Being ready for an exercise has to do with a variety of factors including strength level, mobility, balance, and experience. All these factors combined determine whether or not your likelihood of injury is high or low. When we're determining whether or not an exercise is right for you what we're asking is "Can this do long-term or acute damage to my body with my current exercise form?" Let's run through a variety of ways to see if you're ready for an exercise.
1. Can you perform the movement unloaded?
The first rule is very simple if you can perform the exercise without weight and are trying it for the first time, start there. If you can't do it without a weight, adding weight will only increase your chances of injury. Not all exercises have unloaded varieties but if you can, this is a great place to start.
2. Is there a regressed form of the exercise?
There are progressions and regressions for every exercise you can think of in the gym. A great way to think about this section is: "if you're unable to do a push-up from your knees should you be doing a standard push-up?" No. In which case, you should be performing the bent-knee push-up to cross-train over to the push-up in the long term. If you're unsure of your ability to complete an exercise, regress first. Squat and box squat as well are great examples.
3. Does it cause pain?
If you're performing an exercise and feel pain or discomfort it's time to go back to 1 or 2; either unload the exercise or regress the exercise.
4. Do I feel the muscle I'm supposed to be working?
There can still be instances where you're performing the exercise and it doesn't hurt but if you were to videotape it you might see your form is atrocious. If you're unable to get into good form and can FEEL the muscle you're supposed to be working; back to steps 1 and 2.
5. But I don't want to wait and feel like I'm ready!
Well, what you've just done is an injury assessment. Injury assessments are based on experience and although your feelings may be strong, your experience is not (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this). In training, I make injury assessments all the time and will push the envelope for sure with clients but I know ahead of time I am taking a calculated risk. If you're unsure ask someone more experienced than you but understand there is no faster way to ruin your results, than accruing injury. Multiple people making a risk assessment might give you some insight into your actual safety vs. your perceived safety.
Follow these rules and you're far less likely to have to keep taking breaks from your goals due to injury. There is no faster way to derail your goals than succumbing to injury; now let's get out there and stay healthy!
Comments