to prevent this injury.
a) Keep the middle of the knee in line with the second toe during all squats, lunges, step-ups etc.
b) Target the glutes during your workout in order to decrease stress to the knee.
2. Hamstring Pulls and Tears
This sharp shooting pain in the back of the thigh is usually caused by stretching the muscle beyond its capacity or by sudden weights. To prevent this injury:
a) Before your workout make sure you perform warmup exercises thoroughly.
b) Stretch your hamstring regularly to keep it flexible and strengthen it with deadlift and other exercises.
c) Strengthen the glutes since they help to support the hamstrings when you perform your sports.
3) Tennis Elbow (Lateral Elbow Tendonitis)
This injury is caused by overuse due to over-grip. It is characterized by an ache on the outside of the elbow when you bend and stretch your arm. To prevent this injury, keep your forearm muscles flexible by including crawling and pushups in your exercises. Also start your workout with heavy gripping exercises.
4. Shoulder Injury
This injury is caused by too many reps on dumbbell curls, overhead presses and other loaded exercises of the upper body. To prevent injury, make sure that your machine is optimally set up and that you find your optimal position before you start any movement.
These are just four out of many injuries that assail weight lifters all the time. Prevention is the best way to go.
1. Knee Cap Injury
The patella tendon just below the kneecap, is often injured during a workout. There are various ways to prevent this injury.
a) Keep the middle of the knee in line with the second toe during all squats, lunges, step-ups etc.
b) Target the glutes during your workout in order to decrease stress to the knee.
2. Hamstring Pulls and Tears
This sharp shooting pain in the back of the thigh is usually caused by stretching the muscle beyond its capacity or by sudden weights. To prevent this injury:
a) Before your workout make sure you perform warmup exercises thoroughly.
b) Stretch your hamstring regularly to keep it flexible and strengthen it with deadlift and other exercises.
c) Strengthen the glutes since they help to support the hamstrings when you perform your sports.
3) Tennis Elbow (Lateral Elbow Tendonitis)
This injury is caused by overuse due to over-grip. It is characterized by an ache on the outside of the elbow when you bend and stretch your arm. To prevent this injury, keep your forearm muscles flexible by including crawling and pushups in your exercises. Also start your workout with heavy gripping exercises.
4. Shoulder Injury
This injury is caused by too many reps on dumbbell curls, overhead presses and other loaded exercises of the upper body. To prevent injury, make sure that your machine is optimally set up and that you find your optimal position before you start any movement.
These are just four out of many injuries that assail weight lifters all the time. Prevention is the best way to go.
