July 23rd, 2010
Obviously you want to be able to build muscle, but it’s important to build muscle safely. One bad injury (or even a minor one) can set you back for months. All it takes is one forgetful moment, so make sure you focus on this religiously.
Many of the traumatic incidents you see in a gym can be avoided by taking the proper precautions. We recommend following the guidelines we’ve listed below so you can build muscle safely.
1) Barbell collars are more important than you think. Anytime before lifting make sure these are secure. You have to understand that one side can end up being heavier then the other, simply because the collar is loose. This ends up giving you a higher risk of having a weight disc slip off. Once the heavy side takes over, the barbell can swing through the air and cause serious damage.
2) Always use a spotter. Yes, it’s understandable that we all take pride in our workouts, but we shouldn’t risk injury. Even though you feel there won’t be any problems, keeps a person watching over you “Just in case.” It’s possible you can have an off day and end up struggling. You definitely don’t want to be weighted down by a heavy barbell, or be the butt of jokes around the gym.
3) If you’re sick, take a day off from the gym. To be honest you won’t have a good workout like you would if you were healthy. If you do go, you could end up losing 3 or 4 days because your sickness got worse. You have to remember that working out will actually lower your immune system, which will affect your illness. So steer clear of the gym, you’ll be happier if you do.
4) Correct technique is always important. If you try to do too much with your sets or Weight Lifting exercises, it’s possible that serious injury can occur. Even if you don’t get hurt, you won’t be focusing in on the targeted muscle, and your results won’t be anywhere near where you want them.
5) Try to stick to your weight lifting program. Do not over do it. Most new weight lifters try and gain huge muscles all in one workout, but that is the worst thing you can do. This is not going to happen overnight so you need to make sure that you keep steady and do not do more than your body can handle.
6) Utilize the right diet. While working out is a big piece of the puzzle, there are other aspects that make everything happen. When you have the right eating habits, your body will absorb the nutrients. However, if you head to McDonald’s then your body will absorb all kinds of bad elements. In order to support muscle growth you want to eat more and high quality nutritional meals.
7) Showing off is a big no-no. If you’re lifting too much weight or competing with friends it’s great for motivation, but it can also end in disaster. Just stick with trying to beat your own personal scores. Keep track of what you do each day and figure out what you need to do tomorrow in order to be better. It will be enough motivation and it will reduce the risk of injury.
Adequately warm up. If you fail to do your muscle are more likely to snap and give-way. This can keep you out of action for weeks or possibly even months. It is very easy to do, 5-10 minutes aerobic work, a few stretching exercises and then a few warm up sets will be enough.
With those above guidelines in mind and with correct muscle building nutrition there is no reason why you should not workout to build muscle happily and safely where ever you train.