Quinn the Mighty

Strength training is one of the safest physical activities. It is much safer than playing soccer, playing basketball, or even running. However, injuries do occur. Many of the injuries are due to poor form and attempting weights well beyond the athletes limits.

Even with correct form and the proper weights, injuries do occur.  Whenever you are pushing yourself and improving your body, there is going to be a risk of injury.

This article will describe a recovery method for when you do get injured.  I deal specifically with back injuries as they tend to be the most common injury.

Stop training immediately.  When you injure yourself, you need to stop training immediately.  Continuing to train will just make the injury worse and can cause you to spend even more time away from the gym.

Wait for the sharp pain to disappear.  When you are initially injured, you will feel a sharp pain in your back.  You should stop all training and physical activity until the sharp pain goes away.  This usually takes 3-4 days.

Ice.  When you are first injured, you should apply ice to the site of the pain.  Rotate between 15-20 minutes of ice on the spot and then 15-20 minutes without ice.

First steps.  When the sharp pain is gone, you may return to the gym.  On your first day back in the gym, your goal is to get the blood flowing.  Try doing a set or two of squats with just the bar.  Do 15-25 reps per set.  The pain should decrease throughout the sets.  If it does not, then you have returned to the gym too early and should take more time off.

Add weight.  Each day you are back in the gym, add a little more weight to the bar for your squats and slowly start to decrease the number of reps.  You should continue to make sure the pain decreases throughout the sets.  At this point you can also start to add in some back extensions.  Start with just your body weight and slowly add more weight.

Back to normal.  When the pain is completely gone for a few days, you should be healed up and ready to continue your normal training routine.  You should not jump completely into the weights you were using before you were injured.  Try backing the weights down 5-10% and building back up to your previous records.

The whole process can take anywhere from 7 days to several weeks depending on the extent of your injury.

In my How to Recover from Strength Training article, I describe how sleep is the most important factor in recovery.  It is important to not only get enough sleep, but to also get quality sleep.  In this article, I present 10 tips to fall asleep quickly and to improve the quality of your sleep.

1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. You should aim for at least 8 hours of a sleep a night. If you are performing strength training, you might actually need up to 10 hours of sleep. Also, remember that you may not fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. You may need to plan for some extra time in bed to make sure you get a least 8 hours of sleep.
2. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise has been shown to help people sleep better and reduce stress. You should avoid exercising right before going to bed. Instead, try working out in the morning or afternoon.
3. Sleep in complete darkness. You should try to make your bedroom as dark as possible. During the night, light can interfere with your circadian rhythm.
4. Shut off all electronics. Electronics can generate electromagnetic fields which may interfere with the production of melatonin and seratonin. Move any electronics that remain on during the night out of your bedroom. Do not sleep with your cell phone near your bed.
5. Keep your bedroom cool. Warmer temperatures can make you uncomfortable and keep you awake. It is recommend that you keep the temperature below 70 degrees F.
6. Avoid television and work before bed. Avoiding television and work before bed will give your mind a chance to unwind. Try reading a relaxing book or taking a warm shower or bath instead.
7. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and can keep you up at night. Even an afternoon cup of coffee can effect your sleep. Try reducing your caffeine intake and see if your sleep improves.



8. Keep your alarm clock out of view. If you are struggling to fall asleep, looking at the alarm clock will only make you worry more. You can try moving your alarm clock away from the bed or just turn it around so you cannot see what time it is.
9. Avoid fluids two hours before bed. Drinking too much before bed will cause you to wake up multiple times during the night to use the bathroom.
10. Keep your bed for sleeping. If you are used to working or watching television from bed, falling asleep can become difficult. Whenever you lay down in bed, your body should know it is time to sleep.

Leave a comment and let me know if you have any tips to get a better night’s sleep.

A common mistake made by many people who first start a strength training program is not getting enough rest and recovery between workouts.  Some people even attempt training 7 days a week!  After about a week of this, they start to feel sore and fatigued all the time.   Although I admire their enthusiasm, they need to understand what happens to their body when they engage in strength training. 

Strength training actually breaks down and damages your muscle.  You actually will leave the gym weaker than when you went in.  Your body is resilient though, and it repairs and rebuilds itself stronger than before.  If you give your body time to recover, the next time you go back into the gym, you should be a little bit stronger because your body has adapted.

The important part to emphasis here is that your body grows and repairs itself when you are not in the gym.  You need to give yourself sufficient time to recover between workouts.  This articles explores various recovery methods that you can do to decrease recovery time and reduce soreness between workouts.   

Static stretching.  Static stretching after a workout is a great way to aid recovery.  Not only will you feel less sore the next day, but stretching after a workout can also increase flexibility.  You should stretch both the muscles you worked and the antagonist muscles.  So if you worked your hamstrings that day, you should stretch both your hamstrings and your quads. 

Post workout nutrition.  After you workout, you want to get nutrients into your muscles quickly.  Many people drink protein shakes after a workout, but post workout is also a great time to consume carbohydrates.  Good carbohydrate sources after a workout include oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, yams, and dextrose.  The carbohydrates will replace muscle glycogen, which was used up in the workout.

Soft tissue work.  Foam rolling helps bring blood into the muscles.  This will promote muscle growth and recovery.  I recommend getting a foam roller for the larger muscles and using a tennis or lacrosse ball for the smaller areas. 

Hydrotherapy.  Contrast showers and ice baths can aid recovery by increasing the amount of blood in a region.  This helps bring vital nutrients into the muscles and will help you recovery quickly.

• Ice baths.  If you have access to an ice bath, take advantage of the opportunity.  Get in the ice bath and stay in as long as you can up to 5 minutes.  Then take a long warm shower letting the water hit the muscles you worked. 
  
• Contrast showers.  When you are in the shower, first turn the water as cold as you can stand it for 15 – 30 seconds.  Next turn the water as hot as you can stand it for 15 – 30 seconds.  This is one cycle.  Repeat for 3 – 6 cycles.  Again, let the water hit the muscles you worked.

Low intensity cardio.  Low intensity cardio gets the blood flowing, which allows more nutrients to flow into the muscles.  This also can help pull the lactic acid out of the muscles.  Do not overexert yourself; a brisk walk will work just fine. 

Sleep.  Sleep is the most important tool you have to aid recovery.  When you are sleeping, your body’s repair system goes into overdrive.  You should aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a night.  The quality of sleep is also important.  If you are tossing and turning all night, then you are not going to wake up feeling refreshed and recovered. 

Napping.  Most people do not have the luxury of taking a nap during the day, but a short nap after a workout is a great way to aid recovery.  Even just a 30 minute nap, can help reduce soreness. 

You might not be able to use all these methods, but try adding one or two into your current routine.  If there are any other methods of recovery that you use, let me know about it in the comments.