Q: In the past year, I have suffered several muscle strains while working out and ended up missing a few weeks of training. What's your secret for injury-free weight workouts? - P. L., Daly City, CA

A: I've had very few injuries over my many years of training with weights, though I've seen more than my share, from torn biceps and pectorals to severe headaches and broken blood vessels caused by heavy strain. I've even known of cases where people suffered hemorrhoids from lifting too much weight.

I learned at an early age that to make progress in any sport, you need to train consistently, and you can't do that when you're injured. I've realized that no single workout was going to take care of all my expectations, hopes, and desires. I've always tried to leave a little bit left in the gym so I could come back the next day and pick it up. I will never forget what Ernest Hemingway, who used to get up at dawn to write, once told an interviewer: "You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next. [Then] you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again." It's the same in weight training. Many people work out so hard in the gym that they become exhausted, and that's when injuries occur. The muscles are too tired to meet the demands being placed on them by the brain and so they give out, rip, tear, or shred.

If you're currently nursing an injury, realize that it may seem like the end of the world now, but with time, care, and proper rehab exercises, you will recover. When you do, don't throw yourself back into training. Work hard, of course, but do it realistically and responsibly.

Source: fitlinxx.com