Safety tips for resistance training – Be guided by your doctor or gym instructor, but general safety suggestions include:
Proper technique is essential. If you’re not sure whether you’re doing a particular exercise correctly, ask a registered fitness professional, gym instructor or exercise physiologist for help. Start slowly. If you’re just starting out, you may find that you’re able to lift only a few kilograms. That’s okay. Once your muscles, tendons and ligaments get used to weight training exercises, you may be surprised at how quickly you progress. Once you can easily do 12 repetitions with a particular weight, gradually increase the weight. Only use safe and well-maintained equipment. Faulty equipment will significantly increase your risk of injury. Don’t hold your breath. Breathe normally while lifting by exhaling during the exertion or harder phase and inhaling during the easier or relaxation phase. Control the weights at all times. Don’t throw them up and down or use momentum to ‘swing’ the weights through their range of motion. Maintain a strong form while lifting, as this will prevent injury through incorrect technique. Always lift weights within your own capabilities and slow down or stop if you feel the weight is out of control or too heavy. Use the full range of motion. It is important when lifting a weight that it travels through the full range of motion of the joint. This develops strength of the muscle at all points of the motion of the joint and decreases the chance of injury through over-stretching. Wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment such as gloves. Dress comfortably and practically (for example, wear clothes that do not restrict movement and allow you to sweat easily). Maintain correct posture and body positioning (form) to reduce the risk of injury at all times. Once you have finished a set, gently place the weights on the floor – don’t drop them. Otherwise, you could injure yourself or people nearby. Don’t train if you are over-tired or feeling ill. Don’t try to train through an injury. Stop your workout immediately and seek medical advice. Muscle needs time to repair and grow after a workout. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for at least 24 hours before working the same muscle group again.
Contents
- 1 Which is a safety consideration for weight training?
- 2 Does strength training increase injury risk?
- 3 How do you maintain strength?
- 4 What safety factor must be considered?
- 5 What should I do for strength training?
- 6 Is the Valsalva maneuver safe when lifting?
- 7 What will lifting weights safely before puberty do?
Which is a safety consideration for weight training?
Weight-Training and Weight-Lifting Safety Lifting weights can cause serious injury. You can lift weights more safely by following these basic guidelines. Find someone who can help you learn how to do the exercises correctly. Good technique is most important to avoid injury.
Some high school coaches or athletic trainers can help you. Most gyms have personal trainers who can teach you good training and lifting techniques. If a college is located in your town, the weight coach for the athletic teams may be able to give you advice or recommend a teacher. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (telephone: 719–632–6722; Web site: ) may also be able to recommend a qualified instructor in your area.
Advice from people who have never learned good technique themselves, such as parents, friends, or other weight lifters, may not be helpful. With your instructor’s help, decide on the goals of your weight-training program. These goals will depend on your age, your physical maturity, and the reason you are lifting weights.
- You need to consider which exercises you will use, how often you will do each exercise, what weight you will start with, and when you will increase this weight.
- Wait until your body has matured enough before you try the major lifts.
- The major lifts, performed with barbells, include the clean and jerk, the power clean, the snatch, the squat, the dead lift, and the bench, incline, and overhead presses.
These exercises are likely to cause injury if you lift heavy weights without proper technique and the help of spotters. The average age when the body is mature enough for these exercises is 15 years, but this age varies. Warm up and cool down for each session.
Do use spotters when you try the major lifts. A spotter is someone who can help you with the weight in case you cannot lift it. Do keep your back straight when lifting. Do use proper lifting technique when moving weights around the room. Do wear shoes with good traction. Do make sure the equipment you use is in good condition. Do follow all of your gym’s safety rules.
