Bodybuilding has become very popular and fashionable nowadays as people have become more health-conscious than before. Bodybuilding however is neither easy nor free from risks. The main source of risk is weightlifting. Weightlifting risks are not entirely unavoidable because bodybuilding is incomplete without it. It is worth noting that some of these risks are due to human error while some are due to weightlifting itself. Lack of guidance is another major cause of increasing risks of weightlifting. Weightlifting injuries are fairly common as on average there is one injury per thousand hours of training.

Muscular imbalances

Weight training and weight lifting are risky because they can cause muscular imbalances. After all, it has limited rotational mobility. Unfavorable positioning and biased exercise selection lead to muscular imbalances and can create joint pains. Shoulder tightness and trapezius weaknesses are other risks of muscular imbalances. Muscular imbalances lead to external rotation and posterior shoulder tightness. There are mechanical factors that cause this imbalance because of spine overloading.

Insufficient Workout rests

Many people make the mistake of not letting their muscles rest between workouts. By pushing the muscles, one experiences soreness. Whenever a person is lifting weights, he is causing microscopic tears in his muscles and also damaging his tissues. Therefore, it is vital to give some tissues some time to rebuild themselves and then resume exercises. It is advisable to give 48 hours of rest to muscles to recover. For example, if one is doing a workout on Thursday, then the next workout should be on Saturday and not on Friday.

Unguided workouts

Weightlifting can be incredibly riskier if done without proper guidance and training. It can lead to spinal injuries and other forms of injuries that can permanently damage a person’s physique or can incapacitate a person for life. Thus, it is recommended that people should take proper guidance from professional fitness trainers. It is worth noting that weightlifting injuries give plenty of time to change course after heavy squats. Repetitive stress injuries are problems of every athlete and it is not possible to completely avoid them during weightlifting. Shoulder injuries are fairly common due to unguided workouts. Between 1990 and 2007, weightlifting injuries increased substantially (almost 50%) during weightlifting according to a research report.

Inadequate knowledge about one’s body

Weightlifting should be done only by checking all the parameters of one’s body. This includes whether the body is externally and internally adequate to lift weight or not. The body’s capacity framework includes extending muscles, ligaments, tendons, and extending joints beyond natural range. The same muscles exist only due to alternative exercises. One can gain enough knowledge by doing warm exercises before weightlifting.

Risks for beginners

Weightlifting injuries are risky for beginners but it is often given rational justification by saying that ‘no risk means no gain’. The most common risk for beginners is muscle strain. In case, weights are not lifted correctly, then hernias can develop. Weightlifting should not be done by individuals below the age of 18. The deadliest risk of weightlifting is sudden death due to torn aorta. Weightlifting increases the blood pressure which strains the aorta and what makes it riskier is that the aortas can enlarge without detection. This disease is called an aneurysm. Therefore, to prevent such deadly risks one should avoid lifting weights which is more than half of the body weight.

Tips to minimize risks in weightlifting

The risks of weightlifting cannot be avoided completely, but necessary precautions and steps can be taken to minimize the incidence of weightlifting.

While lifting weights always try to keep the head straight as far as feasible. Also, keep the neck perfectly aligned while lifting. Try to make sure to reduce the weight behind the head such that the cervical spine area remains alright. The buttocks should be kept straight as the exercises for good mornings, cable rows, squats, and deadlifts are properly hinged. While leaning towards the front, always ensure to lean towards it in the straight direction and not in a curved direction.

Joints should not get locked while weightlifting. Knee joints and elbow straightening is important such that the load is not smashed hard. Bench pressers while powerlifting is needed to lockout elbows during competition.

While doing weightlifting it is necessary to forbid knees from bowing either too outward or inward. Similarly, while lifting one should concentrate on one’s elbows to reduce the risk of dropping the load mistakenly. Maximum support should be given to prevent any compromises with the joints.

Always ensure that the shoulder joints are not overloaded as it can lead to permanent damage. Once one is lifting weights one should not feel comfortable with it mentally. Lifting weights that shoulders cannot lift might lead to intolerable pain in the joints. While doing push exercises it is, therefore, necessary to reduce weight subsequently, otherwise, it will lead to needless risks.

Always do weightlifting exercises under professional guidance and assistance. There is no point in being overconfident as the risks involved in weightlifting can be deadly or lead to a permanent disability.

Resistance training is riskier and even doing normal movements beyond a normal range of motion can be injurious. Individuals having limited flexibility are prone to more injuries. The pectoral tendons can rupture doing bench press exercises, thus proper guidance is necessary.

Ignoring warnings can be riskier as one needs to take body signals seriously during weightlifting sessions. One should monitor one’s heart after weightlifting and also breathe while lifting. Always try to hold your breath while lifting otherwise health problems will become an inevitable thing.

Weightlifting needs to be accompanied by a proper diet, otherwise, it will be counterproductive. Adequate sleep and rest are compulsory for the well-being of an individual. Otherwise, muscles will not get enough time to rebuild themselves.

Always remember that overtraining can be fatal and medical emergencies can be the result of it. This can be prevented by having adequate first aid equipment. Remember that aggressive muscular building can strain muscles and not build them. Excessive breakdown of muscles during weightlifting can impair the kidneys and lead to their failure.