Many people wonder how dangerous is Olympic weightlifting exercise considering it involves lifting heavy weights. There are common injuries that weightlifters experiences.
Injuries might arise due to equipment problems, but sometimes, it’s because a trainer has poor technique. As a weightlifter, it is essential that you work with an experienced trainer so that you get your movement patterns right.
Mastering your technique as a weightlifter and using appropriate clothing for your workout sessions can protect you from many injuries.
Remembering that you are not invisible, taking care of your body helps you avoid many injuries. Weightlifting is an active sport that is popular across the globe.
There are many competitions held each year where weightlifters get to show their skills. Read below about injury sources and tips on how you can protect yourself from them.
Sources of Injuries and How to Mitigate Them:
Protect yourself from Equipment related injury
Having a sloppy workout platform opens you up to many injuries. You are at risk of suffering ankle injuries if you workout on an uneven surface. Athletes, as well as coaches, need to ensure that the platform they carry out workout sessions is uniform.
Regularly monitoring workout platforms helps you identify irregularities and taking care of them before it causes injuries to weightlifters and trainers alike.
The bars need to be frequently examined because a bar with poor rotation can potentially cause joint strains. Oiling the bushings ensures that your cardio-carpal joints are not injured during a workout.
Ensure you check the bar before using it because even a gentle bend can be detrimental to your body.
The clothing you wear as you workout, especially the shoes, matter. Because your feet hold up the weight, you need to wear shoes with the appropriate sole. Your shoes should not have a separate heel; one-piece rubber sole is the best.
Resine should be rubbed on the rubber sole to enhance grip as you workout through different movements and positions. Avoiding shoes with abrupt heels saves you from hurting your ankle joints.
This preventative is important to remember every time you are purchasing new workout shoes.
Even though the sleeves of the bar need to be properly oiled, the collar also needs to be locked securely before attempting to use the bar. The plates could easily slide off, especially when the bar is properly oiled, and this could lead to unbalanced loading.
How to Protect the Body from a Routine Exercise injury
• Back Pains
Many weightlifters suffer from low-back pain due to the heavyweights they have to lift. It is possible to decrease back pains by sticking to the right regime and mastering the right movements. When you master your technique as a weightlifter, you can protect yourself from many injuries.
Normally, heavyweights squeeze the intervertebral disc causing lower-back pains. The squeezing leads to deformation of the vertebrae and straining of ligaments.
As a weightlifter, you can hardly avoid backloading, mainly because the aim is to be able to lift much heavier weights. As a weightlifter who participates in competitions, being able to lift heavy weights broadens your technique and what you can showcase.
One way of reducing strain your body experiences is to split up your squats workouts. Speeding squat workouts throughout the day reduce backloading, making you less susceptible to low-back pains. It is not entirely necessary to accomplish multiple sets of workouts in one session; overworking when it comes to weightlifting can adversely affect your body.
• Shoulder Problems
Apart from low-back pains, weightlifters also suffer from shoulder girdle pain. As a lifter, the shoulders are always at work, feeling the weight with every loading. A preventative you can implement is working on your flexibility. Without flexibility, you can easily fracture your bones.
Adequately warming up before lifting weights helps get your shoulders ready to take the load. Ensure you don’t rush through the warm-up because inadequately warming up is the same as not warming out at all. Abruptly lifting weights is not advisable, also ensure you work your way to heavier weights gradually so that your body gets used to it.
• Knee Problems
The patellar of your knee can be greatly affected if you don’t adequately warm up before a workout session. Mastering the right movements is essential for weightlifters. Bouncing out of a squat position the wrong way can easily stretch your ligaments. Ensure you work with an experienced trainer and focus on getting the bouncing back movement right.
The difference between having a healthy knee and one with patellar tendinitis is mastering the right movements and practicing them so that you don’t fall back. Always warm-up before your squat workouts for a smooth workout session.
• Neck Vertebrae
Sometimes, the bar can roll from your shoulders to your neck and result in the guillotine effect. Abrupt back contractions can hurt your necks. This problem is common with heavy weights. Consider using a towel for padding when you are lifting. Having a safety square bar as you lift heavy weights gives you complete control over the barbell through all phases of your workout.
