Most people who go to the gym have been injured at least once (myself included.)
Even professional athletes get injured all the time.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise – when your muscles, joints, and tendons are under constant stress, they might get pulled, strained, or even broken quite easily.
That’s why injury prevention is incredibly important among weight lifters.
However, many of them mistake thinking the best way to prevent injuries is to never lift heavy.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
You see, lifting heavy weights is not the problem; it can actually be beneficial to you.
That is, it can be beneficial if you do it right.
On the other hand, you can get seriously injured if you practice the so-called "ego lifting."
Ego lifting is when you only care about numbers and hitting your PRs.
Your form will surely get suffer because your body cannot handle significant weight without proper form.
And when your form is sloppy you WILL get injured, sooner or later.
So if you want to avoid injuries in the gym, don't shy away from heavy weights.
On the contrary, you should embrace them.
Heavy weights will do wonders for your muscle hypertrophy and strength and in turn, protect you from future injuries.
Just make sure you’re progressing slowly and maintaining good form.
Besides that, here are a some ways to prevent injuries so that you are able to enjoy weight lifting even as you get older.
1. Use the training pyramid
Warm-up sets exist for good reason.
They prime your nervous system and muscles for the load you’re about to place on them.
This is why going from lighter to heavier sets is crucial for injury prevention.
It might seem like a waste of time, but the classic training pyramid will not only reduce the risk of injury but also help you improve performance and maximize gains.
2. Eat well
Your body needs different nutrients to function properly.
Above all, it needs protein and amino acids for muscle synthesis, carbs for energy, calcium for bone health, and so on…
Without a proper diet, you’ll be weaker and more prone to injuries.
3. Leave time for recovery
A rule of thumb says that the heavier you lift, the longer you should recover from training.
Every time you lift heavy weights, your muscles are torn a little bit.
During the recovery process, our bodies repair these tears by synthesizing protein and building new muscle.
So if you want to get bigger and stronger, leave enough time for recovery.
This is how you prevent injuries and as a bonus, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in performance every time you hit the gym.
In any case, don’t be afraid to lift heavy.
You are capable of much more than you might imagine – you just need to take good care of you body!
Stay fit my friend,
Michael
Founder & CEO
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Oh!mino is a patented bodybuilding supplement used by Crossfitters, personal trainers, and other athletes for pre workouts (and post workouts) to optimize muscle growth. Oh!mino contains all nine Essential Amino Acids including the BCAAs (Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, and the semi-essential glycine). Oh!mino also features a balanced mix of electrolytes and adaptogens. New to our line-up is our Oh!mino Nitric Oxide Booster, a patented triple strength arginine complex featuring three forms of Arginine for enhanced blood flow, muscle volume, and pump.
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