Don’t hyperventilate (breathe in and out fast) or hold your breath when you lift heavy weights. You may faint and lose control of the weights. Breathe out when you lift or press. Don’t continue lifting if you feel pain. Stop the painful exercise for a few days or try it with less weight. Put an ice pack on your body where the pain occurs for 20 minutes at a time, three or four times a day. Don’t lift weights if you are light-headed. Stop your workout and start again the next day. Don’t exercise any set of muscles more than three times a week. Don’t “cheat” on your technique to lift heavy weights. Don’t lift heavy weights without spotters. Don’t lift more than you know you can lift safely. Don’t lift barbells without putting safety clips on the bar. Without safety clips, the weight plates can slide off of the bar and land on the floor or on your feet.
What are the risks of strength training?
What are the most common weightlifting injuries? – Maybe you’ve heard a tale or two of a gruesome weightlifting injury involving broken bones — or worse. While these can be disastrous — even life-threatening — and precautions should be taken to avoid them, they aren’t the injuries that plague weightlifters the most.
Back strain Rotator cuff strain Biceps strain Patellar tendonitis
“There’s also the potential for a serious injury — a meniscus tear, patellar tendon tear and even Achilles tendon rupture, for example,” adds Dr. Braunreiter. The most common reasons for weightlifting injuries are:
Doing too much over time () Doing too much at one time (acute injury) Using improper form while lifting (overuse and acute injuries)
“When you’re applying too much tension across a specific muscle or tendon, whether at once or repetitively over time, the stress can lead to injury,” explains Dr. Braunreiter. An injury can also occur if you’re not applying tension correctly. This can happen during any weightlifting exercise, but Dr.
- Braunreiter says that some are more likely to lead to injury than others — particularly the big power lifts, such as squats, deadlifts and power cleans.
- With all-out strength, it’s critical to have the right form, load and ego — otherwise you’re really putting yourself at risk,” warns Dr.
- Braunreiter.
“For instance, squat lifting is a good compound movement, but it’s the perfect recipe for overloading your lower back if you’re taking on more weight than you can handle or using improper form.”
Which is a safety factor that a person should consider before exercising?
Exercise safety in cold weather – In cold weather, muscles are more susceptible to injuries. Safety suggestions include:
Wear appropriate warm clothing. Multiple layers of clothing trap more body heat than one bulky layer.Devote more time to warming up and stretching before exercising and make sure you do a thorough cool-down.Keep up your fluid intake, since cold weather prompts fluid loss.Don’t forget sun protection – it is possible to be sunburnt even in cold weather, especially at high altitudes or on clear days.
Is it safe to strength train everyday?
The Takeaway – It’s not necessary to lift weights every day, and if you do, you increase your risk for overuse injuries and overtraining syndrome. For most people, strength training two to three times a week is sufficient, but if you prefer to split training different muscle groups, then you can train up to five days a week.
Just remember to recover at least 48 hours between working muscle groups. You may be able to do bodyweight exercises, like yoga and Pilates, daily. These types of workouts create a great foundation for strength, proper form, and stability. But if you want to continue to challenge your muscles so they grow stronger (or bigger), then lifting weights is going to be your best bet because it provides the stimulus that your muscles need to repair and grow stronger.
That goes for improving your muscle flexibility, joint mobility, and balance, too. Resistance training checks all these boxes.
What is the hazard and risk of lifting?
Lifting, handling, or carrying objects at work can result in musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs), including sprains and strains and other injuries. The risk of injury increases when bending, twisting, heavy loads, and awkward postures are involved. Effective ergonomic controls can reduce the risk and prevent injuries.
- The risks
- Assessing the risks
- How to reduce the risks
- Resources
Does strength training increase injury risk?
General Strength Training Guidelines – The specific guidelines for strength training depend on your personal fitness goals as well as the sport you play. Consulting with sports medicine orthopedic associates is a good way to ensure your strength training program is appropriate for you.
In general, athletes should engage in strength training at least two to three times per week. You should focus on all major muscle groups without working the same muscle group two days in a row, which could increase your risk of injury. Getting an injury could derail your entire season or even permanently affect your level of play.
