Have you ever had an injury, surgery, any issue at all that forces you to stop activity for a while?
Most people would say yes, some may say no, and those people are the ‘lucky ones” we would say. Maybe they are lucky or just not putting themselves in situations that cause an injury.
And yes, there are some things that are out of our control, accidents, sports, genetic issues. In the out of our control instances there is just nothing we can do, I want to discuss the things that we can control. What things can be done to keep our body’s as far away from injury as possible?Anytime resistance training pops up as a viable option, the question arises about safety or preventing injury. For the most part, resistance training is very safe, and It can actually be the main driver that helps prevent injury by building strength and resiliency.
So how can we use It to steer clear of any injury? These are my top three things right here:
#1: Doing The Right Things, At The Right Time
We want to do things that will get us the results “as fast as possible” but we also need to make sure that the right things are being done so we can stay healthy. If we just push push and push until we break then consistency will drop off a cliff.
So, the right things:
For one, we have to find the right exercises for our body and goal. If you have a shoulder injury and barbell bench presses hurt your shoulder, maybe it’s time to find a new exercise.
Same thing goes for any other exercise or area on your body. Now I am not saying don’t push yourself on things like bench presses or squats but be smart about It, risk vs. reward. What will you get out of It that could be done with something else?
Things I like to limit for most people:
Barbell pressing
Barbell squatting
Barbell deadlifting
Certain overhead movements
Chin-ups/Pull-ups
Dips
Now you can ask anyone who trains with me, we don’t avoid these movements by any means, we use them when It makes sense. AND we monitor them more closely to make sure the movement looks, feels, and moves very well.
#2: Never Skip the Warm-up
The warm-up is just as important, if not more important than the actual workout. Now It’s not going to build muscle or burn body fat BUT It will prepare you to do the rest of the work optimally.
If you are not ready to do the workout that’s when problems can arise. This is also a time where I like to focus on problem areas. Whether It’s a prior injury, an area that tends to be vulnerable, or just tight spots we can target those areas and work to improve the movement.
As you gain more strength, mobility, and control the rest of your exercises will be moving and feeling better too.
How I structure a warm-up:
1.) Foam roll + release
2.) Mobilize
3.) Activate
4.) Prepare
Example:
1.) Roll out pecs + bottom of feet
2.) Bar hangs, shoulder rotations, 90-90 rotations
3.) Band pull aparts, SL toe touches
4.) Pogo hops, Push-ups
They don’t have to be long, they just need to be effective.
#3: Get STRONG
The best thing you can do to get and keep your body away from injury is make It hard to injure yourself. Get strong and make your body resilient to injury.
Strength is never a weakness.
Building strength has many different facets but for most of us, general overall strength is what we are looking for. If we were a professional baseball player things may have a different meaning.
We are just looking to build strength throughout our entire body, improve strength in different movements + ranges, and strengthen our weak areas.
When we bring up building up strength in different movements and ranges, I see this being missed a lot. So many of us stay in our comfort zone of what we know. But life is not always done in one direction or movement.
Moving sideways, backwards, rotating, leaning, rocking, lying down, everything has a place in your plan. Don’t neglect the things that you aren’t necessarily comfortable with, sometimes these things will have the biggest impact.
Take these three tips for what they are worth to you. Avoiding injury is a great goal to have!
In good health,
Jeff
