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MORE PAIN IN THE MASS
Earlier, 'the most common causes of injury', was discussed. It was about 'Incorrect technique' and 'Too much weight'. We continue our journey towards making 'weight training' an enjoyable process.
Please understand that an increase in repetitions is an increase in strength. Many people think strength gains are only obtained when they increase the weight. But if you have increased the number of repetitions you can do with good form, you have increased your strength and more than likely, your muscle size and tone as well.
Once the initial steps of good form and right weight are applied in the training program, you are on your way. But on the path treaded there are other pitfalls. As the individual makes progress in strength training, the desire to push a little more is inevitable. That's a good attitude. But, care and alertness has still got to be a priority.
The individual needs that extra support/push from his/her training partner, mentally as well as physically. It is essential that the spotter is experienced in handling weights. As the name explains itself, in essence the spotter is the one who only spots. My personal opinion is that it is only a beginner who needs to be spotted and guided through an exercise. At an intermediate or advanced levels the spotter must have minimal interference in the process of exercise.
BAD SPOTTING
If you have been weight training long enough, you'll eventually reach a point where you need not have a spotter for a number of exercises, including the squat and bench press. When you work as hard as you're supposed to, you occasionally miss a repetition (rep). Nothing is wrong with that - it's a sign that you're working to your limit, which is a good thing if it isn't overdone. I strongly recommend that a trainee must load only that much weight which he/she can handle. Yet when you work this hard, you may need competent spotters. To give you minimal push to overcome your sticking point, with good form.
Many times I have observed the spotters yelling 'PUSH, PUSH', when the person doing the exercise is all red in the face, stopped his breath and contorted his body totally out of alignment. Very often I have observed the spotter lifting more than half the weight. It appears that both are doing the exercise, and it's difficult to make out who's actually exercising.
A good spotter is the person who can be trusted totally. The spotter is the one who is aware of your weaknesses and strengths. A good spotter should conduct him or her self at all times as though the lifter is on the verge of total failure. Your training partner can also lend a gentle touch that allows you to complete a rep you'd normally miss. A good spotter needs to be strong, sensitive and ever alert to the possibility of failure - not looking around or joking with friends.
INCORRECT USE OF CHEATING & FORCED REPS Cheating and forced reps are advanced techniques that allow the lifter to train beyond normal. Taken past the point of failure, the muscle is literally forced to grow. When incorrectly performed, a cheating or forced rep can push or pull the lifter out of the alignment. The weight collapses and a spotter must come to the rescue.
Cheating movements' work; real world data prove this statement. Yet cheating, by definition, is dangerous. Any time you use momentum to artificially enhance repetition speed, thus allowing you to handle more kilos than when using strict techniques, you risk injury.
To play it safe, use the bare minimum cheat to complete the rep. On forced reps, make sure your training partner is on your wavelength. Don't go crazy.
Injury is always just round the corner for the careless weight trainer. There's something inherently dangerous about pushing, pulling and straining against cold, hard iron with all your might. But how else are you going to stimulate those gains? Because the quickest ways to sidetrack progress or derail a weight-training program is through injury. You need to have a bit of insight and awareness, learning to avoid injuries before they happen. You can accomplish this by listening to your body's feedback and then making the appropriate adjustments.
Above-mentioned suggestions are a few more steps towards progress with minimal risk of injury during a weight-training program. In the third part of the series we shall try to understand few more aspects of the most common causes of injury during weight training program.
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