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Safety
Precautions and Basic Gym Safety
By Chad Tackett, President of GHF
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This article's main purpose is to assure your safety, so
that you get the most out of your workouts while avoiding
injuries and/or other complications. It is imperative that
you understand and adhere to each of the following safety
precautions.
Get a complete physical checkup before you start a strength
training program. You might have to modify or avoid weightlifting
if you have muscle or joint problems, seizure disorders,
heart disease, high blood pressure, previous injuries or
any other physical condition with potential for danger.
Be sure to always integrate warm-ups, stretching, and cooling-down
into your program. This will reduce your risk of injury
by increasing your blood flow and prepping your muscles
for the work they are about to do. Using the proper lifting
form is important not only to work your muscles correctly,
but also to prevent injury. Always do your exercises through
a full range of motion in a slow, controlled manner.
When beginning a new weightlifting program--or any time
you try a new exercise--always start out using light weights.
It is far better to start out too light than too heavy.
Choose a weight that you are sure is light and do a warm-up
set of 15 repetitions, while perfecting the correct lifting
technique. If the weight is too easy for 10 to 12 reps--in
keeping with your goals--add a little more weight and gradually
increase that weight within the next few weeks.
Going to total muscle fatigue with a challenging weight
is not a useful objective in your first few weeks. When
trying a new lift or starting a new routine, the objective
is to practice and perfect your technique, and to learn
how to concentrate on the muscle you are exercising.
Proper breathing is essential in weightlifting. If you
hold your breath while lifting a weight, you run the risk
of raising your blood pressure and starving your brain of
oxygen. You should try to exhale during the "positive,"
or main exertion phase, and inhale during the "negative,"
the phase in which you resist and come back slowly. If this
becomes too confusing or takes away from your concentration
on the lift, don't worry about it--just remember to breathe.
Do not leave equipment lying around the weight room where
someone could trip over it. Always use the collars that
prevent weights from falling off the barbells. Be sure to
keep your hands away from the chains, cams, pulleys, and
weight plates of exercise machines when they are in use.
Also, when selecting the weight for a machine exercise,
be sure to push the pin in all the way. Be sure to wear
a weightlifting belt on exercises that place stress on your
lower back, such as bent-over lifts like Squats, or Barbell
Rows.
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Consider having a spotter. Having a spotter is important
not only for safety reasons but also for performance enhancement.
Few things work as well as a conscientious, knowledgeable
spotter or workout partner who demands proper technique
and full effort on every exercise set and repetition. An
effective spotter gives encouragement, technique, feedback,
and just enough assistance to permit completion of that
final, difficult, repetition. No matter what your goal reps
are, each set should end with the last repetition being
challenging; you should try to go to muscle fatigue. Given
this goal, there is always the chance that when trying for
a final repetition, you just can't do it all on your own.
This is where your spotter comes in--helping you just barely
finish that last rep, and assuring you of your safety.
If you do not have a workout partner at first, we strongly
recommend trying to find someone with similar goals and
interests to work out with you. This will not only help
assure safety and motivation, it will also help you make
it to the gym more often. If you aren't working with a partner
at a gym, either ask a staff member or someone who looks
experienced for a quick "spot". Most people will
be happy to help you. Be sure you and your spotter have
a plan so that each of you knows exactly what the other
will do in case you need assistance.
It is also important that you know how to correctly spot
someone to assure their safety. When spotting someone, always
be prepared to give a little assistance when they reach
muscle fatigue (cannot complete the rep on their own). You
don't want to help so much that the rep becomes easy for
them to complete--give just enough assistance so that they
can complete the set, but it is still challenging for them.
Also, only provide assistance on the positive phase (the
part that requires the pushing or pulling motion). Still
have your hands ready to help, but don't help with the negative
phase (the part where you resist the weights force)--the
lifter should try to slowly resist the force of the weight
all on his/her own.
- When spotting someone who is using a barbell, be sure
to use two hands and provide assistance evenly on the
bar so you don't throw off their balance or favor one
side more than the other.
- When spotting someone who is using dumbbell, be sure
to provide assistance in the same place for both hands
and the same amount of assistance on each side.
- When spotting someone who is using a machine, (Universal®,
pulley, Nautilus®) provide assistance underneath the
weight--be sure to move hands on the negative phase (down
phase with resistance) not only to promote effective results
for the lifter but also to assure your safety.
Strength training provides many important benefits that
cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity. However,
when enjoying this great form of exercise, be sure to adhere
to these precautions so that your program is not only effective,
but safe as well. Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful
benefits of a safe and effective strength training program.
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