January always sees an influx of people flocking to the gym! New year plans to loose weight or get fitter spur us to try something new. Perhaps you are thinking of starting or increasing your weight training this year? Well here is some useful information to get you started.
Why biomechanics matter in weight training.
Understanding how the body moves is important when you start weight training. This is for two main reasons. Firstly, it ensures you are training the muscles you actually want to improve and secondly, it stops you getting injured.
Let’s start with the first point. Let’s say you have had enough of those bingo wings and have decided this year will be the year you do something about it. Bingo wings are often caused by weak tricep muscles. So strength training is the perfect solution. However, you will only get the desired result if you are actually training the triceps.
We see many seasoned weight lifters in the gym, using a pulley and doing a tricep pull down. This is a great exercise, but what we see is the person using their whole body to do this exercise. They move their back and their chest to do the pull down and as a result they aren’t isolating the tricep. They do this because their weight is set too high and without engaging the whole body, they can’t lift the weight. If we lower the weight and ensure the only joint they move is their elbow, now we have an exercise targeted at the tricep muscles which will adapt quickly.
So top tip number 1 is to start with a lower weight and only increase the weight if you can control the movement properly.This will ensure your weight training has the effect you want it to.
The second point refers to injury. And again relates to the weight. If we use too higher a weight, we have to recruit additional muscles to help. This means the muscle we were trying to exercise doesn’t get stronger, in-fact it could get weaker! The other muscles, that we are recruiting will get stronger, as a result an imbalance can occur. Imbalances in the body, generally lead to injury somewhere down the line. A squat is a great example here. Many people choose to do a squat with a heavy weight on their back, they also often twist their feet out, to help recruit their glute muscles more.
The problem with this is that this position, if it is the only position you use for a squat, will eventually overwork and irritate your glute muscles. Weight training in this way can lead to the pelvis twisting and lower back pain. Similarly, if your feet are weak, we see many people drop in at the knee when they squat, or allow their knees to travel in-front of their feet.
This all creates forces in the knee that eventually damage the knee joint. The correct way to do a squat (if you aren’t training for elite weight lifting, and simply trying to stay healthy) is to have your feet parallel and your knees tracking straight over your feet. This ensures the forces run centrally through your knees, which is where they are designed to go.
Injury prevention for lifters of all ages.
Weight training is a fantastic way to get fitter and healthier, and as we have mentioned in previous blogs, is important as we age. However, we do have to be careful with weight lifting, as it can be easy to injure yourself.
As mentioned earlier, ensuring you use the correct technique is essential when you lift weights. Having a working core, is the cornerstone to safe and effective weight training. The core muscles act like a natural weight belt, safeguarding your lower back while you lift.
To begin weight training, the key is to keep the weight low. Start with the lowest weight available and build up the amount you do. If you are looking to increase your weight, ask yourself a few questions first.
- Am I able to do my current weight with good form
- Am I struggling to lift the current weight
- Am I compensating with additional movements to allow me to lift the current weight.
- Can I do at least 3 sets of 10 reps with the current weight.
If the answer you can truly answer these questions, then you are ready to increase your weight. This goes for beginners, but also goes for more experienced weight lifters. Increasing weight too quickly is one of the main reasons people injure themselves, it is also the main reason people don’t get the results they were hoping to.
The other element to think about is rest times. When we lift weights, we slightly damage the muscle (at a microscopic level). It is the healing of this damage that actually strengthens the muscle. For healing to occur the muscle needs to rest. Therefore, you shouldn’t exercise the same muscle every day. Leave at least 48hrs between weight training sessions.
If you are unsure where to start, or how to progress with your current weight training, give us a call. At the Reinge Clinic both our therapists have BSc Hons degrees in Sports Science, meaning we understand how to increase your training safely and effectively to get the results you need. We have worked with elite level weight lifters and power lifters, as well as setting programs for children and the older generations.
Building a smarter Training Plan for 2025
Beginner weight lifters
Firstly you need to evaluate your body and see where your strength and weaknesses are. We offer a Full Body Assessment that does just this. But you can get a good idea by heading onto the weight machines at the gym. These machines are designed to work one area of the body and limit your movements to ensure you use the correct muscles. This makes them perfect for beginners or those with health problems they are keen not to irritate.
Always start with the lowest weight possible and complete the movement slowly and with control. You can work your arms and legs, your back and stomach on these machines. Just make sure you work the body evenly, so if you strengthen the front of the legs, make sure you also strengthen the back of your legs. An entry level of 3 sets of 10 reps done slowly is a great place to start to build strength and start your weight training journey.
Experienced lifters
For experienced lifters, it is important to understand what your goal for the year is. Are you trying to rebalance your body, compete in a competition, increase bulk, power or stamina or perhaps support your sport? There are different lift protocols for different outcomes so it is important to know what you are trying to achieve.
- If aiming for bulk, so increasing muscle mass, the weight lifted needs to be significantly higher, but you only do 3 or 4 reps. Set the weight so the last rep is only just possible to achieve.
- For endurance strength, the weight is lower, but you complete many reps possibly 20 or 30 per set.
- For rebalancing, it is best to stick with the tried and tested 3 sets of 10-12 reps
If you are strength training for a sport, don’t just strengthen the muscle needed for the sport, think about how these will affect your body. For example, let’s say you were a tennis player. If you only train your racket shoulder and arm you will create an imbalance in your lats and shoulder muscles on the opposing side. Over time this will have an effect on the spine and create pain. Sports specific strength training is as much about being strong for the sport, as it is about keeping balance int he body.
The old adage, “train smarter, not harder” is really important when it comes to weight training.
Recovery in weight training.
As mentioned earlier, weight training is as much about recovery, as about lifting the weight. Build in recovery days into your program where you lift no weights or do a stretching program instead. Stretching is essential in weight training. It is actually a good idea to stretch between each set of lift. When you strengthen a muscle, you slightly shorten it, so when you come to do your next lift you are doing it with a shortened muscle. Therefore, you aren’t working the whole of the muscle. Stretching between sets allows the muscle to return to it’s full length, meaning you work the full length of the muscle next time you do the lift.
Sports Massage is another excellent option in terms of recovery. A good Sports Massage Therapist will be able to feel for muscle imbalances that are beginning to form. This information will help you amend your weight training program to compensate. Take a look at the Sports Massage options we have at The Reinge Clinic
How can we help?
At the Reinge Clinic, you aren’t just getting a standard Physiotherapy based clinic. Both our therapists have Sports Science Degrees. Ian has BWLA Leader awards and Gina has a Masters degree in Exercise and Health Sciences. Our knowledge of biomechanics and strength training really sets us apart. We use this knowledge to fix your injuries, but also to set training programs to ensure you don’t get injured in the first place. So give us a call and we can help, whether you are just starting out or lifting at an elite level.