Here at RMO we are always taking about lifting heavy weights and although I always tell people to start out slow we rarely talk about gym safety. In this post I want to look at a few dangers that you need to know about to make sure your weight lifting is safe.

1. Not warming up properly

Not warming up properly is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Many people jump into the weight rack without taking time to do cardio or a few light weights.

Even when people do warm up they rarely do it properly. I am of the opinion that a good weights warm up should consist of a bit of cardio as well as some light weights in the area you are going to be working out. If you are going to do bench press start with a few pushups to get the area ready.

Not warming up can lead to muscle strains, tears, etc. These can be very long injuries.

2. Lifting a weight you are not ready for

One of the most common dangerous things that people do in the gym is lift a heavy weight that they are not ready for. It is a very easy way to end up with a serious muscle tear or even worse. I have heard of people breaking bones, ripping tendons and even puncturing lungs by dropping a heavy weight on their chest.

Here is a video showing you what can happen when you lift a weight you aren’t ready for. Warning - this isn’t for the faint of heart.

3. Not using the equipment properly

Another common danger is when people do not use the equipment properly. I see this all the time at the gym and wonder how long it will be before someone has a serious accident. Only use the equipment for what it was purposely intended for. Anything else is just silly.

4. Not using proper technique

Technique is there for a reason. It stops you from getting injured and it helps you use the muscles in the correct fashion. When you lift with poor technique you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself.

Take a look at this bench press accident. The guy holds the bar improperly (no thumbs) and is obviously lifting a weight he cannot handle at all. Again, this video is not for those with weak stomaches.

Technique is the most important thing in bodybuilding. I have always and I will always say this. Make sure your technique is sound every time you lift a weight.

5. Abusing your body with drugs and supplements

Steroids, excessive protein, too many supplements… all of these things are bad for your body and are a serious danger. Part of gym safety is making sure that your internal body is taken care of. If you abuse your system with steroids and other similar products you will end up sick or dead.

Valentino will attest to this:

Can you think of any others?

top image: photo credit: magnetbox

A few months ago I got given a gift voucher for an hour session of deep tissue massage. I put it off for weeks but finally made an appointment to see the bloke. It changed my life and workouts forever.

Deep Tissue Massage or Torture?

I waited around for the guy to arrive. I thought I was about to get a nice relaxing massage for the next hour. Boy was I wrong.

I entered into the room and filled out a few forms. What injuries did I have (chest and ankle) and did I have any serious health problems (nope). We had a chat about my body and anything that was giving me problems. Finally after a nice chat I stripped down and showed him a few exercises. While I was doing this he took notes on how my body moved; what was uneven, what was crooked and what was correct.

Then he got to work.

I lay on the table with my face to the floor and he started pressing points on the back of my legs. The pain was not bad at all. While he did this he talked to me about his other clients:

“Sometimes they scream or yell. Most people just giggle with the pain. I like these guys the best. Don’t be afraid to express yourself RT.”

But I was enjoying what he was doing. I didn’t feel any pain. The points he was rubbing on the back of my legs felt good.

And then it happened.

The massage he had been giving me was a precursor to what was about to happen. He started pressing the points deeply and moving them in very painful ways. And almost on cue I burst out laughing to deal with the pain.

I was a giggler.

So what does deep tissue massage do?

While I got my massage the guy talked to me a lot about what he was doing. I appreciated this because doctors and physios often don’t tell you what they are doing when they do it.

It turns out my body was WAY out of line. A chest injury I had sustained when I was 18 doing martial arts had forced me to “cradle” the pain and as such my back, neck and shoulder were very twisted. He asked me whether I had such and such a symptom and I had them all.

You see, when we have an injury on our body we tend to protect it. This protection causes us to walk or lift weights unevenly and then we start to make things worse. The goal of deep tissue massage is to re align your body and to get your movement functioning as it should.

My Ankle Injury Example
My regular readers will know that about six months ago I was playing soccer and I tripped and tore every single ligament on the outside of my ankle. There was a loud popping sound and the ankle went black and blue within a matter of minutes.

I went to the doctor and he said I needed to rest it completely for at least four months. That’s four months of no running, martial arts or squats. What the was he thinking?!

Anyway, during this time I started to limp. I didn’t want to walk too much on the ankle and as such I put more weight on the healthy ankle. This, within six short months, has made my lower back and hips way out of sink. One side of my back is now higher than the other. This is causing pain right up into my shoulders and neck.

Deep tissue massage to the rescue.

Why every athlete should get a deep tissue massage

Since I went to see this torture expert (it hurts!) I have realized how poorly I had been maintaining my body. Years of martial arts, bodybuilding and soccer had left me broken and twisted and it was affecting my health.

After a few sessions you can get your body back in line and you will be surprised how much better you feel. I am sleeping better, going to the toilet better and my hay fever has gone away. It turns out nerves in my neck were being pressed and this was causing my hay fever response to work overtime.

The reason all of you should go and get a massage is because we all lift poorly at times. We have all had injuries that we have “protected” and as such we probably are way out of line. We need to correct this to avoid a life time of back pain, neck pain, headaches and chronic injuries.

Has anyone here had one?

wednesday181

Most people will suffer an ingrown toenail at least once in their life. Especially runners. They suck. This article will talk about how you get ingrown toenails and what you can do to fix them so you can keep on running.

How do you get ingrown toenails

An ingrown toenail is when the nail grows downward so that the corners stick into the skin. This causes swelling, pain and sometimes infection.

It is usually caused by poor genetics (like me), badly fitting running shoes or toenails that are not cut properly.

How do you fix ingrown toenails?

Throughout my childhood my brother and I were always trying new things to fix our ingrown nails. Our father had both big toenails removed when he was younger as they would not grow in any other way - they were always ingrown.

The main things that you need to do if you feel an ingrown toenail coming on are:

1. Soak it
Soak the whole foot in a bucket of warm salty water. We would sit and watch television and soak it for 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off.

2. Disinfect it
The next thing we would do is put some betadine on a cotton wool bud and stick it to the toe with a bandaid. Let it soak like this overnight and then wash it in the morning.

3. Cut your nails properly
If you want to avoid these pesky ingrowns you need to cut your toenail in a nice straight line. Do not be tempted to trim out the corners; you will probably make it worse. Make the top of your nail a straight line.

4. Get properly fitting shoes
If your toenails rub in your shoes you are more likely to get an ingrown. Make sure your shoes are not too tight, especially if you play fast paced sport in them.

5. See a doctor
My brother now has one toenail removed because he let it get so badly infected they had to remove it to clean it all out. Make sure you see a doctor if you feel like it is becoming a problem. If you get more than one or two ingrown toenails per year you should probably get a podiatrist to check them out.

Conclusion on ingrown toenails

These things are pretty annoying. Remember that nothing I say here is “medical advice”. If you have a problem you should see your doctor and get a proper opinion.

Does anyone out there get ingrown toenails often?