Take the Weight-Training Safety Quiz
Many Americans do weight-training or resistance-training programs to improve
their health and fitness. The following quiz can help you find out if you know enough
about
strength training to start a program yourself.
1. It's important to check with your healthcare provider before
beginning a weight-training program.
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Check
with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. This is especially
important if you have not been active, you are pregnant, you are older, or you have
any
health conditions. These include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart trouble
- Family history of early stroke or heart attack death
- Dizzy spells often
- Short of breath after mild exercise
- Arthritis or other bone or joint problems
- Severe muscle, ligament, or tendon problems
- Obesity
2. For best results when weight training, drink plenty of water
while lifting.
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You
should also keep your workout area clean and free of clutter. Whenever possible,
lift
with a buddy. Then you can spot each other during heavy lifts.
3. It doesn't matter which type of shoes you wear.
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Wear good athletic shoes that give you good traction on the floor.
4. Weight-training programs can be done with free weights or
weight machines.
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Free
weights include dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. Types of weight machines include
the leg press, chest press, shoulder press, seated row, and lat pull-down. When training
with free weights, you have a greater risk of dropped weights, which can be a safety
concern. But research does not support the common claim that weight machines are safer
than free weights.
5. Don't work any muscle group more than 3 times a week.
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Include at least 1 exercise for each of these:
- Upper back
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Lower back
- Abdominals
- Front of arms (biceps)
- Back of arms (triceps)
- Buttocks
- Front of thighs (quadriceps)
- Back of thighs (hamstrings)
- Lower legs
Recent evidence suggests gaining muscle strength is strongly associated with
intensity of resistance training followed by volume. Intensity is working to fatigue
and volume is based on sets and reps in a week. Highly trained people can gain
strength with 1 session per week doing 3 to 5 sets of repetitions to failure vs. less
trained who can do 12 to 15 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions spread over 3 to 4 sessions
in a week.
6. Rest each muscle group at least 2 days between workouts.
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Time for
recovery is dependent on intensity of workout. Working out to failure may lead to
performance reduction in daily activites for several days, whereas lower intensity
loads
may recover in hours. Determining your goals with weight training helps determine
frequency per week.
7. Work larger muscle groups such as the legs, chest, and back before the smaller
ones such as shoulders and arms.
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For
instance, do bench presses and squats before triceps push-downs and leg extensions.
Compound lifts such as bench press, squats, dead lifts, etc use groups of muscles.
Therefore, one can, and should, move more weight due to so many muscles involved.
8. Rest between sets to give your muscles a chance to recover.
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Rest
periods are important to help build muscle strength, speed recovery, and boost
performance from set to set. Your rest intervals may get longer as you move up to
heavier weights.
9. It's safe to hold your breath when you lift.
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Keep
breathing. Holding your breath raises blood pressure, possibly to dangerous levels.
Exhale on exertion.
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