Protecting yourself by doing proper Warm-Ups and Workout Sets
A good warm-up goes a long way in preventing injuries. Before a workout session or a competition, ensure you go through the whole warm-up regime to prepare your body for the routine.
Shortchanging yourself on the warm-up ends up hurting you in the long run. Ensure you get your blood flowing so that your brain is ready for the movements and positions in your routine.
Working out stretches out muscles, tendons, as well as ligaments so that they don’t end up strained. Abruptly beginning a workout leads to a muscle pull and strained ligaments. Technical preparedness as a lifter is very key for all workout regimes.
Being underprepared can lead to contentions, bone fractures, dislocations, and even muscle strain. Take big gulps of hair before lifting weights to supply your body with enough oxygen to go through a movement.
Missing a movement as you lift is also dangerous. Learning how to miss a movement safely is a key concept when you want to become a weightlifter. Ensure your trainer teaches you how to safely miss a movement even before you get into lifting weights.
Ensure you don’t overwork yourself as a weightlifter, even though the aim is to achieve lifting heavier weights. Gradual progress helps your body adapt so that you don’t fracture bones or suffer contusions.
Working out beyond your recovery abilities can lead to chronic injuries which are not easy to heal from. As you unload during your workout sessions, you eventually adapt to higher loads.
Weightlifter, especially those who have been in the business for quite sometime normally have calcium deposits in the small of their backs. To decompress, a weightlifter needs to do forward bends with squats.
Decompressing the spine can also be done with overhead presses as well as flat and incline benches. Unloading the spine helps you release the calcium deposits trapped in the small of your back.
Protect yourself from Injury during Competitions
Weightlifting is an interesting sport, and every lifter needs to take care of their body adequately. Eliminating any chances of injuries enables you to advance levels and become an elite weightlifter. You’d rather recover from a workout session than from an injury. Overworking as a weightlifter strains your body beyond what it can recover.
There have been cases of weightlifters suffering from partial or full paralysis depending on the severity of injuries. Weightlifters are not invincible, and even experienced weightlifters can suffer severe injuries.
Injuries happen in all sports activities due to one issue or another. Even the most prepared weightlifters can accidentally slip through their motion and hurt their body. Research shows that the most common injuries are strains and tendinitis.
Acute injuries are infrequent because weightlifters who compete are usually very prepared. Overworking is the main reason weightlifters who compete suffer minor injuries. Competition is generally stiff, and there is the pressure of performing.
Take up Insurance cover
As a competing weightlifter, you need to have insurance coverage. Even with maximum preparedness, there is no telling what will happen during the competition or training.
Having medical cover gives you access to immediate health care in case of any injuries so that you can quickly bounce back. Guaranteed healthcare and rehabilitation gives you peace of mind as you participate in competitions.
If you have endorsements, consider using them to settle your insurance costs. Protecting yourself as a professional weightlifter gives you security and secures your place in the competitive field. Weightlifting can be quite tasking on the body; having insurance cover allows you to decompress and take care of minor injuries before they become serious.
Even with medical insurance, ensure you are not overextending yourself. Only enter the competition within your range of capabilities. Do not sign up for a program if it’s not sound as your life and health depend on it.
Take the right Supplements Recommended for Weightlifters
There are many supplements you can choose from as a weightlifter to strengthen your body. Because weightlifting is tasking, it is essential to take all the necessary measures to ensure your body is built for the work it has to endure.
Consult with professionals in the field so that you get recommendations for safe and effective supplements you can use. Once you know what you are looking for, compare prices from different sellers and settle for the best deal. Also, you can check for quality supplements on this Amazon link.
Be careful not to purchase counterfeit products because these might introduce problems or not work at all. It is recommended that you make your purchases from reputable dealers to get quality products.
i. Nitrate
Nitrates are packed with nitrogen-containing molecules. These components of beets help boost your pre-workout and offers cardiovascular protection. Nitrates increase mitochondrial efficiency which in turn increases your endurance.
Weightlifting involves much hard work which can be hard to achieve without determination and consistency. Adding the ability to endure the equation equips you with all you need to become an elite weightlifter.
In case you are interested in taking part in weightlifting competition, nitrates enable you to master techniques much faster. A reliable and effective nitrate supplement helps with muscle growth as well.
ii. Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is obtained from a series of standardized procyanidins. This supplement works as an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. Pycnogenol is a promising health agent as it helps with blood flow that allows you to decrease joint pains and inflammation.
