Safety First

Safety is key in the gym and if you do not practice it, you can be seriously hurt. There are many ways to stay safe in the gym and it’s pretty much common sense but some people still fail to take the correct precautionary measures.

First, let’s discuss spotters. Spotters are anything that prevents the weight from falling on you if you cannot lift it. Spotters come in two forms: someone you workout with that can catch the weight or metal bars can be used, usually on the squat racks. Lifting with a partner is very beneficial when you have workouts that you could potentially drop the weight. Not only do spotters have the ability to lift the bench press bar off your chest but they can help you finish your last rep if you can’t quite push it up. Every week I have to run over to someone who doesn’t have a spotter and pull the bar off their chest. Luckily no one with real heavy weight has ran into that problem (that I’ve seen atleast).

Another potential safety precaution is something you wear, such as a weight belt. Weight belts are wide, stiff belts that keep your back straight. Weight belts should be worn anytime you are lifting heavy weight and you’re lower back can be bent. Dead lifts, squats, shrugs, cleans, etc. are all exercises that require a weight belt.

Another basic safety measure is as simple as drinking water. It is very easy to get dehydrated during exercise and dehydration can have serious repercussions. I have seen people pass out in the gym because they were dehydrated and slam their head into metal weights when they fell.

Finally, DON’T LIFT MORE WEIGHT THAN YOU CAN HANDLE. That is how most people get hurt. Forcing your body to do something it can’t do by overloading it with weight is a bad idea. It’s one thing to push your muscles to the end by struggling to get 10 reps with 225 lbs, but when you try to get one rep with 315 lbs, your chance of injury is extremely high.

It’s not hard to stay safe in the gym. Use your head and common sense. If you truly have a question about something, ask someone who knows what they are doing or someone who works at the gym for a spot or for advice.