Fitness

How to Prevent Injury when Lifting Heavy Weights

weight-liftingThese days, more and more people are trying to push themselves further and further when working out. As you compete with friends and struggle to impress people with how much you can lift-you might be risking serious injury. The reality is, some people are pushing themselves too far. It’s understandable when peer pressure and a desire to succeed can make people try and lift more than they’re comfortable with. However, a serious injury could severely impact your ability to continue working out or even lead a normal life. We’re going to look at how to keep safe when lifting heavy weights so you can try and avoid unwanted injuries.

Warm up properly

You’d be surprised how many people forget or don’t bother warming up properly. It’s understandable to want to get into the gritty part of the workout and ignore “boring” things like stretching properly-but it’s the single most important thing you can do before a workout. Muscle tears are serious, and that’s why you need to make sure all your muscles are fully flexed and ready to go. Make sure you warm up every muscle group and do it thoroughly-skipping or putting in a half-hearted effort could be risking your health.

Stay hydrated

This one seems simple-but again, you’d be surprised how many people forget about it. Some soda drinks don’t help hydrate you at all-so stick to water. And make sure you drink plenty of it.

Don’t lift alone

While having the wrong friend around might make you push yourself too hard-make sure you’ve got someone there to help you if you need them. Pushing yourself over the limit while you’re alone can be dangerous. You need someone there to spot your or help out if you bite off more than you can chew.

Allow proper rest periods

Whilst it’s important that you take enough breaks during your lifting sessions, it’s also important that you allow proper rest periods after you’ve finished. Some body-builders are too keen to get back in the gym and focus too heavily on the same areas. This can increase the chance of strains and it doesn’t allow your tissue enough time to repair. Make sure you take a break from focussing on the same muscle groups by varying your daily routines. Don’t focus on the same area two days in a row.

Use the correct equipment

If you’re lifting at home-make sure you’ve got some top quality equipment. The right weights can make a huge difference to your home workout routines. You can find a fantastic range of weights and other lifting equipment at Rep Fitness.

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