subject: How To Protect The Joints During Workouts [print this page] Besides amplifying the workout intensity gradually and progressively and accompanying the workout schedule with an appropriate diet, it is also important for a body builder to train safely. Each exercise executed in the gym, especially in weight training, the body builder is exposed to a high risk of injury. Some of these injuries can be serious, irreparable and even fatal.
Among the most disregarded injury risk factors are the joints. Many body builders never give a thought to the joint safety as the execute an intense exercise. In fact, injuries are thought of muscle tears, rips and gashing wounds. Nobody thinks of the joints until they start aching and paining. The pain is simply excruciating and in most instances a serious joint injury writes of even the most promising of body builders. This provides us with a reason to be cautious of our joints which to the say but the fact, are even more at risk of injury than the muscle tissues themselves during a weight lift.
Those body builders intent on building huge muscles and accumulating enough strength to match the muscle mass, the requirement is to lift heavy and even heavier. Yet as the pounding goes up, it is not the muscle tissues or connective fibers that carry the weight. It is the joints. They suffer the penalty of increased intensity more than any other body part in a human body. The first and perhaps the most important measure that a body builder can employ to protect the joints is to take joint protective nutrients in his or her diet.
Strengthening the bones, lubricating the joints, amplifying the joint structure flexibility and tension endurance takes specific nutrients not common in our diets. The body builder must therefore seek professional advice on the types of food essential in protecting joint injuries. Such nutrients (joint-protective nutrients that is) include Collagen, Glucosamine, Vitamin C, Chondroitin and MSM. These nutrients are extremely crucial for heavy lifting body builders whose knees, shoulders and other joints are most at risk of injury.
The second measure of protecting the joints is by exercising appropriately and in the correct form. Optimal weights should be used, and especially no weight heavier than a body builder can manage comfortably, should be used. When overly trained with weights too heavy, muscle are burnt out. They might recover or be replaced during rest though. The joints however, can never be repaired automatically without complicated surgery and can never be replaced at all.
Using weights too heavy for you will trifle all your body building achievements when the joint jumps socket, when the joint is dislocated or when the body part is declared unusable again. Try to alternate heavy lifting with medium weights, even when the weights are well within your limits. This gives the joint a chance to lubricate and ease up.
The problem with joint injuries is that they are accumulative and can stay silent through a long period abuse without ever indicating a problem. When they do occur they are usually devastating. Probably, all the more reasons why body builders must always be attentive in preventing joint injuries.
