The 5 Most Common Lifting Injuries You NEED to Avoid
Lifting weights can transform your body, but one wrong move can leave you sidelined. Here are the most common injuries lifters face and how to stay safe while crushing your goals.
Shoulder Injuries: The Silent Strength Killers
The shoulder joint is highly mobile, making it prone to strains, tears, and impingements, especially in exercises like overhead presses and bench presses.
Warming up with dynamic shoulder mobility exercises and using proper form is important to prevent an injury
Common Shoulder Injuries:
Rotator cuff tears: Sharp pain, weakness, and reduced range of motion.
Shoulder impingement: Aching pain when lifting your arm overhead.
Recommended supplements
Omega-3 Fish Oil: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, fish oil can help reduce inflammation after shoulder injuries and support joint health.
Lower Back Pain: The Lifter’s Curse
Your lower back bears a lot of stress during squats, deadlifts, and even standing military presses. Poor form or overloading can lead to muscle strains or worse, herniated discs.
Muscle strains: Sudden pain that worsens with movement, often caused by lifting with poor form.
Herniated disc: Severe back pain, often radiating down the legs.
How to Avoid Injury: Maintain a neutral spine during all lifts. Strengthen your core to support your back. Don’t neglect rest and recovery.
Recommended Supplements
Magnesium: Helps with muscle relaxation and prevents cramps and spasms, a common issue with lower back injuries.
Curcumin: A powerful anti-inflammatory found in turmeric, curcumin helps reduce pain and speed up recovery from back injuries.
Knee Injuries: Squats Gone Wrong
Knees are vulnerable during leg exercises like squats, lunges, and leg presses. Too much weight or poor form can lead to ACL tears, meniscus injuries, or patellar tendonitis.
Common Knee Injuries:
ACL/Meniscus tears: Sudden pain, swelling, and instability in the knee.
Patellar tendonitis: Pain just below the kneecap, often from overuse or poor movement mechanics.
Recommended Supplements
Glucosamine & Chondroitin: Supports joint health and may reduce the risk of cartilage damage in the knees.
MSM: Known to reduce inflammation and support joint function. It’s great for easing knee pain and stiffness.
Elbow Pain: The “Lifter’s Elbow” You Don’t Want
Tennis elbow (pain on the outside) and golfer’s elbow (pain on the inside) are common among weightlifters, especially those who overtrain their arms or neglect proper technique during biceps curls or triceps extensions.
How to Avoid It:
- Don’t overtrain your arms; mix in different grip positions.
- Focus on controlled, full-range-of-motion exercises.
- Stretch and strengthen your forearms and wrists.
Recommended Supplements
Collagen: Helps maintain connective tissues, reducing the chance of elbow injuries.
Vitamin D3: Supports bone health and can reduce the risk of joint and ligament issues.
Wrist Strains: The Overlooked Lifting Injury
Wrist strains often happen during pushing movements like bench presses or when gripping too tightly during deadlifts and rows. Ignoring wrist pain can lead to long-term issues.
Common Wrist Injuries:
- Wrist sprains: Pain when flexing or extending the wrist, often from overloading or poor wrist positioning.
- Tendonitis: Inflammation around the tendons, causing pain during gripping or lifting.
How to Avoid It:
- Use wrist wraps for heavy lifts.
- Strengthen your grip and forearm muscles.
- Avoid overextending your wrists during lifts.
Recommended Supplements
Calcium & Magnesium Combo: Helps support bone strength and muscle function, important for preventing wrist injuries.
BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids): Helps in muscle recovery, reducing the risk of wrist injuries caused by overuse.
Stay Injury-Free and Lift Strong
Avoiding these common injuries will keep you on track with your fitness goals. Take the necessary precautions and fuel your body with the right supplements to aid in recovery and support joint, muscle, and bone health.
Recovery is just as important as training. Check out our recommended supplements to help you recover faster, reduce inflammation, and strengthen your joints so you can get back to lifting stronger than ever!