One thing that bodybuilding hasn’t ever done well is looking after the health and wellbeing of its partakers. You see bodybuilding and “muscle men” competitions, filled with people who are visually strong but physically weak in many ways.
Due to the drive of having the most visible muscles, many bodybuilders neglect developing the mobility they need to stay flexible and limber throughout their competitions. This is why many bodybuilders can be seen walking around stiffly – their entire upper body moving very little. This can be avoided with proper form and technique training, and we’re going to go into that a little today in our article on raising the bar for form and safety.
Form
When it comes to exercise, knowing your limits and how and when to push them is very important. Working out isn’t as rewarding when you aren’t doing things you didn’t think you could do, so pushing your limits is a must However, pushing yourself too far can result in injuries that can last a long time. Keep in mind that, when it comes to weight training, the weight should not weigh so much that you struggle to prepare for your sets with it. Keeping your back straight when dead lifting and squatting is an absolute must, and you shouldn’t undertake these exercises unless you know how to do them properly. This is because back injuries can seriously and negatively affect you for the rest of your life.
Safety
Making sure that any possible guards and safety protocols are in place for potentially dangerous equipment can save your life, so spare no effort to that end. Leg press machines are designed to place huge loads of weight on your legs, and even safety stops won’t always stop them from breaking your legs if you aren’t careful. Worse still, those without safety stops can kill you if you fumble the plate. Never operate dangerous machines alone, and always be ready to vacate an area if a machine begins to malfunction.
Spotting
Being a good spotter means learning when you should help your partner and when you should take them out of the exercise entirely. When bench pressing, for instance, you have to be beside the gym bench and ready at all times to take the bar away from your workout partner the second they struggle to lift it in any reasonable amount of time. If their arms are shaking, take some of the weight but not all of it, and if they can’t extend their arms fully, always take the whole weight away. Remember, if you can’t lift what they need help with, you can’t help them and you should find someone who can.
Theory
Knowing the theory behind the exercise you’re doing will help you to not only be safer and smarter when working out, but will also help you to tailor your workouts to your chosen goal. Say you want to have decently muscular legs and a ripped torso, you also need to work out a new diet plan for yourself to ensure you get their sooner, and your exercises should be largely chest, back, arms, and shoulder related, with a leg day every week. Taking the time to work out all of this when you begin training is important, because it will make it easier for you to stick to your plan on the days when you really don’t feel like exercising.
These tips and pointers will help you to stay safe when exercising, and avoid injury. Remember to always try to work on mobility every time you work out, as this will prevent you from having to work through multiple injuries and problems at once later on.
