How to Avoid Injuries When Returning to the Gym

Hey Smart Fitness Family!

Today, we’re going to be discussing injuries. Why they happen, and what you can do to moderate them.

As of this moment in time, in writing this blog, most of the world has been able to enter gyms again-albeit with changes to their current structure. Either wearing masks, cleaning equipment, booking time slots, or all of the above at some capacity. But, from a top down view, what does this mean? It means: we are able to lift again, we are able to have weights in our hands, on our backs and at near unlimited quantities. This is big! This means we can follow true progressive overload with resistance training. For many, this was not possible the last 4-5 months! But with this newly acquired ability, there is a risk. That risk is injury.

Injury occurs in 2 forms: acute and chronic. This blog post will be largely centered on acute injuries. However, for full transparencies a definition of both are laid below:

·        Acute injury: this can be broadly defined as a stressor is more than the body is able to handle.

·        Chronic injury: can be broadly defined as a prolonged, low grade, repeated bout of some stressor that eventually becomes more than the body is able to handle.

Now that we have a very broad definition of each, let’s jump into the specifics of acute injuries. Acute injuries are essentially what the name and definition suggest. Acute referring to small bout of something (when used in comparison with acute angles: an angle that is less than 90 degrees, so by definition a smaller angle, ergo, loosely related to a smaller bout of injury time-frame). The force being applied is more than the tissue’s ability to tolerate.

Taking a look at the picture above, we can note that there is a margin of safety between a force (or in this case: load, repetitions-volume and intensity) and what the tissue can tolerate. Tissue implies muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments and bones in this case.- the inert structures, some of which we have control of, others we do not. In this specific type of acute injury, force exceeds the margin of safety for what the tissue can tolerate and injury occurs. This can also be applied to a misuse of force application on the body: for example too much too soon, not allowing enough rest or ignoring your body’s signs of aliment.

With that said, this is less likely to occur from ‘general gym patterns’, such as going from body weight to weighted or simply adding weight on the bar. However, if you are going from no activity to activity, it can occur. For example, if your routine goes from not bench pressing for 4-5 months to attempting a top set single, or reaching submaximal percentages early, there is a likelihood for this type of injury to occur. The easiest way to conceptualize this is with running: if you were inactive and then decide you want to take up sprinting. You may “pull” your hamstrings. This is fairly common for new trainees or detrained individuals.

“Early” return to submaximal training can be debated as to what this really means in the strength and conditioning world. But for the sake of argument, returning to some level of load and with less than 6-8 weeks of training again, then attempting submaximal or near maximal efforts, can be classed as too early. I believe this is too early because there remains a deficit of neurological recruitment. Yes, you may have trained in the past but it takes time for your body to overcome the inertia of the initial feelings of having load again. Load will feel heavy, you may not enjoy it. A common breakdown I see with clients when returning to the gym can be viewed below. But before this can be explore, please refer to the legend below for working definitions of common terms used.

Legend:

1.      Neurological adaptation: we could go into the weeds with this one. But for sake of argument, we will keep it simple: neurological adaptations can be viewed as a “mind-muscle connection”, having the brain think of the activity you want and the muscles doing it. Almost consciously unconscious. For example, having the glutes “work” on a squat.

2.      Muscle spindles: these are classified as proprioceptive organs (proprioceptive organs are organs within muscle bellies that play a role on sensory feedback). Muscle spindles respond to the rate and magnitude of a stimulus. They send a signal from the muscle to the brain, to contract the muscle. This is inhibited or in low levels with detrained and new trainees. It needs to be created.

3.      Fatigue: this can be viewed as simply how long it takes on to get tired within a training bout. But also how long it takes one to recover from said training bout. Newer trainees get tired faster and take longer to recover than more trained individuals.

4.      Work capacity: this is being used a broad term to display the relationship between total work performed and fatigue. The less you fatigue the more work you can do, theoretically.

5.      Extraneous movements: these are movement patterns that are inefficient to the task at hand. For example, shrugging while performing a lat pull down.

6.      Deload: a dealod is a period of reduce volume, intensity or both. So, an overall reduction in work.

7.      Hypertrophy: this is a term to explain what occurs to a muscle fiber under tension. Hypertrophy essentially means growth of the muscle. So a muscle looks bigger.  

 Client adaptations example:

·        Week #1: absolutely hate their training. Everything feels heavy, the body hurts. Neurological adaptations (from receptors and muscle spindles are low).

·        Week #2: less hate of their training, but loads still feel foreign, body does not do what they want it to do. Neurological adaptations occurring, but still difficulty assessing what they want their body to do. Unaware of how to do it, but aware they cannot do it.

·        Week #3: starting to get back into the groove; individual doesn’t mind training, but body definitely still fatigues quicker due to lower work capacity. Neurological adaptations from muscle spindles starting to return to a more regular baseline (a new regular, not their pre-cessation baseline).

·        Week #4: rhythm with training is starting to return, less fatigued after each session, volume is becoming more manageable (even when on low ends it starts off difficult: less than 3 sets per exercise selected in a bout of 5 exercises total). However, the body is still making extraneous movements. For example flailing elbows out when benching with loads that are not heavy.

·        Week #5: body feels less fatigued, load is starting to move better, but still weaker than before. Neurological recruitment still an on-going process. Nowhere near levels pre-stopping of training.

·        Week #6: typically a deload is being assessed at this point in time. Regardless of deload, there is evidence of muscle hypertrophy occurring (assuming they are eating adequately). Neurological adaptations are evident: as individual is able to ‘target’ the muscle they desire or do the action they want without many extraneous movements.  

You’ll notice at week #6 I have suggested a potential for a deload. This can be a fantastic way to modulate fatigue and risk of injury. Taking time away from intensity, volume or both, can aid in recovery and greater adaptations in the long run! As viewed in the picture below, tissue tolerance doesn’t only decrease! With proper rest, adequate recovery and optimizing nutrition where possible, tissue tolerance can increase. As viewed in the picture, at first tissue tolerance may decrease, but with recovery or “rest” it will increase. This is called supercompensation.

Supercompensation becomes your best friend when returning to the gym and being serious about your training. You will need to take breaks to minimize injury. I know it will be hard when you first return to the gym. If you’re anything like me, you’re essentially going to be a kid in a playground. Trying to use everything you can. So, be prepared to take a deload, don’t consistently have your foot on the gas, know when to use the brakes!

With one final takeaway, which can be difficult to swallow. Expect to be sore when you return. That is okay, it is almost normal. You have gone from nothing to something. This is the initial inertia I was talking about above. Be prepared for some aches and pains, this is NOT necessarily a sign of an acute injury getting ready to occur, but don’t ignore your body. If something feels off, don’t push through it. Assess, react and change.

Already ladies and gents, that’s all from me!

Stay Strong,

David

Smart Fitness