Injuries happen in life but they should never happen in the gym. I would be hypocrite if I told you they never happen in the gym because I have done some stupid things in the gym to set myself up for failure. However I have learned first hand from my own experiences and would never put a client in that situation.
Injuries usually happen because someone is over training, under recovering, lifting too heavy without enough rest, big egos or they are lifting incorrectly.
Here are some simple rules we use to prevent and decrease the risk of injuries in the gym.
We always say you can’t over train but you can under recover. Make sure you add plenty of recovery work into your program. Recovery work we suggest include massages, acupuncture, foam rolling, hot/cold showers, sleep and easy cardio.
Get a coach to set up a training plan. A good coach will tell you when to crank it and when to back off. I think one of the most important things a coach can do is tell you to take a day off. This can actually be harder and more imperative than going all out in a workout. A coach can also make sure you are lifting correctly, eating right and making the most out of your time.
Listen to your body and mind. If you are dreading going to work out, chances are you need a break. There is a fine line between being lazy and needing a rest. Learn the difference and apply it.
Mix in plenty of supportive and structural exercises. These can be included in your warm up, cool down or on recovery days. Some common areas on the body that get beat up and imbalanced include: hamstrings, hips, low back and shoulders. Use stiff leg deadlifts, RDL’s, good mornings, windmills, box squats, planks, overhead holds and Turkish-get- ups to keep you healthy. [add link to videos]
Find a good training partner that you’re not afraid to fail in front of. Too many times I see people cheating reps or range of motion because their ego is too big. Find a partner who will push you and hold you accountable. They should have no problem calling you out if it needs to be done.
Competition is fun in the gym and we all do it. If you are going to compete in the gym, make sure you are doing it in a safe way. Usually when I set up competition I use lightweights or machines that don’t put clients in a compromised position. I love using machines such as the airdyne, skierg and rower. It is damn near impossible to injure yourself on these machines, so they are perfect for relay races. One of my favorite formats we use in the gym is grouping an even number of people on a team and seeing how fast they can go 10,000 meters or 1000 calories. You will see people go all out when they don’t want to let their teammates down.
Make a detailed journal with your workouts, nutrition, recovery and stress. If you question what you are doing you can always refer back to your journal. It will show you patterns that will make your training and planning more effective.
Figure out the correct balance in your lifestyle, learn from your mistakes and more importantly don’t be afraid to take a rest day.
