Stretching and form key to preventing injury in the gym

How do I minimize the risk of injury while working out? I just recovered from shoulder surgery, and I want to make sure that I don't do anything that would put my shoulder, or any other part of my body, at risk. --Mike Atkins, Yale University

First of all, make sure you stretch thoroughly before each and every workout. For example, if you are working your chest on a certain day, stretch each body part, regardless. A good stretching session should take approximately 15 minutes. Secondly, perform light warm-up sets before each and every exercise. Exaggerate the range of motion, and concentrate on maintaining perfect form; this gets your muscles and joints ready to handle heavier weight.

Use a spotter when performing heavy barbell or dumbbell exercises. Another important method of injury prevention is taking care to exercise the stabilizer muscles. Do exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff, the back of the shoulder (posterior deltoids), and the lower back, among others. Also, exercises to strengthen the muscles in the neck are recommended for injury prevention in many sports.

Try to avoid exercises that place your joints in anatomically dangerous or unstable positions, such as heavy behind-the-neck shoulder presses, or lat pull-downs behind your head. For narrow grip bench presses, don't put your hands too close together, as this can injure the wrists. Proper form throughout each exercise is obviously very important; improper form can often lead to an injury. Listening to your body is another crucial factor in preventing injury. Never work a muscle that is still sore from a previous workout, and never try to 'tough it out' and work through an injury.



I saw a woman doing these weird squats in the gym the other day. She had the bar resting on her shoulders, in front of her neck. What exercise is that? Is it better than regular squats? -Rizza, Lewis Hall

You're describing an exercise called the front squat. Front squats are a variation of standard barbell squats. They are an exercise that places more emphasis on the quadriceps by placing the weight farther forward in relation to the body.

This exercise is difficult to do with free weights, as it requires very good balance and flexibility. For that reason, it is recommended to start out by experimenting and getting the motion down on a self-spotting machine before you attempt to do them with a barbell. The motion is as follows: cross your arms, with each hand grasping the opposite bicep. Hold your arms out in front of you so they are perpendicular to your chest (this exercise can also be performed with your fists under your chin, thumbs grasping the bar; some feel this adds more stability. Do whatever feels best for you).

The weight rests on the front of your shoulders, right under your chin. Follow the same motion you would if you were to do regular squats, keeping your head up, back straight, and heels on the ground. Perform the movement slowly, inhaling on the way down, and exhaling forcefully on the way up.

Make sure you have someone spotting you during your first couple of attempts at using a barbell for this exercise. The correct way to spot someone squatting is to stand behind the person with your hands under his arms, holding his chest lightly. As the squatter bends down, squat with him, keeping light pressure on his chest with your arms. As he stands up, follow his motion, keeping your hands against his torso.

If the squatter struggles, pull up and towards you, trying to straighten his back. Don't pull too hard, however, as you may very well pull the squatter over backwards. That said, squatting -- front squatting included -- is a great lower body exercise, and performing it with a spotter can only enhance the experience.