Lifestyle

Don’t Sabotage Your Workout

principles of weight training
There are two simple principles that will have a positive effect on your weight training.

We see it every day. The same people at the gym performing many of the same weight training exercises—incorrectly! Some of these people may even look like they are in pretty good shape—others, not so much! Here are the two simple principles to always remember when weight training to achieve maximum results and to avoid future injury or pain:

 

Bent Knees = Good—Bent Wrists = Not Good!


 

Okay, let’s break this down. Whenever you are performing any weightlifting exercise that requires you to stand and lift weight with your arms, always keep your knees bent. Time and time again, people will stand with their knees locked while performing bicep curls, shoulder presses or lateral raises—all the time putting undue pressure on their backs. That said, you may not feel any pain or discomfort in your back currently, but over time and as we age, using that type of form will definitely catch up with you and your body. Just be sure to stand with feet shoulder width apart and slightly bend your knees so your back doesn’t feel the brunt of that weight. This will also help keep your balance during the exercise.

Now, let’s talk about wrists. Never bend your wrists when performing bicep curls—period. Be sure to keep your hand parallel with your forearm throughout the exercise. Bending your wrists not only puts undue pressure on the tendons and ligaments that run between your wrist and elbow, it also minimizes the stress you are putting on the bicep muscle. The point of bicep curls is to stimulate the bicep muscle and create enough stress in that area to build the muscle—not put pressure on your tendons.

So, just remember these two simple principles and get the most out of your workouts while avoiding future injury.

 

Bent Knees = Good—Bent Wrists = Not Good!


 

In order to avoid risk of injury, please seek advice directly from your physician, especially if you have existing medical issues, before beginning any exercise or nutritional program. Also, be sure to stretch after exercise to avoid muscle and joint tightness.

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