The most common strength training injuries — and how to avoid them

​There are plenty of things that might prevent you from keeping up with your weightlifting routine. Don't let an injury be one of them. Here's why weightlifting injuries occur and how to avoid making the common mistakes that lead to them.

The most common weightlifting injuries include:

– Back strain

– Rotator cuff strain

– Biceps strain

– Patellar tendonitis

The most common reasons for weightlifting injuries are:

– Doing too much over time (overuse injury)

– Doing too much at one time (acute injury)

– Using improper form while lifting (overuse and acute injuries)

This can happen during any weightlifting exercise, but some are more likely to lead to injury than others — particularly the big power lifts, such as squats, deadlifts and power cleans.

What can you do to prevent weightlifting or strength training injuries?

1. Check your ego at the door – Rather than trying to break someone else's record, aim to break your own. Try to do a little better each time you lift.

2. Master your form first – Before trying a new weightlifting exercise, it's crucial to understand what proper form looks and feels like. The key to mastering safe, proper form is to first practice a weightlifting exercise with very little weight — such as starting with an empty bar or simply squatting your body weight.

3. Incrase load slowly – Only increase the weight if you feel like you could do one more repetition without cheating. Keeping a journal or note on your phone where you track your current load and effort level can help you identify when you're truly ready for more.

Sources: https://www.houstonmethodist.org