Training Injury Free

Remaining injury free is of the utmost importance to all people who exercise but especially to those who are over thirty five years old. Can a person lose fat and gain muscle while sitting on the couch recovering from an injury they incurred while training? The answer is no. The reason my clients achieve superior results is because they continue to diet and workout uninterrupted by injury. In this article I will share some techniques I have used to successfully train clients at high intensity without injury. I do take pride in the fact that none of my clients have been seriously injured while training in over twenty years of practicing my art. Stretching is very important for injury prevention. I use basic stretches for both upper body and lower body to get my client’s bodies prepared for the stress of intense exercise. Stretching increases muscular circulation and prepares the tendons, ligaments and joints for the work to be done.Warming up is also important for injury prevention. I always have my clients perform their initial sets for a body part with a light weight for high repetitions, this increases circulation in the area we are working and prepares the tendons, ligaments and joints for the more intense work to come.

When it comes to the nitty gritty of the actual high intensity work, one of the secrets of my success in keeping my clients uninjured is that I avoid fixed movements through pre-set ranges of motion. I favor using dumbbells over barbells and machines almost every time. Dumbbells allow a trainee to use more natural range of motion in all pressing movements such as Chest Presses and Shoulder Presses. For example, instead of doing shoulder presses with a fixed barbell or a machine, I prefer using dumbbells; they allow a trainee to make micro-adjustments in exercise form to avoid overly stressing injured tissue. A client with a micro-injury to a shoulder, for example, can most often comfortably do dumbbell press even at high intensity without a problem even when barbell or machine shoulder presses are impossible due to pain. The barbell or machine often forces the trainee to use an unnatural range of motion which can cause injury or aggravate injuries which already exist.

Many of my friends and associates have injured themselves doing heavy barbell bench presses for chest. I myself long ago have just about quit using barbells and machines altogether for upper body work as a strategy to avoid injury. I am forty one years old and am still able to train at a very high level without time off from injury. It is my desire that this article benefits all who read it,in their quest for greater health, vitality, and wellness.