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PAIN IN THE MASS Weight training isn't a picnic or a walk in the park; it's sweaty, enjoyable, hard work that, if done correctly, has you treading the thin line between growth and injury. If you train intensely - the only kind of training that stimulates growth - you continually flirt with muscle damage. Rubbing up against the danger zone is where the muscular gain lies.
Very often I see youngsters pushing weight beyond their control and capacity. I feel sad to see them torturing themselves to no ends without any significant gains, even after months and years of training. Almost any form of exercise will stimulate some degree of strength and muscle development. Unfortunately, misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings plague the fitness industry. There is a huge dropout rate among those starting a strength training program primarily because most people are not taught the principles essential for a safe and effective program.
The sources of information are various. They pick up the ideas from the muscle magazines or encyclopedia's that promise them 22 inches of arms and 54 inches of chest. They also pick up their training habits from some instructors who have accumulated their bookish knowledge and giving them their own interpretation. Or some hearsay tips from one of their colleagues.
They all want to be like the Mr. Universe titleholders. Instead, they should learn to be themselves. Accepting themselves as they are with their own unique individuality will give a better understanding and purpose of training. Here are the most common causes of injury - let the individual beware.
This section discusses very important principles and guidelines of a safe and effective weight-training program and as to understanding the causes of injury.INCORRECT TECHNIQUE
The most common weight training injuries are related to poor exercise technique. Incorrect technique can pull, rip or wrench a muscle, or tear delicate connective tissue quicker than you can say 'ouch'. An out of control barbell or stray dumbbell can wreak havoc in an instant.
Each human body has very specific biomechanical pathways. Arms and legs can only move in certain ways, particularly if you're stress loading a limb with weight. Strive to become a technical perfectionist and respect the integrity of the body as well as the exercise - no twisting, turning or contorting while pushing/pulling a weight. Either make the repetition using perfect technique or miss the weight. Learn how to miss a repetition safely; learn how to drop the ego out. Don't punish yourselves.
The tendency to use too much weight will result in poor form, which decreases your ability to get results, and increases the risk of injury.
Examples of poor form or technique are: using hip and back extension to initiate Bicep Curls; bouncing the bar off the chest in the Bench Press; arching the back or bending backward under Shoulder Presses; using any sort of momentum in any exercise; and training at fast speeds. These mistakes will not send the blood you need into your muscles and will work counter to your goals.
Be aware of these mistakes and eliminate them from your program.TOO MUCH WEIGHT
How heavy is heavy for the individual? Using too much weight in an exercise is a high-risk proposition of common occurrence with injury potential. How to know when it's too much? You know, if you can't control a weight as you lower it; if you can't contain a movement within its biomechanical boundaries; and if you have to jerk or heave a weight in order to lift it.
An unchecked barbell or dumbbell assumes a mind of its own; the weight obeys the laws of gravity and seeks the floor. Anything in its way (or attached to it) is in danger.
Somewhere down the line most people have the notion that to put on mass they have to keep adding heavy weights to their exercise, which they can't manage. Just because someone else is lifting more weights does not necessarily mean you have to do the same. This idea of more weight more gain is totally misunderstood.
I personally believe they are on an ego trip. Drop it! It is injurious (for both mind-body).
These suggestions are a few steps towards progress with minimal risk of injury during a weight training program. Further we shall try to understand few more aspects of the most common causes of injury during weight training program. Till then, enjoy your training. |
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