Here is all the information you need to know to stay injury free!
And if you dont want to read, you can just check out this video!
Your health should always be your number 1 priority.
So lets go over the most important tips, that will help you to stay away from injuries.
Loading a barbell
When you are putting the 45 lbs plates on the bar, you should set up the bar like this, and then put the first plate on this side.
When you set up the bar unevenly like this, its basically impossible for it to fall over, because the side of the bar that overhangs, is balancing out the plate on the other side.
Spotters & Safety pins
Spotters in the beginning are always looked at as “the safety guards”, that will protect you from any possible danger, but thats not really the case.
Lets use the squat as an example.
Imagine that you are squatting 400 lbs, and you ask someone for a spot.
Do you think, that when you will not be able to finish the rep, and the bar starts falling, that the spotter will be able to grab a falling bar that weighs 400 lbs?
No, obviously not.
In a last couple of years, there has been a lot of people who have passed away, just because of this.
Having a spotter is cool, but you also need the safety pins, thats why they are there.
Safety pins are the only thing, that will protect you from the heavy bar falling directly on your neck.
Use them, they are a lifesaver.
Ego lifting
I know that most of you know this, but i had to include it anyway.
And thats for a good reason, because a lot of injuries, come from people just trying to show off.
And if you get injured like this, then you are just a victim of your own stupidity, there is nothing more to say, im sorry!
If you slowly progressively overload, you will never get injured by egolifting, because you are always in the control of the weight.
Proper technique
This one is also pretty obvious.
At least for some of the people out there, lol.
I always preach that you should start with the basic exercises, and learn their proper technique, before doing anything else.
So you should be already working on this, if you still didnt do so.
Not only its great for preventing injuries, but its also the foundation of bodybuilding, that will guarantee your future success.
Warm up - dont stretch
What is equally as important as knowing the proper technique, is to warm up before your workout.
But dont get it twisted, warming up doesnt mean static stretching for 20 minutes before your workout.
Warming up should quite literally be just all about getting your whole body warm, so you dont feel so stiff.
It should not be an extensive stretching session, because that is gonna do you more harm than good.
Because if you have your „stretching session“ before your workout, you will make yourself weaker, just because when the muscle is stretched out, it cant produce as much force as before.
You will also be more likely to get injured, because once again, your muscles are all loosey goosey because of all the stretching.
If you want to do an extensive stretching session, then do it after your workout, not before.
Wear shoes
If something falls on your toe, or you accidentaly stub your toe on some equipment, its going to be really bad.
But wearing shoes is gonna make this way less problematic, than if you were just in your socks.
It might not seem like that big of a difference, if a plate falls on your toe, with or without the shoe, but it actually is.
Yes, your toe is going to be hurt either way, but wearing shoes can reduce that damage by a lot, even if it might not appear that way at the first glance.
Pay attention
The gym is not a place to be daydreaming, there is so much that can go wrong, if you are not paying attention.
Imagine, that you are not paying attention, and you forget to put on the clips on your barbell on something like the overhead press.
Then you start the set, and something goes wrong by just a little bit, and suddenly all the plates are falling everywhere, and your shoulder is probably getting absolutely massacred in the process.
And thats all because you were just not mentally present in the gym, isntead you were daydreaming, scrolling on social media, or doing whatever else to distract yourself.
And thats not the only thing that can go wrong, if you are not paying attention.
Imagine that you are doing the bench press, and you forget to put equal amount of plates on each side..and you dont notice it!..
And dont forget, you are not the only one in the gym, so you also have to pay attention to what is happening around you.
Because you could not only hurt yourself, but also someone else.
Which arguably might feel even worse.
Pain vs Muscle burn
You have to learn to distinguish between the „muscle burn“ and an actual pain.
Because the difference between the two, is absolutely giantic.
Getting to the point, where you feel „the burn“ is obviously good.
But some people, especially novices, are often mistaking „the burn“ with actual pain.
You know, the saying „no pain no gain“ doesnt actually reference the actual pain, but „the burn“ that you are experiencing.
You should not be experiencing any actual pain when you exercise.
And if you are experiencing some kind of pain, its a singal from your body that something is wrong.
Dont be oblivious to what your body is trying to tell you.
Listen to your body
You have to listen to your body, that is my number 1 advice, and not only for injury prevention, but also for everything else that is connected to bodybuilding and healthy lifestyle.
Dont ignore the signals that your body is giving you, because there is always a good reason behind it.
If there is something in your routine, that causes you some problems, then dont wait - make a change!
Do you have troubles with the barbell bench press for example?
Well, then try the dumbbell bench press, or the smith machine bench press..
There is so many variations of the same exercise, and they are all just waiting for you to discover them!