How to Stay Safe when Lifting Weights

You must always try to stay safe when lifting weights. The nature of weightlifting is inherently dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Poor technique, doing it alone, and even how you breathe can have a negative impact. Here are some expert tips to avoid a severe injury.

Learn the Correct Form

When it comes to any kind of physical activity, form plays a crucial role. But this is much more critical when lifting weights because of the strains placed on your body when weight lifting; the chance of injury is much higher with bad form and technique. A perfect example would be conventional vs Romanian deadlift. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and are easy to learn. However, each is also very dangerous without using the correct lift methods.

Stay Safe when Lifting Weights with a Trainer

Working out with someone else often yields better results. The encouragement you get from another can push you a little further. A trainer is a great example. One study found that 73% of people progressed quickly when working with a trainer. However, having someone else there is also better for safety. Weights are, of course, heavy. And this means there is a chance of injury. With a trainer, you have expert guidance who can advise on form and prevent accidents.

Always Stretch and Warm Up

There are many common mistakes that people make when lifting weights, especially newcomers. One of the most overlooked parts of weight training is warming up. Most people assume you only need to do this for exercises such as running. But any kind of physical exertion requires a warm-up. Stretching, calisthenics, and jogging are all excellent and proven methods of priming your muscles for the task they are about to take on. Never skip this part of a routine.

Avoid Common Mistakes

You will make mistakes as a beginner, and even some seasoned weight lifters still make mistakes. There are many, but here are some of the most crucial you need to know about:

• Stop any weight lifting if you feel dizzy, in pain, or sick in any way.
• Try not to begin a routine without snacking on fuel for a workout.
• Don’t exercise a muscle group more than three times in one week.
• NEVER attempt to lift more weight than you know you can comfortably.
• Never neglect to use safety clips when lifting barbells, as they can cause injury.
• Don’t start a session without well-fitted shoes with a good grip.

Any one of these alone can be a potential hazard for lifting weights. If any of thes apply during a session, then cease your workout immediately and remedy the issue before returning.

Breathe the Right Way

Most beginners to free weights don’t realize that there is a right and wrong way to breathe when exercising. A telltale sign that someone is a beginner (and we have all done this) is holding your breath. This is an absolutely wrong way to lift weights. Instead, breathe out as you lift and breathe out as you lower the weights. Mastering this is tricky as it goes against what you do naturally. But with time, your breathing technique will get better and improve your safety.

Listen to Your Body to Stay Safe when Lifting Weights

You may not notice it at first, but your body speaks to you. You are in tune with your body and will notice when something is off. For example, you know when you have pulled a muscle because you sense the pain. The same is true of weight lifting. If you aren’t doing it right, your body will tell you. Lower back pain is the most common injury, with around 40% of weightlifters experiencing it. Not being able to speak, feeling faint, and joint pains are also indicators.

Pain Doesn’t Mean Gain

It’s likely you have heard the phrase “No pain, no gain.” It has been popularized in movies such as Superman II. However, it is actually an outdated way of looking at muscle exercises and a lousy way to think about it in general. If you have a lot of pain during or after a workout, there could be something wrong, such as your form. Exercise actually shouldn’t feel painful for any of your joints or muscles. They can feel fatigued, but pain is an indicator that something is wrong.

Summary

Learning the correct form and posture is one of the key ways you can stay safe when lifting weights. There are also common mistakes, such as lifting more than you should, to watch out for. If you experience pain, there probably isn’t any gain, and there might be something wrong.