#34 - Mitigating Injuries Under the Barbell

In today's episode Coach Andy Baker discusses the most common injuries he sees in barbell training and his strategies for reducing the likelihood of their occurence. The key word in the title is "mitigating" injuries, not preventing them! If you train hard for years, chances are you will deal with an injury at one point or another. While barbell training is a very safe activity, injuries do happen, regardless of how good your technique, programming, and recovery are. That said, with some preparation and attention to detail, you can reduce your chance of injury during trainign and maintain longer, sustained periods of productive training.

Andy focuses on a few key areas of injury mitigaton: technique, programming, and recovery. Technique is important, and Andy breaks down the most common technique errors he sees that can potentially lead to injury. Many injuries can't be traced to a technique issue, however, and are more likely the result of poor programming -- accmulating too much fatigue for too long with no strategies for adjusting the exercise selection, load, and volume during high stress times. Likewise, recovery can play a huge role in the time it takes to recover from heavy bouts of training, and inattention to quality food, sleep, and outside stressors can increase the chance for injury.

No one likes to talk about injuries, but they are a reality for people engaged in hard physical training. Armed with a little knowledge, however, you can minimize your chances for injuries, and down-time, significantly.

Andy Baker

Web: www.AndyBaker.com

IG: @bakerbarbell

Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning

Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training

Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40