|
Aching joints. Sore muscles. Stiff back. These are some of the
many complaints most bodybuilders complain of. Injuries are a common problem
with any type of athlete but is highly prevalent in the bodybuilding community
due to the physical and psychological stress placed on the body. Injuries can
cause you to lose the gains you have made, cause you to miss workouts, lead to
poor sleeping habits, and even end a promising career. This article will
describe some of the symptoms of common injuries and describe how to prevent
them from occurring.
TYPES OF INJURIES
Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendon connecting muscle to bone.
Strain: Over-stretch/over-use of a muscle.
Sprain: Over-stretching a ligament connecting two bones.
Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa sack which serves as padding between a
muscle and a bony prominence.
Avulsion: Complete tearing of a muscle. Typically along the junction between the
muscle and its tendon.
Contusion: Bruising caused by impact.
Fracture: Breakage of a bone. Can be complete, partial, or from compression.
COMMON INJURIES
 Neck
Strain: Injury resulting from undo stress placed on the muscles of the neck.
Common during shoulder shrugs, squats, etc.
Pectoral Tear: Injury resulting from avulsion/tearing of the tendon connecting
the Pectoralis Major to the humerous. Most often seen in people who overuse
anabolic steroids (discussed later). A minor tear will be painful and may
demonstrate minimal bruising. A major tear will result in a balling of the
muscle towards the sternum with a significant amount of bruising.
Elbow Tendonitis:
Triceps Tendonitis: Pain along the tendon of the triceps connecting into the
pointed part of the elbow. Resulting from overuse.
Lateral Epicondylitis / Tennis Elbow: Pain along the lateral epicondyle (outer
bone on the upper portion of the forearm). Results from strain placed along the
origin of the extensor muscles of the forearm. Can ultimately result in tearing
of these muscles.
Medial Epicondylitis/ Golfer's Elbow: Pain at the medial epicondyle (inner bone
on the upper portion of the forearm). Due to overuse of the flexor muscles of
the wrist usually indicated by pain with gripping weights.
Back Strain/Sprain: Indicated by pain at center of lower back, along top of
gluteal muscles, or along paraspinal muscles. Usually resulting from lifting too
much weight or using poor form during squats or deadlifts.
Knee Strain/Sprain: Various injuries include meniscal tears, patellar
tendonitis, ACL tears, bursitis. Will be indicated by pain along the joint line
of the knee, behind the knee joint, or just below the knee cap along the
patellar tendon.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Soreness in a muscle that has been worked.
Typically occurs within 24-48 hours and should be gone within 72 hours.
Resulting from build up of cortisol, lactic acid, or micro tears in the muscle.
P REVENTING
INJURY
Preventing an injury should be at the top of every bodybuilder's list. The
slogan "No pain, No gain" is not only false but a good way to hurt yourself.
Here are a few ideas to prevent injury.
Warm Up: Perform 15-20 repetitions of the exercise you are preparing to do using
very light weight. You can also aid the warm-up process by walking on the
treadmill for 5-10 minutes before your workout.
Stretch: After warming up, stretch the muscles you are preparing to work. Take
the joint to the end of its range of motion and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
It is important to hold the stretch and not bounce. Bouncing a non-warm,
non-stretched muscle can result in injury.
Focus: Keep your mind on what you are doing. The easiest way to hurt yourself or
someone else in the gym is to no pay attention to what you are doing. It can be
very easy to drop a plate or dumb bell on your foot if you are watching the
girls in the aerobics room or chatting with your buddy. Maintaining focus will
also help to keep your form proper and to give a safe spot to your partner.
Diet: A diet high in protein will help to maintain muscle fiber strength and
help to promote a quicker recovery. Supplements such as Glutamine will also help
to speed recovery.
Shoes: DO NOT WEAR SANDALS TO THE GYM!!!! Open-toed shoes offer no protection
whatsoever against falling plates, other people stepping on your foot, or
catching a toenail on the edge of a machine. Wear stiff-soled comfortable shoes.
If you do much running or walking you should replace your shoes every 3-4
months.
Wrapping: Using knee wraps during heavy squats help to protect your knee joints.
They do this by helping to increase external pressure and distribute strain
across a larger area. Wrist wraps are useful during heavy lifts such as
deadlifts or shrugs. They not only prevent you from dropping the weight but will
allow you to lift heavier due to the fact that you don't have to worry about
your grip.
Learn proper form with deadlift and squat! Prevent injuries!
 Muscle
Milk Protein Supplement
Muscle Milk is an "evolutionary" muscle formula promoting efficient fat burning,
lean muscle growth and fast recovery from exercise. Metabolically favorable
ingredients stimulate growth and recovery in a similar manner to mother's milk
nourishing a baby. Muscle Growth and
Repair: EvoProTM is a complex ratio of proteins, peptides and amino acids
designed to replicate the amazing benefits of mother's milk for rapid tissue
growth and repair.
WHAT TO DO IF INJURED
If you do happen to get injured here are a few of my
recommendations to a speedy recovery.
Go see a doctor: If the injury is serious enough to see
a doctor then you probably need to. Postponing the
inevitable will only delay recovery time and the amount
of time to get back in the gym.
PRICE: This is a simple saying to follow after an injury
P: Protection: Protect the injured area from further injury by supporting it
with a brace or splint.
R: Rest: Give the injured area time to heal. Typically symptoms should resolve
within 48 hours.
I: Ice: Your best friend. Helps to limit inflammation, swelling, and internal
blood loss caused by injury. Will also decrease amount of scar tissue that will
circulate to the injured area.
C: Compression: Application of an ace wrap or towel placed over the injured area
will help to decrease swelling.
E: Elevation: Elevate the injured area above the level of your heart. This will
help to slow blood flow to the area which will help to decrease blood loss and
swelling.
Use Common Sense: If performing a certain exercise exasperates your symptoms,
don't do it. Give your body a little therapeutic rest and let the injury heal.
Missing one workout or exercise will not cause you any harm.
I hope this article will help you the reader to know how to prevent injuries in
the gym. Active people such as athletes and military service members
will experience back pain more frequently. Check out our section on
exercises to strengthen your lower back.
|
