Your Body Almanac

Weightlifting

Heavy loads through your back, shoulders and wrists, set after set.

Lifting builds muscle and bone and protects you as you age. Most injuries come from poor form, too much weight too soon, or skipping recovery. The lower back, shoulders and elbows take most of the strain.

01

Lower back strain

Rounding your spine under load in deadlifts, squats or rows strains the muscles and discs of the lower back. Fatigue at the end of a set is when form most often breaks down.

SourcesStarting a strength training program (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Low back pain (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Lift with your legsAs neededPlan the lift, keep the load close and bend at the knees, not the waist. Do dead bugsWeeklyA lying core exercise that trains your trunk to stay steady while your arms and legs move. Do bird dogsWeeklyReach one arm and the opposite leg from hands and knees to build back and core control. Build up training graduallyWeeklyRaise how often, how long and how hard you train by no more than about 10% a week.
02

Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff strain

Bench presses, overhead presses and dips load small rotator cuff muscles that are easy to overwhelm. Programs heavy on pushing and light on pulling leave the shoulder unbalanced.

SourcesShoulder impingement and rotator cuff tendinitis (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Do band pull-apartsWeeklyStretch a resistance band across your chest to strengthen the upper-back muscles that pull your shoulders back. Do wall angelsDailySlide your arms up and down a wall to train the muscles that hold your shoulders and upper back upright. Stretch your chest in a doorwayDailyOpen up chest and shoulder muscles that tighten from hunching over desks, steering wheels and phones.
03

Elbow and wrist tendon pain

Heavy gripping, curls and pull-ups load the tendons that attach at the elbow. Pain on the inside or outside of the elbow that builds over weeks is a common overuse sign.

SourcesMedial epicondylitis (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Tennis elbow (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Stretch your wrists and forearmsDailyGentle wrist flexor and extensor stretches for hands that type, grip or tap all day. Train your gripWeeklySqueeze a firm ball or grip trainer to keep your hands and forearms strong. Vary your grip and postureDailySwitch hands, tasks and positions so the same muscles and tendons are not loaded for hours.
04

Too little recovery

Muscles grow between sessions, not during them. Training the same muscles hard every day, sleeping poorly and under-eating protein all slow recovery and raise injury risk.

SourcesStarting a strength training program (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Keep a consistent sleep scheduleDailyGo to bed and get up at the same times every day, weekends included, and aim for at least 7 hours. Include protein at each mealDailySpread your protein across breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of saving it all for one meal.
05

Tight hips and stiff upper back

A program built around heavy lifts and little mobility work can leave hips and upper back stiff, which makes it harder to reach good positions under the bar.

SourcesSafe exercise (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Warm up before you exerciseAs neededSpend about 5 minutes moving gently before activity to get your muscles and heart ready. Stretch your hip flexorsDailyA kneeling lunge stretch for the muscles at the front of your hip, which tighten when you sit for long stretches. Extend your upper back over a chairDailyGently bend your mid-back backwards over a chair to counter hours of rounding forward.

When to see a professional

See a doctor for back pain that runs down a leg, numbness or weakness, or any sudden sharp pain with a pop during a lift. Shoulder pain that wakes you at night or limits raising your arm deserves an exam.