Want to avoid injury in the gym?
I need a moment to vent.
(Not in an annoying way ... it's a vent I simply think may help shift your perspective a bit.)
It's about injuries. Specifically, the potential risk of getting injured while exercising.
I'll make it even more specific ... strength training.
When performing any type of resistance exercise we can pull, tweak, or get injured in a multitude of ways.
We can use improper techniques or bad form.
We can start off too aggressively, performing exercises that are above our pay grade (i.e. too advanced).
Or, we can simply load too much and put too much stress on joints and muscles (i.e. you're lifting too heavy).
Yes, these can all happen.
However, in my 25 years as a coach and dietitian, I find the reason we get injured while training has very little to do with what goes on in the gym.
"But my back hurts when I deadlift." Or, "I think I tweaked my knee when you had me squat last time."
Human nature makes us think there's one, and only one cause of the pain or injury.
We want to make it simple and be able to blame THE culprit.
Maybe, just maybe, it's NOT the single, "obvious" exercise that is performed one, or possibly two times, throughout the week that hurt the knee or back.
Try to look at things from a global perspective.
Could it be more than just the squat?
Or could the knee pain during the squat be the result of many other things happening throughout your week, and the squat (or any other exercise that's taking shade) is the straw that broke the camel's back?
A client may be running 15-20 miles per week without eating and sleeping well enough to properly recover.
Or, hitting the golf range and course three or four times per week torquing the knee over and over and over again.
Or, you have a desk job that keeps you in front of the computer for 8+ hours per day, you're grabbing takeout for dinner, drinking a max of 12 ounces of water per day then plopping down in front of the TV for another four to five hours, and getting an equal four to five hours asleep.
Rinse and repeat day in and day out.
And, the only exercise that may occur are the laps from the couch to the refrigerator.
"BUT IT'S THE SQUAT THAT HURT MY KNEE!"
Riiiiiight. My bad!
If you want to do your best to avoid injury, you have to take care of yourself in all aspects of your life.
This is NOT about ONE exercise.
It is about constantly preparing your body to be able to move in the manner you desire...without pain!
Eat and train with a purpose...Be well!
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT.
Jaime Rothermich
RD, CSSD, LD, PPSC*KB, CSCS
Functional Elements Training & Nutriiton
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