HOW TO AVOID INJURY AT THE GYM

After more than 18 years of being a regular gym-goer, I have some tales of pain and woe. Any men who are reading this may wish to cross their legs at this point.

One of the worst was early in my lifting career when I was doing some lateral raises with 20-pound dumbbells. Unfortunately I wasn’t paying close attention to my technique, and rather than stop the weights at my sides I let them clank together right in front of me. During one repetition they knocked together rather close to my body and severely pinched a highly sensitive part of my male anatomy.

I instantly dropped both dumbbells, one of which landed on my foot. Then I fell to the floor, curled up into a ball, and waited to die.

What followed was a number of embarrassing questions from my fellow gym patrons that I’d rather not get into.

That wasn’t the only significant injury I suffered in the gym. Back when personal music devices were the size of lapdogs I often had a Walkman cassette player in a fanny pack blasting an all-Rush mix tape. This required regular repositioning of the pack from front to back and vice versa depending on the exercise being engaged in. One time I was sitting back into an incline bench press and had neglected to move the pack to the front of my body. I felt the tape player dig into my low back and my automatic response was to lurch forward. Being that I was holding some rather heavy dumbbells at the time lurching forward caused my low back to go out. I was out of action for a few days from that one.

In case you haven’t clued in yet, I’m a pretty clumsy guy.

I’ve had a few other less dramatic injuries, but they all boil down to either not utilizing proper technique or not paying attention to my surroundings. The gym is a place with lots of people, heavy things and moving parts, and I’ve learned the hard way to treat it with respect and be careful.

One of the most common injuries seems to come from treadmills. It’s not from people who are running on treadmills, however; it is people who leave treadmills running. Then some unsuspecting person comes and steps onto said treadmill that is still running, and they go flying. Since you can’t control the behavior of stupid people who leave treadmills running, you simply need to be aware that this can happen and always look before you leap.

Beyond that, there are a number of basic tips you can follow to keep yourself safe from injury at the gym:

Get some instruction, and follow it. Your best choice for a personal trainer is someone who has a kinesiology degree and some high-level certifications. I’d steer clear of the person who has a simple weekend certification and half their job is selling gym memberships.

Watch where you’re going. Remember the image of the lateral raise? Try to not walk too close to someone who is performing this exercise. I would imagine that getting clipped in the temple by a dumbbell is no fun at all. Watch for the pointy ends on moving barbells as well. When you’re the lifter ensure you’ve got a safe zone around you to prevent hurting others.

Beware of moving parts. More than just watching out for rogue treadmills, many weightlifting machines have areas that you need to keep your fingers away from, so be careful while using them.

Don’t overdo it. I don’t want you to “underdo” it, but if you’re new at exercise then I advise a gradual increasing of intensity rather than just pushing yourself to the limit in the first week. You don’t want to be so sore that you can’t even work the TV remote control. This also involves ensuring the inclusion of amplerest time and variety in your routine.
Ensure that machines are properly adjusted for your size. Take a moment and ensure that things like seat height, leg length, grip position etc. on weightlifting machines are in the proper position before using them.

Get a grip. Remember that when you’re using dumbbells or putting plates on a barbell that these things are heavy. Ensure that you’ve got a proper hold so you don’t drop it on someone’s foot, like your own.

Use a spotter. You don’t need this for every exercise, but there are certain types where you wouldn’t want to be in a position of not being able to lift something heavy off your chest. Use your common sense and have a knowledgeable person there to help you if you need it.

Wash your hands. Regular exercise can boost your immune system, but that doesn’t change the fact that gyms are often crawling with bacteria. Don’t touch your face while in the gym, and wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you leave. 

Oh, and if you’re curious, everything healed up OK from the lateral raise pinching debacle.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/71_fitness_tip.html#ixzz25EBhKsiS

Tweet

Read More

Why Your Workout Is More Important Than You Think

Those who were out of shape saw a functional decline by 23%."

 

Trimming the beer belly to get the beach bod is why most people lose weight, but there’s a lot more to gain than just looks. A new study suggests that shedding excess pounds makes you smarter.

Researchers from the institute INSERM in Paris and the University College London examined 6,000 middle-aged men and women and found that those who were overweight, with high blood pressure and/or dealing with other health conditions, sped up their decline in thinking and memory.

The subjects’ cognitive skills were measured three times over a decade and cross-referenced with their body-mass index over the span. Those who were out of shape saw a functional decline by 23%.

We often assume that our physical fitness affects many of our major organs like muscles, lungs and heart, but we don’t typically include our brain as being one of the major beneficiaries.

Previously, we’ve heard about the brain releasing those feel-good endorphins as a result of exercise, but now we’ve got some hard evidence linking our physical status to our mental health.

While we primarily associate working out as being the key to looking good physically, it’s pretty clear that exercise benefits the mind just as much as body.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/sports/news/motivation-to-lose-weight.html#ixzz25EAqmNEc

Tweet

Read More

Move Over, Gatorade

While Gatorade has become the standard in sports recovery, it has also come under some scrutiny as athletes become more conscious about sugar intake. "

 

There’s a new sports drink in town, and it’s pushing Gatorade, protein shakes and chocolate milk out of the market to become the ideal post-workout option: coconut water. U.S. researchers have found that its high levels of electrolytes and antioxidants make it a winner. 

A study from Indiana University Southeast examined Gatorade, Powerade and coconut water, and found that the latter has roughly five times the amount of potassium per liter as the former two. Potassium is a key electrolyte necessary to battle muscle cramps. 

However, Gatorade and Powerade were found to have slightly more sodium, which is a key electrolyte necessary for those who perform strenuous workouts and sweat hard. 

While Gatorade has become the standard in sports recovery, it has also come under some scrutiny as athletes become more conscious about sugar intake. Not only do they fall short in potassium, but Gatorade and Powerade are chock-full of that sweetness that can add unnecessary calories. Then there’s also the fact that coconut water is a natural product drawn from inside green coconuts, while sports drinks tend to be uber-processed concoctions. 

The American diet tends to be heavy on sodium and light on potassium, so if you’re looking for balance and a change from sports drinks, coconut water is a natural and recommended option that could be even better for you.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/sports/news/coconut-water.html#ixzz25EAOXmJm

Tweet

Read More