For amateur and elite athletes alike, strength training is an excellent way to decrease your injury risk. Visit our sports medicine orthopedic specialists today to see how we can help you bounce back from an injury or prevent a sports-related orthopedic problem.
What is safety in exercise?
Overview – Practicing exercise safety helps optimize the health benefits of a fitness routine. When planning an exercise program, it’s important to consider factors such as age and health history as well as personal strength and stamina. Before starting an exercise routine, especially a potentially strenuous one, be sure to consult a health care professional for approval and safety guidelines.
How do you maintain strength?
Strength Maintenance Phase: How To’s – The term maintenance indicates that you’re not trying to improve or increase your strength, but rather “maintain” your strength gains you’ve made. In reality, you will likely lose some of your strength. Maybe 10% or so compared to peak strength levels coming off last off-season build; but that’s relatively minimal compared to dropping strength training altogether.
For muscles to maintain strength, all that is required is to lift 80-90% of your 1RM of a specific set a few times every 4-8 days. This minimal amount of lifting will be just enough to activate the muscle recruitment to allow you maintain strength. Following our own specific Strength Training protocol of developing strength in the deadlift & back squat movements, we structure our Strength Maintenance Phase training sessions in a 1-2x per week schedule based on if/when you’re competing on a given week.
We have our athletes categorize the priority level of events/races as A, B, or C priority to organize their season, These categories of races indicate how fresh or close to a peak performance an athlete is and where the importance of weight lifting lies on a given week.
What safety factor must be considered?
A factor of safety is the load-carrying capacity of a system beyond what the system actually supports. Bridges, buildings, safety equipment, and fall protection all start with a factor of safety. Simply put, the safety factor is how much stronger a system is than required,
The factor of safety is the backbone of all structures and safety equipment and originates with engineers. In the planning phase of all structures and safety equipment, engineers determine the required overload from any object to remain safe in the event of an emergency. For reliability, structures are typically built stronger than necessary.
Strength Training Guidelines
This is in case a structure experiences a heavier-than-expected load. This is a factor of safety. Ultimately, the amount of stress and overload a structure can handle comes down to the material used to build it.
What should I do for strength training?
Do You Need Lots of Equipment? – 2 /14 Not at all. Pushups, pullups, and other “body weight exercises” can help build up your muscles and make it easier for you to work out longer. Simple props like elastic resistance tubing and giant inflatable balls can help with some movements. And don’t be afraid to switch it up. More variety may help you get stronger.
Is it safe to do strength training while sick?
Don’t exercise if your signs and symptoms are ‘below the neck,’ such as chest congestion, a hacking cough or upset stomach. Don’t exercise with people if you have COVID-19 or other contagious illnesses. Don’t exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.
Is the Valsalva maneuver safe when lifting?
– Valsalva maneuver lifting is a breathing technique used to get your bod ready to lift more and in good form. It’s pretty simple, you breathe in nice and deep (but not too deep), and you breathe out against your closed glottis, not your closed mouth.
What is equipment safety in gym?
Exercise Equipment Dangers by Nick Gromicko, CMI® Exercise equipment is inherently dangerous. Various types of home gym devices are typically large and have moving parts. Accidents, whether to adults who misuse the equipment or to children who gain unsupervised access, can be avoided through preventative measures. Physical Injury The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 8,700 children under 5 years of age and 16,500 children between the ages of 5 and 14 are injured by exercise equipment each year. Some of these injuries are burns. In fact, an Australian study found that treadmill friction injuries account for roughly 1% of all pediatric burns.
Never leave free weights, especially barbells, in an unstable position.Clip the treadmill safety key onto your clothing. Do not leave it dangling or wrapped around the handle. All treadmills come with safety clips that will turn the treadmill off if the runner falls. When the treadmill is not in use, keep the safety key out of reach of children, as it is required to activate the machine.Accelerate and decelerate gradually. It’s a good idea to start a treadmill on the lowest speed setting possible and then increase the rate gradually, as some treadmills can accelerate with surprising speed. When you’re finished exercising, lower the speed of the belt gradually and step carefully to the non-moving platforms at the sides of the machine. Discourage children’s access to gym equipment through the following measures:
Keep gym equipment in a room that has a door which can be locked.Position the equipment so that you have a clear view of your surroundings, and avoid distractions by music or television, especially when children may be present.
