While the benefits of weightlifting outweigh the risks, and getting instruction from a competent trainer should enable you to avoid injury or strain, weightlifting is not without risk. It is possible to hurt muscles by overworking them or working them incorrectly. The area of great concern is the back, because back injuries are difficult to heal, and problems in the back can affect many other areas of the body. Fortunately, knowledge of correct weightlifting technique can almost guarantee you will avoid any back pain at all, let alone back injury.
Stress fractures
The most common back injuries associated with weightlifting are stress fractures. Weightlifting stresses muscles, tendons and ligaments – this is how it works. Problems occur when you put too much stress on these areas. Listening to your body is the first step in preventing stress fractures: your muscles should feel challenged by a good workout, but you should not experience pain. A simple rule: if it hurts, stop. You are most susceptible to back injuries if you already have back issues, but perfectly healthy people can hurt their backs if they ignore pain, the body’s warning signal.
How to avoid injury
- By listening to your body, you can determine your limitations. Limit your sets, reps and the amount of weight you lift to what you can handle. By avoiding injury, you’ll progress much faster than you will be pushing yourself and needing to rest a muscle group for as much as several weeks.
- If your back is already weak in some way, search out exercises designed for people with weak backs to help strengthen your back. Some of these may be stomach exercises, as working the abdomen or back tends to affect the muscles of the other. If you have back problems, talk to a sports medicine doctor for the very best advice. You may also benefit from physical therapy, which can both heal and strengthen weakened muscles.
- Gym weight machines may be safer than free weights because they almost force you to lift in the proper manner. However, you can still injure yourself by using them incorrectly. No equipment replacing good instruction from someone who knows what they’re talking about.
- If you’re already injured, a lifting belt can help brace your back against further injury.
- Avoid squats, deadlifts, clean and jerks. Those are the exercises most likely to result in back injury.
Filed in Strength Training
Updated: July 22, 2010
Copyright: April 15, 2010