As a weightlifter, the main issues you will face will be associated with joint pains. Your shoulders, knees, and ankles are among the joint areas that take a beating as you lift weights. Inflammation on the joint areas can set you back as a competing weightlifter. Pycnogenol ensures that you quickly recover after workout sessions so that you advance to more serious workouts much faster.
iii. Creatine
Creatine is a prototypical ergogenic that has many physical benefits to weightlifters. This supplement causes an influx of stored energy into muscles so that you are powered to go through your workout sessions. As a competing weightlifter, using creatine enable you to exhibit more capacity muscularly.
This supplement initiates muscle growth through water weight gain. The way this works is that the water weight gain eventually gets replaced by muscle mass. Using creatine over time enables you to gain strength for great work capacity. You can advance to the elite level quickly.
iv. Acetyl-L-Carnitine
To boost your power output, you need ergogenic like acetyl-L-carnitine. This supplement increases your endurance for hard work and lifting heavyweights. Unlike nitrate supplements, acetyl-L-carnitine has minimal effects.
To achieve noticeable effects, you need to use it consistently. This is a safe supplement that can be used indefinitely.
This supplement helps you deal with a cognitive decline by enhancing oxygen uptake.
Maximum glucose in the brain can help offset cognitive decline.
As a weightlifter, it’s not only your body that takes a beating but your mind as well. Traumatic events can easily be triggered when you overwork yourself.
As you overwork your body, you do the same to your brain as well. Taking acetyl-L-carnitine enhances your quality of life especially as an aging weightlifter. To buy good quality acetyl-L-carnitine, you can check this Amazon link.
How to protect yourself in Training as a Beginner
The trick to adequately train a beginner is knowing where to start. As a beginner interested in weightlifting, it is vital for you to find an experienced weightlifting coach. There is a lot of information on the internet about how a beginner should train, but it takes an experienced coach to know where to start.
Individuals have different body types and what works out for one person does not necessarily suit everyone. To become a proficient weightlifter, it is essential to be determined and dedicated.
You also need to be consistent and persistent. Finding a competent trainer ensures you avoid injuries that come with getting your muscles used to the intense workout.
As a beginner weightlifter, you need to;
• Develop your nervous system
• Have muscle development
• Have adaptive vegetative organs
Efficient functionality involves maintaining homeostasis within your tissues and organs. A trainer needs to asses you to find out if you have trainable muscle anatomy. Addressing movement patterns should be the first thing your trainer does. As a beginner weightlifter, you need to get acquainted with the right movements so that you prevent future injuries.
All your issues with a mobility need to be taken care of before you begin lifting weights. Having your movements in check ensure that you don’t get injured even when you miss a movement.
In the early stages of training, a beginner should focus on being psychologically prepared. Psychological preparedness should be in synch with your physical progress. Giving priority to psychological development helps you strike a balance during your workout sessions.
Master Weightlifting Technique to protect yourself from Injury
Master weightlifting techniques quickly by working with a competent coach. As you proceed with the training, the coach will assess your progress based on given diagnostics. A coach is supposed to asses how good you are at lunges, overhead squats, and front squats to determine areas that need mobility remediation.
The trainer will help asses how well you do vertical jumps, pull-ups, and sprints for motor ability and physical strength. The rate of acquiring skill varies from one individual to the next.
Keep this in mind, and it will help you avoid overworking. You should be consistent and determined; however, ensure you stick to the regime the couch rolls out.
The coach needs to have a strategy for each workout session based on your progress. The order of strategy changes as you progress, allowing your body to adjust to new workout regimes effortlessly. Introducing exercise that balances development ensures that your muscles are flexible to prevent injuries.
Moreover, have goals and targets to help you push yourself towards success. The training regime of a beginner should take into account all preventative measures to avoid major and minor injuries. Be adviced on the injury prevention techniques and precautions.
Conclusion
Weightlifting is a competitive sport that requires consistent workout. Avoiding injuries as a weightlifter involves being mindful of what your body can take and following instructions from your coaches. Also, consider taking supplements and having insurance coverage as a competing weightlifter.
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Sources: my own experience and as below:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-Consumer/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training/art-20047116
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