Keep folding machines stored and secured in the folded position.
Parents should keep home exercise equipment locked and unplugged so that children can’t activate the machines on their own. In 2009, the daughter of former professional boxer Mike Tyson was found accidentally strangled by the power cord of a home treadmill.
While it may be inconvenient to unplug an apparatus after every use, this practice can save children’s lives. Pathogens Germs are found in high numbers virtually everywhere in a gym, from the weightlifting bench to the sauna. Sweaty residue on workout equipment, particularly the machines often used by several people in quick succession, such as weights and exercise bikes, provide the moisture that encourages the spread of germs.
In a study published by Men’s Fitness Magazine, a quarter-sized site harbored 132 million bacteria, and the average site tested yielded 16 million. On the same area of a toilet seat, you can expect to find just 500 bacteria, according to the study. Pathogens found on gym equipment can lead to a number of ailments, ranging from minor skin infections, such as pimples, to life-threatening diseases, including meningitis, endocarditis and sepsis.
- Staphylococcus aureus is perhaps the most serious pathogen found in commercial gyms, as it is resistant to antibiotics.
- According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), it killed 18,000 people in 2005.
- Good hygiene is the best way to prevent the transmission of pathogens around exercise equipment, especially in commercial facilities.
Practice the following precautions when working out:
Wash your hands thoroughly before and after exercise. After touching weights and machine handrails, try your best to keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, ears and mouth until you can lather up.Wipe down the machines and communal yoga mats with disinfectant before and after use. Commercial gyms ordinarily disinfect equipment on a regular basis, but you should not rely on the competence of the staff. It’s also bad etiquette to make the next user swim through a pool of your sweat.Bring your own sweat towel, and use it. In fact, it’s better to bring two, as you can place one on machines and benches to protect yourself when you sit down, and use the other to periodically wipe down your body. Don’t trust the towels provided by the gyms, since they are not governed by the same stringent standards that hospitals are. Hospitals must adhere to strict regulations regarding the temperature at which towels must be laundered.Wash and sterilize your water bottle regularly.Don’t go barefoot in a gym shower or sauna. Human traffic, hot temperatures, moisture, and a lack of sunlight create a perfect environment for many bacteria. Wear flip-flops or water shoes to avoid athlete’s foot, ringworm, and other such communicable conditions. Shoes may also help you avoid slipping on wet tiles.Sit on a towel or wear shorts in the sauna to avoid direct contact with the seating, which may harbor bacteria.Cover any breaks in your skin with bandages. Even a minor scratch or raw skin can allow the entrance of Staphylococcus aureus, causing a serious staph infection.
In summary, gym equipment can cause injuries and conceal dangerous germs. Precautions should be taken to ensure that they are used safely. As always, consult your InterNACHI inspector if have any questions about safety in your home. : Exercise Equipment Dangers
What will lifting weights safely before puberty do?
Expect Changes with Puberty – Know that you will go through a growth spurt. You have not grown this much since you were a baby. Usually boys start their growth spurt about 2 years after puberty starts. When you are done going through puberty, you will be almost as tall as you will be when you are a grown up.
Maybe you are worried about how tall you are or how tall you will get. How tall you get depends a lot on how tall your mom and dad are. If they are tall, you are likely to be tall. If they are short, you will probably be short too. You will also start building some muscle. Again, you may be worried that other boys seem to be getting bigger faster.
But puberty happens for each boy on their own body schedule. You cannot rush it. Eat well, sleep well, and stay physically active to help you grow well. Some boys want to lift weights to build muscles. You will not be able to build muscle until you are in puberty.