One of the major issues associated with weight training is the risk of injury. In general, it seems that the more frequent and more intense the training, the greater the risk of injury.
There are a variety of theories about how to avoid inury in the gym, everything from stretching to supplementation. While many agree on the importance of stretching, there is some controversy about how and when to stretch in relation to your workout. Many believe that stretching is more beneficial before your workout, while some now believe that stretching after you workout may be more beneficial.
In my opinion, stretching before the workout, in addition to a proper cardiovascular warmup for 2-5 minutes, is the key to injury prevention, in addition to proper form. From my own experience I have seen many people who are new to the gym tend to make mistakes, the most often being poor form, overtraining, and overloading. The combination of these three things is a recipe for injury. I would advise anybody who is considering starting a weight training regime to consult a professional or at least somebody with experience. The key to success with a weight training plan is to start slow, keep motivation high, and keep expectations realistic.
Its so true, there are so many times that i have gone to the gym or gone for a run without stretching and the next morning i can barely walk because my legs are so sore. I think most of us know that we should stretch, its something so easy and good for you but its overlooked.
ReplyDeleteStretching and warming up prior to exercise is definitely a good idea. Stressing cold muscles is begging for an injury. I've found that I'm also much less sore after a workout day if I stretch immediately after the workout, and then again a few hours later. I don't know if it helps release the lactic acid or what, but it definitely helps.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who deals with stretching every day down in the athletic training room I can agree that stretching is extremely beneficial to an athlete. However, it needs to be done correctly. Good warm ups and dynamic stretching need to be done before a work out or athletic performance and static stretching after. Most athletes I see have a hard time understanding this because we were raised in a society that believed static stretching is the only way to go but they are slowly starting change their views. Hopefully this will change completely soon for everyone and athletes will stay healthier!
ReplyDelete