Dealing with Injuries

One of the most important things a bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast should be cognizant of is how to prevent and treat injuries. Any time an athlete is pushing their body to the physical limit, injuries will occur. Bodybuilding and power lifting is no different.

The first line of defense against training injuries is to of course do everything in your power to prevent them in the first place. To prevent injuries from happening a proper warm-up should be completed. The warm-up should include…

• 5 min of steady state exercise to elevate the core body temperature

• Warm-up sets that incorporate low resistance and high reps

• Dynamic stretches that only stretch the muscle to its normal range of motion. (stretching beyond your normal range of motion by grabbing a stable object or having a partner push on your limb can actually decrease strength and should be done at the end of a workout)

Another way the bodybuilder / power lifter can prevent injuries is to train safely. Bodybuilders should never be going heavier than their 6RM and spotters should always be used when dealing with heavy weights. Since power lifters often will train with weights as heavy as 1RM and 2RM, it is very important that they gradually work up to that weight by doing numerous warm up sets that gradually increase in weight. It is also very important for power lifters to have a couple of training partners on hand when using maximum weights so that they can take the weight if an injury does occur.

Using lifting aids can also help to prevent injuries. I advocate the use of slip-on wraps on elbows and knees when performing pressing or squatting movements. The slip-on wrap acts to stabilize the joint and keep the area warm. I also advocate the use of a lifting belt when performing heavy sets of squats or deadlifts. The belt acts to compress the core and stabilize the area. It is important to refrain from wearing the lifting belt for all sets as it can lead to underdevelopment of the core muscles.

Listening to the biofeedback signals your body sends you are also key to preventing injuries. I recommend taking an extra day off if you are still experiencing soreness or if you feel overtrained. The extra day of rest could be all that you needed to recover from past workouts or rest an irritated body part. There are some times however when the extra day of rest was not enough and the soreness persists. When this occurs I will either take a 3-day layoff from training, ease up on my intensity, or train with lighter weights. It is a good idea to take a 3-day planned layoff after every 8-12 week training block as it will allow your soft tissue to heal and ensure you are fully recovered before commencing your next training block.

Even after using all of these prevention measures, eventually injuries do happen. There are two types of injuries, acute injuries and chronic injuries.

Acute injuries are usually serious injuries that happen during a workout such as straining a muscle or tearing connective tissue. If the acute injury is serious enough, a loud “pop” sound will be heard. The image accompanying this blog is of Craig Titus after he suffered an acute tendon tear of his pectoral muscle. Acute injuries usually involve swelling, bruising, and post injury pain. In general, the more serious the injury, the greater the swelling, bruising, and pain.The first step towards treating an acute injury is to R.I.C.E. the area. This includes Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (if possible). This acts to control the inflammation response to the injury. Swelling, and bruising are symptoms of inflammation. Inflammation is an over-reaction by the body to an injury and must be controlled for healing to occur. By applying ice several times a day and compressing the injured area with a tensor bandage, the swelling and bruising can be controlled, thereby reducing recovery time by several weeks. Ice should be applied several times per day for no more than 20 minutes per session. The injured area should be tightly compressed all of the time except when the area is being iced. In addition to R.I.C.E., the use of anti-inflammatory medication such as ADVIL three times per day will help to control the inflammation. The inflammatory period can last between 4 – 10 days depending on the seriousness of the injury. You will need to see your sports doctor as fast as possible so they can assess the damage. He/she will be able to explain what has happened and provide you with a recovery plan. It is very important to trust your sports doctor and execute their recovery program exactly as they suggest.

Chronic injuries are injuries that are due to overuse (or not enough rest) of an area of the body. These are the types of injuries that usually rear their ugly heads a day or two after the area was trained. Examples of chronic injuries include knee pain, elbow pain, slight muscle strains, rotator cuff issues, core muscle strains, wrist pain and basically any other joint pain. Although pain can be experienced in these areas as a result of acute injuries, if the pain seemed to occur slowly over time then it is likely a chronic injury. Chronic injuries frequently start out as a small irritation of an area of the body and progressively get worse over time. Although less serious than acute injuries, chronic injuries can be very annoying to deal with and if they are left unattended to, can lead to more serious damage.

After 25 years of training I think I have had chronic pain in every area of my body. I have found that it is very important to invest the time to treat your injuries as soon as they appear. To do this you need to apply the R.I.C.E. principle. Rest the area as much as you can. If you have a job that involves physical lifting, try and lift with different muscles. If the injury is more serious, ask for lighter duties for a couple of days. Apply ice 4-5 times per day for the four days after the injured area was trained last. Also, compress and elevate (if possible) the injured area for the four days after the injured area was trained last. The use of anti-inflammatory medication should only be used as a last resort for very serious injuries as overuse of these powerful drugs can lead to health problems. After the four days of R.I.C.E., heat should be applied to the area for the next few days prior to training the area again. Heat helps to increase blood flow and remove damaged cells from the injured area. Home-made methods I have found useful to apply heat include spraying hot water or applying a hair dryer directly on the injured area. More effective, but also more costly methods of applying heat include ultrasound and laser treatments by your local chiropractor or physiotherapist. These paramedical specialists are actually very well versed in sport injury maintenance and should be consulted when treating any type of injury.