How to reduce risk of injury in strength training (when not training at a gym)

Question

I have been thinking about taking up weight training, mainly to build up by back, triceps, and biceps. I did not want to go to a gym to do the exercises, though. I would prefer to do them at home but I heard that there is a risk of injury if strength training movements are not done correctly.

In my case I was thinking about getting some home gym (such as one of those sold at Sears), as it seems that this is useful for some of the muscle movements.

I do not have any previous injury or surgery of any kind and overall my health is good. I am not particularly overweight (5' 5" at 115 lbs).

It seems that incorrect exercise movements can cause injury even if a person has taken care of warming up and stretching before the training, is this correct?

Are there specific exercises for triceps, biceps, and back strength that are more prone to injury, if done incorrectly. If so, what are these and what should a person keep in mind to reduce the risk of injury in these cases?

Answer 1

Congrats on deciding to take control of your health and fitness. If this is your first foray into training, you may wish to consider bodyweight exercises first. There's relatively little cost and your chance of injury is minimal, but, not zero. If you'd still like to purchase a home gym, you should research each machine you're interested in before making a purchase. Knowing that you want to concentrate on back, biceps and triceps, examine the machine(s) to determine how and if they can help you achieve that goal. For example, how many exercise movements can you perform om the machine for a particular body part? Do some research on the types of resistance they use. Some are plate loaded, while others use bands, or, hydraulics. Some people claim they get a better training effect from using plates. While others like bands. If you can, try out the machine before purchasing. Then, measure the space where you will use the machine. Will it fit? Is the space accessible for installing a machine? These are some of the questions to consider before spending your money.

It seems that incorrect exercise movements can cause injury even if a person has taken care of warming up and stretching before the training, is this correct?

While machines can provide the advantage of not requiring a “spotter”, don't make the mistake of assuming that they are injury free. Any exercise, if done incorrectly, can injure you.

Are there specific exercises for triceps, biceps, and back strength that are more prone to injury, if done incorrectly. If so, what are these and what should a person keep in mind to reduce the risk of injury in these cases?

As for specific exercises, proper form is essential while exercising any body part regardless of the exercise. I would recommend starting with basic movements like triceps extensions, biceps curls, and lat pull downs for the back. Make sure not to put your body in an uncomfortable position, and, make sure your lower back is supported properly while doing the exercises. More than likely, the machine will come with literature explaining the exercises you can perform. Use that as your starting reference and pay strict attention to any warnings the literature provides. Good luck, and if you have more questions, post them here.

Answer 2

When learning new exercises consider yourself a student. Take time to learn about each movement you wish to do, focusing both on good technique and common faults. Searching on youtube for any movement will bring up plenty of tutorial videos.

Next, approach your workout time as a practice session. Focus on practicing the movements you are learning about. Perform stretching and warm-up exercises specific to what you are lifting that day and do not short yourself on warming up.

Good videos on a movement will talk about common mobility restrictions that may limit you in performing the prescribed technique to perfection but also provide information on how you can change the movement to accommodate a restriction and how to focus on stretching and gaining mobility to remove that restriction over time.

Be patient and focus on a volume of work over weeks and months rather than a single day. Slowly increase weight over time as your technique improves.

Answer 3

A very good exercise for biceps and back is the chin up.

The primary cause of injuries is ego/pride. Going for a new max weight in heavy exercises like deadlifts. As long as your exercises are controlled, the risk of injury is small. Stretching has no benefit in injury prevention or soreness prevention, in fact it will make you weaker and thus more likely to injure yourself. The only reason for stretching is within a flexibility/mobility program.

May I ask why you don't want to join a proper gym?

Answer 4

Since you're in good health with no past injuries, you're off to a good start. Warming up and stretching help, but even then, doing exercises incorrectly can lead to injuries. So, how you do it matters a lot.