As teen bodybuilders, we are all aspiring, taking advantage of others by
starting to build muscle early. For most of us, we are just doing the
basics and just beginning to learn how our bodies respond to certain
experiments with our overall recovery, nutrition and weight lifting.
These
are even vulnerable times, your safety in the gym determines whether you
will ultimately succeed, or receive an injury that can last a lifetime. Being
educated and careful during your bodybuilding experience, from knowing how
to perform a good rep to using your best defense, preparation, is absolutely
essential and one of the key fundamentals of gaining muscle mass as well as
strength.
Muscle Anatomy:
To learn the fundamentals of exercise safety, you first must be familiar to
muscle anatomy. Where the muscles originate, where they insert, have
tie-ins, as well as the proper symmetrical size. Refer to this chart for
the surface anatomy of the human body:
Kinesiology, The Functions Of Your Muscles:
Kinesiology, as stated above, is the exact functions and purpose of your
muscles. Just for a recap, here's the basics:
| Abdominal/External Obloquies: |
To curl the trunk/to bend and rotate the
torso to either side |
| Biceps: |
To curl the arm and rotate the wrist |
| Calves: |
To flex the foot |
| Deltoids: |
To lift the arm 360 degrees as well as press over the head |
| Forearms: |
To curl as well as extend the wrist |
| Hamstring: |
To curl the foot |
| Pectorals: |
To draw and press the arms in front of the body |
| Quadriceps: |
To extend the leg |
| Spinal Erectors: |
To extend the upper body as well as hold it still |
| Traps: |
To lift the shoulder girdle |
| Triceps: |
To extend the arm |
Proper Biomechanics:
In your bodybuilding experience you will perform thousands of reps, but if
you can't learn to do one properly, you will get nowhere. Using proper
exercise form is the number one fundamental of not only achieving
muscularity and strength, but avoiding a serious injury.
Using proper form
also makes sure your muscles as well as joints are in the strongest possible
position. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone in my gym
demonstrating horrible form that not only requires virtually no muscular
effort, but increases the chance of them injuring themselves, and ending
their career instantly.
Ideal form can be defined as moving your limbs in the widest range of motion
possible for every rep, using a slow eccentric and making sure the muscle
contracts. Other than that, you can find some more information on proper
biomechanics in bodybuilding encyclopedias, on the internet and even right
here on this site.
Proper Warm Up:
One of the most common causes of training injuries is lack of a proper warm
up procedure. Stretching, light aerobics and doing high rep sets with light
weight can seriously reduce the chance of injuring yourself.
Try doing a
variety of warm up calisthenics: push ups, body squats, maybe some chin ups
as well as all kinds of stretches for that particular muscle group. This
will warm your muscles and prepare them for the heavy stress to come.
Safety Guidelines:
Here is my official list of principles that will not only help you achieve
muscularity easier, but save you from a devastating injury:
1. ALWAYS properly warm up
This should is the top guideline for working out safely. Warming up
increases flexibility and prepares your body for the intense stress to come.
Hell, it even feels good.
2. Stress good exercise form
This is a no brainer. Completely essential to going maximum muscle mass and
strength, but will more often than not save you from hurting yourself.
Always have complete control over the weight.
3. Use a spotter for intense or dangerous lifts
You cannot avoid the situation when you will need to perform a potentially
harmful exercise such as the bench press. Your partner will save you from
injury, which leads me to the next guideline,
4. Don't workout alone
Many bodybuilders have died under barbells when they max out, became the
victim of momentum when large weight plates come lose and smash bones, as
well as tripped over a misplaced dumbbell, fatally wounding themselves. Not
to mention having a workout partner creates an atmosphere where incredible
intensity is possible.
5. Utilize a correct breathing pattern
When performing intense exercise such as weight lifting, holding your breath
can slow the rate of blood flow to and from the brain, causing the subject
to faint. As a general rule, exhale while performing the positive portion
of a rep, and inhale while performing the negative portion of a rep.
6. Use common sense
Put your equipment away after use, use collars on your barbells, use a
weightlifting belt or wrist straps when necessary, you may save yourself a
trip to the hospital.
7. Eliminate un-natural exercises from your routine
Behind the neck presses, behind the neck chin ups or pull downs, or anything
that puts unnecessary stress on your body should be eliminated.
8. Attain as much bodybuilding knowledge as possible
The more you know, the less likely you are to hurt yourself.
9. Use proper poundage's
If you are looking to add mass to your frame, the best rep range is
generally anywhere from 6-12 reps. If you go below six reps, the weight
your using is too heavy.
10. Use safety racks
Primarily using a squat rack when performing squats. If you can, for home
purposes, purchase a squat rack with safety racks in case you fall.
Remember, most squatting injuries occur when backing up.
Later,
Sean
Gagman67@hotmail.com
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