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Staying free of injuries like shoulder injury, back injury, knee injury and others during bodybuilding

Muscle growth is a slow and tedious process. It does not happen overnight, but with dedicated, persistent training.

The fastest way to bring your progress to a halt is to get injured.

It is a fact that once certain body parts are injured they are more susceptible to re-injury. Forearms, elbows and shoulders seem to give the most trouble after once being injured. I see so many, including myself, who have pain and discomfort in the forearm/elbow area. DO NOT TRY TO DO TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

Your body needs rest and good nutrition as much as weight training to grow. An important equation is stress + rest = improved strength and muscular endurance. Rest is equally important to stress in this equation.

• Strains and sprains 
• Tendinitis 
• Bursitis 
• Dislocations and fractures

Strains and Sprains are commonly caused by:

• Not warming up properly 
• Twisting or jerking during the lift 
• Lifting too much weight too fast or with too little rest 
• Putting too much strain on an old injury before it has healed

This is an inflammation of the tendon caused by a tearing of some of its fibers. There is swelling and tenderness. It is usually caused by too many repetitions of the same lift. Tendinitis commonly occurs in the Achilles tendon, the patella tendon of the knee, tendons in the shoulder and elbow, and tendons in the wrist and hand. Use cold therapy products such as knee cryo cuff

Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa. The bursa is a sac strategically located in or near a joint and containing a fluid that acts to reduce friction between tendons and bones or tendons and ligaments. Sometimes the bursa becomes inflamed and painful from abrasion or pinching. The shoulder is the most common site of bursitis for lifters. Other sites of bursitis are elbows, knees and hips.

A dislocation is the displacement of a bone from its normal position in a joint. Dislocations most commonly occur in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee and vertebrae. In many sports these injuries are caused by a collision or fall, such as heavy contact in football or a fall in gymnastics.

A fracture is a partial crack or complete break in the bone. Fractures are much less common in lifting than in some other sports, but once in awhile they do occur.

Temporary muscular soreness just after working out is thought to be caused by an excess accumulation of lactic acid in the tissues. This diminishes in one or two days as the lactic acid is carried away in the bloodstream.

Continuing three days or more after a workout—may be due to small micro-tears in the muscle tissues. This type of damage is an indicator that you should back off on your training program and exercise that body part lightly for several days.

Treatment of Injuries If you work out regularly you will probably get injured now and then. But most injuries are minor and can be self-treated. I believe that with smart training most if not all injuries can be avoided.

R.I.C.E.
R = Rest

I = Ice

C = Compression

E = Elevation

With severe injuries you must rest, but remember the sooner you can use the muscles the sooner you will recover. Exercise increases blood circulation, rebuilds strength and improves flexibility.

Ice should be applied right after the injury. Ice constricts the blood vessels and temporarily reduces blood flow to the injured area. Swelling is reduced so you can move the injured part with less pain. Movement is important to maintain flexibility and muscle tone in the newly-forming tissue.

Ice should be applied for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, three times. Never use ice for more than 12-15 minutes at a time. It can freeze and damage the skin. If you notice any redness, stop the icing for a few minutes and rest. The on-again, off-again ice treatment stimulates blood flow and healing.

Wrapping the injured part with an elastic bandage will compress the area and help reduce swelling. It does this by restricting the flow of fluid to the injured parts of your body. Be careful not to wrap too tightly and cut off the blood supply. It's best to have a broad rather than a narrow bandage. If the injured area becomes blue or numb, loosen the bandage.

Elevating the injured area also helps reduce swelling by letting gravity help drain away excess fluid. 

REHABILITATION OF INJURIES Weight training can be used to speed recovery of injured muscles, tendons and ligaments. In all cases, you should wait until swelling has gone down and the injured part(s) can be moved through a full range of motion with little or no pain.

PREVENTING INJURIES Use your head and you will avoid most injuries. Here are some rules to follow.

Warm up. A good warm up prepares the muscles, tendons and ligaments for action. It gets the blood circulating, raises body temperature and enhances flexibility of joints. Move each body part through the full range of motion, first without resistance, then with light resistance. Warming up is especially important in cold weather.

Pyramid the weight. Start with a light weight and progressively add resistance with each set. Even world class lifters start very light and work up. Never start with your heaviest set first, as the muscles and tendons are not prepared for such sudden exertion and can snap like a rubber band.

Use Proper Form. You will rarely injure yourself if proper form is used and maintained throughout the exercise. Many try to lift heavier than they can so they use swinging or rocking motions to help out. This is inviting disaster.