Bodybuilding Tips For A Safer Workout Routine
1) Warm-up. Some may consider the quaint notion of warming up as being little more than an extended clich. This is not completely accurate as even though warming up is oft repeated by many, it is repeated due to the extreme importance of warming up. When you rush into the gym and decide to crank out sets and reps, you will be making a huge mistake.
Performing a proper warm up raises the body's core temperature which aids in making the metabolism shift into gear while also "pre-lubricating" the joints in preparation for the upcoming workout. This allows the body to be ready to handle the weights.
A warm-up should consist of 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio work on a treadmill, stationary bike or other such device. Investing a little time with light stretching will also help prepare for the weights. It is also helpful to take the weights and perform 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Failure to stretch will make your muscle bellies shorten over time, making you less flexible. While it may seem like a minor aesthetic detail to get that slightly-hunched, gorilla-look, your muscles and joints become a lot more vulnerable.
If a supporting muscle stiffens or becomes shortened, it will start interfering with the normal groove of your exercises. Not a big deal at first, but over time you train increasingly "wrong" and put a lot of extra stress on joints, ligaments and unintended secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect over a couple of years can throw some serious curveballs at your bodybuilding efforts.
Stretching between sets flushes out lactic acid and byproducts while bringing in fresh nutrients, thus making your stronger for your next set. Finally, the post-stretching helps you recover faster between workouts. In a nutshell, you stretch slowly, without bouncing, for 30 seconds or more taking care not to inadvertently put undue stress on the joints.
3) Control. There is great temptation with loading up on heavy weights and cheat your way to the conclusion of a set. Controlled cheating is an intensity boosting technique many prominent bodybuilders advocate.
But, cheating should really only be performed at the end of a normal set in order to gain additional reps. Swaying or using momentum from the second rep on means you have selected too much weight and you can't workout effectively.
Another aspect of control to employ will center on avoiding any means of bouncing, jerking or partially moving through the sheer force of necessity. In other words, when you stop halfway down in the negative phase of a biceps curl due to being unable to handle the exercise you are using way too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Would you want to find yourself in such a scenario when performing an overhead press? Ab tension is a major key in making sure this exercise is performed safely. That is why so many people will work their abs as support to such heavy lifting.
5) Safety Precautions. You don't buckle up in your car because you expect to crash. You do it so just in case one occurs your injuries will be minimized. The gym works the same way.
Never jump right into the mix and start lifting weights without taking the steps needed to make sure your session remains safe. Performing a bench press without a spotter would be a common example of unsafe performance. Why risk injury when such risks are not necessary?
None of these five steps can be considered rocket-science but they do definitely decrease the chances for a serious injury from occurring. As such, following such steps remains highly recommended. - 17269
Performing a proper warm up raises the body's core temperature which aids in making the metabolism shift into gear while also "pre-lubricating" the joints in preparation for the upcoming workout. This allows the body to be ready to handle the weights.
A warm-up should consist of 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio work on a treadmill, stationary bike or other such device. Investing a little time with light stretching will also help prepare for the weights. It is also helpful to take the weights and perform 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Failure to stretch will make your muscle bellies shorten over time, making you less flexible. While it may seem like a minor aesthetic detail to get that slightly-hunched, gorilla-look, your muscles and joints become a lot more vulnerable.
If a supporting muscle stiffens or becomes shortened, it will start interfering with the normal groove of your exercises. Not a big deal at first, but over time you train increasingly "wrong" and put a lot of extra stress on joints, ligaments and unintended secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect over a couple of years can throw some serious curveballs at your bodybuilding efforts.
Stretching between sets flushes out lactic acid and byproducts while bringing in fresh nutrients, thus making your stronger for your next set. Finally, the post-stretching helps you recover faster between workouts. In a nutshell, you stretch slowly, without bouncing, for 30 seconds or more taking care not to inadvertently put undue stress on the joints.
3) Control. There is great temptation with loading up on heavy weights and cheat your way to the conclusion of a set. Controlled cheating is an intensity boosting technique many prominent bodybuilders advocate.
But, cheating should really only be performed at the end of a normal set in order to gain additional reps. Swaying or using momentum from the second rep on means you have selected too much weight and you can't workout effectively.
Another aspect of control to employ will center on avoiding any means of bouncing, jerking or partially moving through the sheer force of necessity. In other words, when you stop halfway down in the negative phase of a biceps curl due to being unable to handle the exercise you are using way too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Would you want to find yourself in such a scenario when performing an overhead press? Ab tension is a major key in making sure this exercise is performed safely. That is why so many people will work their abs as support to such heavy lifting.
5) Safety Precautions. You don't buckle up in your car because you expect to crash. You do it so just in case one occurs your injuries will be minimized. The gym works the same way.
Never jump right into the mix and start lifting weights without taking the steps needed to make sure your session remains safe. Performing a bench press without a spotter would be a common example of unsafe performance. Why risk injury when such risks are not necessary?
None of these five steps can be considered rocket-science but they do definitely decrease the chances for a serious injury from occurring. As such, following such steps remains highly recommended. - 17269
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