“EN prehistoric times (well... 50 years ago anyway) competitive swimmers, boxers and other athletes training at the elite level. didn’t lift weights. Conventional wisdom of the era suggested “pumping _ iron” would make their mus- cles too bulky and would slow them down. We now know this is untrue and that working with strength training is com- monplace for not only swim- mers and boxers but most ath- fetes looking to achieve maxi- mal potential performance Today, we can all benelic tremendously from an appro- priate weight program — regardless of one’s athletic ability — but it is imporiant “people realize the value of co rect technique as well as how to prepare a training cycle that will work to fulfill their indi- vidual needs, limitations and expectations. The very nature of lifting weights provides ample oppor- saauty fora myriad of injuries to occur— some more serious than others. These concerns can be acute or chronic in nature, Common acute injuries often involve the back, knee and shoulder, and can include ligament sprainy, mus- yan Best Pl3 He Coastal cle strains, tendinitis and sometimes tendon avulsions itendon tearing away from the bones. Risk oF injury increases with errors in technique, clopmental immatunty tie. adolescents) and anabolic steroid abu the result or particularly with heavy w These include joint injuries (such as rotator cult tendinopathy in the shoulde and injury invelving the verte- brace and other joint in the upper and lower extremities. Also, excessive musele size and development (muscle hy trophy), poor technique or overuse can result in nerve injuries, particularly in the shoulder region (i¢ thoracic outlet syndrome or supras- capular nerve palsy, among others). These problems are almost always avoidable if cor- rect technique and a proper progressive development of resistance is adhered to. Look at weight training as a journey and not a destination, Set goals along the way but remember you’re going to be around a long time so look for ongoing positive results in reinforcing your own commit- ment. There are no quick fixes so don’t get caught up with the idea that heavier is better or that more is better... better is better! A couple of other impor- tant points are worth taking, into account. Get checked out with your physici sure there are no contraindica- tions that could limit or pro- hibit participation. Also, do yourself a favor and find a facility interested in helping and improv ui wellness |. not their i quipment and more tlesible hours of operation than community centres. but just make sure vou don’t get talked into a long term contract before vou've had a reasonable period to check things out and are comp comfortable (at least 30 days). Local recreation centres are now sarting to be much more responsive to the public's needs than in the past (remember the rusty old un versal gvin in the corner? ). Such improvements are in West Van Ree Centre's brand new weight room which opened last fall. It has a vast array of equipment including Kaiser, Apex and Bodymaster as well as a selection of free weights. There is no right or wrong here. Just cheek out the place vou teel makes most sense given location, cost and 2 comfort zone that works for vou. Next week we'll take a look at how using a weight program can be both beneti- cial and damaging tor some specific sub groups, including teenagers and women specifi- cally — and seniors in general. Get pumping! 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