Weightlifting can be safe, healthy and enjoyable if done properly, but many injuries can occur in the weight room if exercisers are not careful. Additionally, certain health problems have been linked to weightlifting even when the participants perform each exercise properly. Before beginning a bodybuilding regimen, consult your doctor to make sure your body can handle the increased rigors of lifting weights.
Blunt Force Trauma
Depending on the strength and fitness level of the bodybuilder, the amount of weight that exercisers lift can be extremely dangerous if the weights are dropped or thrown. An athlete can be injured, for instance, if he drops a heavy barbell on himself while performing the bench press. The weight does not have to be that large to cause injury either, as even a small dumbbell can break a nose. The best way to avoid injury from dropped weights is to always exercise with a partner, MayoClinic.com suggests. Partners should spot each other on exercises by standing over or near each other, ready to assist or catch falling weights if the weightlifter tires during a set.
Rotator Cuff Injury
The rotator cuff is a series of tendons attached all around the shoulders. When muscles in the back and shoulders contract, these tendons pull the shoulder joint in different directions, which gives us the range of motion we have in our shoulders, according to the Mayo Clinic. These tendons are stressed when you're lifting heavy weights. This generally does not cause a problem, but bodybuilders who, for example, lift an amount of weight appropriate for their larger pectoral muscles may be using a weight inappropriate for the weaker rotator cuff, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can cause soreness, inflammation and even tearing. Exercises that focus on the rotator cuff can strengthen this area, which will not just reduce the risk of injury, but also give the bodybuilder more strength for her exercises.
Aortic Dissection
An aortic dissection refers to a tear in the aorta, which is connected to the heart and is the largest artery in the body. When lifting heavy weights, the bodybuilder's blood pressure rises substantially, according to study published in 2003 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Blood pressure can rise from a normal resting 120/80 to as much as 300 during weight training, according to a Yale-New Haven Hospital study. This rise in blood pressure can actually split the aortic walls, leading to incredibly severe pain and likely death. The likelihood of an aortic dissection from weightlifting is small, and the researchers indicate that the risk is not large enough to support cessation of all bodybuilding, but they warn that individuals over age 40 or with a history of aneurysms in their families should take greater care when lifting weights.
Strains
Bodybuilders lift a large amount of weight, which puts immense strain on the body. When done improperly, weightlifting exercises can pull a tendon, strain a muscle or sprain a ligament, according to SpineUniverse.com. As long as the exerciser only lifts weights appropriate for his fitness level, the risks of injury are small. However, strains can occur even with light weights if the individual does not focus on proper form, according to MayoClinic.com. Avoid jerking or sudden pulling movements, and enlist the aid of a personal trainer to learn the correct form for all weightlifting exercises.
References
- College Sports Scholarships: Possible Link Between Cardiac Problems and Strength Training
- Ripped Enterprises: Dangers of Heavy Lifting
- Fox 40: Weight Lifting Dangers
- Bodybuilding.com: The Rotator Cuff
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Training Do's and Don'ts of Proper Technique
- Spine Universe: Back Strains and Sprains
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