3 Tips for Safe Weight Lifting

By Ryan.

Weight lifting is a great way to increase your muscle mass, build your strength and stamina, and help your body burn more fat while increasing your metabolism. And although there are plenty of ways in which lifting weights can be good for your body, it can also cause a lot of damage or injury to your body if not done safely. So, to help you ensure that the time you spend lifting weights is helping rather than harming your body, here are three tips for safe weight lifting.

1

Know What’s Safe For You

When we say “safe weight lifting”, it should be noted that there isn’t a “one size fits all” rule. Paul Rogers, a contributor to VeryWell.com, reminds us that what’s safe for someone else may not be safe for you as a weight lifter. It’s important to know that everyone’s body, training program, and experience with weight is different. For this reason, safe weight lifting for you requires knowing what your limits are, what too much weight feels like, and how your body feels when using the proper techniques while lifting. If you’re unsure about these areas, talk to a personal trainer or other knowledgeable weight lifter to help you figure out what’s safe for you.

Pick A Weight You Can Control

When someone begins a weight training program, they can have many goals in mind. From toning to building, different styles will require different approaches. But regardless of what the focus of your weight lifting training is, it’s important to only use amounts of weight that you can control.

Hugo Rivera, a contributor to BodyBuilding.com, shares that when someone uses weights that are too heavy, whether it’s because they want to build muscle faster or they think they should be able to handle that weight, their chance of injury drastically increases. When too much weight is used, the body compensates by using the joints to lift rather than just the muscles. This is a big no-no, so make sure you’re only using weight you can control while lifting.

Give Your Body A Break

While you might think that hitting the gym every day of the week will help you build muscle faster, this idea is actually a false one. Harvard Health Publications reminds us that in order to safely and effectively build muscle, you have to give your body a break between heavy lifting session. When you lift, your muscles tear. To grow stronger, you have to allow those small tears time to heal and grow. Therefore, you should be taking about a 48 hour break between each of your bigger weight lifting sessions to get the most out of your training.

If you’re considering starting a weight lifting routine, use the tips mentioned above to ensure you do so safely.

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Topic
Athletics
Published
Jan 26, 2017