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Pay
Attention to Pain and Soreness
By Chad Tackett
When any workout or
specific exercise causes you pain, pay attention. Knowing how to react
can help you avoid a serious injury. Strength training can cause several
types of pain including:
Muscle Soreness
When you use muscles you have not used for a while or try a new exercise
or training technique, it is normal to feel a dull ache of soreness in
the muscles that were trained. This pain is caused by microscopic tears
in the fibers of the connective tissues in your body--the ligaments that
connect bones to other bones, and the tendons that connect muscles to
bones.
This micro-trauma may
sound harmful but is in fact the natural response of your muscles when
they experience work. This is the primary reason it is so important that
you get enough rest between specific muscle workouts. Each time you work
out with weights, you cause this "damage"--these tiny tears in
your muscles; they need ample resting time to rebuild and become even
stronger, bigger, and more firm.
Pain During or Just
After a Workout
During a workout, repeated contractions cause lactic and other acids, as
well as proteins and hormones, to build up in muscle tissue. This can
cause pain even without injury. But if you experience a sharp,
continuous pain, or pain accompanied by a burning sensation, stop
lifting and get it checked.
Cramps
These happen when muscles, often in the calves or feet, knot up in
intense contractions. Cramps occur most commonly in endurance sports
like cycling and running, where the athlete loses a lot of fluids
through sweating. This is why it's very important to stay well-hydrated
during exercise. If you do get cramps, the best way to stop them is to
gently stretch the cramped muscle.
Injury
When working out with weights you need to be in full control of both the
weights and your own body as it lifts and uses the weights. Careless
weightlifting can result in injury. Not warming up, attempting to lift
too heavy a weight, using momentum or jerky movements, letting the
weights drop, not using correct form, or forgetting to stretch or
cool-down after your workout can indeed result in injury.
The following injuries
can occur as a result of carelessness:
-
Tendonitis: This is
inflammation of the tendon and can occur if you begin your first set
with too heavy a weight and/or are not properly warmed-up. Rest is
the best treatment for this painful injury.
-
Fascia injuries: Can
occur if you suddenly jerk or pull the weight. Fascia is basically
the packaging tissue of muscle. When fascia is torn, it becomes
inflamed and the pain is severe. The injury should be treated with
cold packs and wrapped with an ace bandage.
-
Ligament injuries:
Can occur when people use momentum and jerk the weight to accomplish
a lift. This injury is treated by using cold packs and rest.
-
Sprains or muscle
tears: Are uncommon if you warm-up, stretch, and cool-down properly
and implement the safety precautions and principles we teach.
Any time you do have
inflammation or swelling, use the R.I.C.E method of reducing damage and
speeding healing. For injuries, R.I.C.E. is nice.
-
Rest: When you are
hurt, stop your workout immediately and take weight off the affected
area.
-
Ice: Wrap ice in a
towel and hold it against the injury for 10 to 20 minutes, three or
four times a day until the acute injury diminishes.
-
Compress: Wrap the
injured area in a snug, but not tight, elastic bandage.
-
Elevate: Raise the
injured limb and rest it on a pillow to reduce swelling.
Strength training
provides many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other
exercise or activity. However, when enjoying this great form of
exercise, be sure to pay attention to pain and soreness so that your
program is not only effective, but safe as well. Good luck: I hope you
enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective strength
training program.
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