Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Susan H.N. Jeno

Keywords

Resistance Training -- methods

Abstract

You Can Lift Weights Withllut Getting Hurt!

Have you ever injured yourself when trying to lift weights or initiate an exercise program? If so, you are not alone. Over many years of working as a physical therapist in an outpatient orthopedic and sports medicine clinic I have been surprised by the number of people that walk through the doors that are hurt by weight lifting. This really concerns me as one should not get hurt lifting weights as this is the opposite of why you are training. You are trying to improve your health--not get hurt! I am amazed by the exercises that people perform and are often taught in local gyms, schools or are self taught at home through books or even exercise videos. The problem is that many of these exercises are taught to them by people who: 1. Do not lift weights regularly themselves or 2. Do not have any formal education regarding the body and its biomechanics and anatomy. Their instructors aren't ill-intentioned or trying to cause harm but simply do not know that they are teaching someone a potentially harmful exercise in the first place. Like anything else, the exercise industry is fraught with people who have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. If you want to benefit from the latest medical research, my personal experience with weight training, education and years of experience in the clinic then read on. Now, please do not misunderstand me as I have made my share of blunders in my own training as well. You can learn from my mistakes and avoid injury! Enclosed in this book are the tips and techniques that I wish I would have known from the very beginning when I started to lift weights. I want to save you from some pain! In the pages that follow I will not only point out the exercises that are "safe" to perform but will also highlight those which are unsafe and in many cases downright harmful.

This book will educate you so that you can avoid the pitfalls of performing poor exercises which carry a predisposition for causing injury and highlight the ones that you can safely perform for a lifetime.

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