Are you setting oneself up for disaster by not taking the following safety precautions when training athletes inside the gym?
The weight space in a gym might be a very dangerous location for those more novice athletes entering the weight room for the very first time. Usually the ego will prevent the young athlete from asking for aid and this is not the place you would like to learn from expertise.
It is as much as the coach, trainer or gym staff to promote gym safety and teach athletes how to properly use the equipment.
The best factor to do is usually to book a one hour session with the gym staff and all of your athletes in the gym and have them go more than all of the safety issues, frequent mistakes and how every piece of equipment is utilized. It will benefit the gym staff and make their job easier in the future.
Rules of the gym must be posted at the entrance of the gym and must be clear for all to read. A photo copy of the rules should placed in the membership packet for folks to read on their own.
General rules include:
Replace weights soon after use
Use a spotter
No food within the gym
No chewing gum
Must wear correct shoes, no sandals allowed!
Bring a towel to wipe down your own sweat
No “horse play”
Drinks ought to be in a plastic bottle, no cups.
Wear suitable attire-no jeans as they are able to tear the vinyl on the benches
Floor Design:
Designing the outlay of the gym floor requires a great deal of expertise, knowledge and foresight. You’ll find organizations who have consultants that assist and advise new gyms when it comes to what equipment and where to place it in the gym. Restricting factors like space and financial capital will also affect the way your gym is set-up. The floor space is extremely important as the floor will take a beating when the weights are thrown on the floor. You will find several shock-absorbing rubberized materials on the market today.
Free weights will be situated in a separate region towards the universal machines. This area should contain the bench presses.
Another important point is always to have the machines together with regards to the muscle/body parts worked. Individuals will frequently do leg extensions followed by leg curls or calf raises so group these machines together.
Technique:
All athletes must total a brief course on lifting technique. A 30-60 minute session early on will prevent a lot of injuries and problems in the future. I have observed several mishaps in gyms, which nearly all had been preventable.
One such occasion was when I was a teenager and working out inside the gym with a friend and his brother. My friend was using the leg press machine and was pushing out the last couple of reps when he took his legs off the platform prior to turning within the safety handles to prevent the press from coming down on the athlete.
Well, the machine plus a lot of weight came down pinning his legs. With neither of us there to spot him for the duration of that particular exercise he was trapped. Luckily we had been able to push the press back up and there was no damage to his legs. My friend went on to be ranked quantity one inside the world for tennis and he had a fantastic career, however, this may not have happened on account of this weight space mishap.
Another frequent mistake is when athletes are loading and unloading the bar on the bench press. Some unload one side of the bar not realising that the bar will flip up if it becomes unbalanced due to excessive weight on one side.
The crucial is usually to have the athletes perform several exercises with only the bar and no weight. Then when good technique has been established, move on to adding some lighter weights. Having the correct technique is of the utmost importance.
I recommend demonstrating and having the athlete perform the following exercises. These are often essentially the most frequent exercises performed also as where a great deal of the injuries occur.
Bench press
Squat
Dumbbell flyes
Leg press
Military shoulder press
These exercises can also teach the athlete how to spot. The more advanced power lifting exercises might be taught at a later date but require probably the most supervision and training (eg. Power cleans)
Shoes:
Shoes must have very good traction so as you don’t slip. They need to be comfortable with laces tied up. They also have to support the foot and prevent lateral movement of the foot inside the shoe.
Gloves:
Are advised to prevent blisters and skin damage. They’re also beneficial for keeping the hands dry and permitting for a much better grip of bars. They also provide extra support.
Clothing:
Non-restrictive
No jewellery
Clanging items
No belts or jeans
Tie shoe laces
No sandals or open-toed shoes
No scarves as they get caught in machines
Remove pens from pockets, phones and other small items
Safety tips:
Use mirrors to assist with technique
The gym must provide for suitable ventilation and air conditioning
Must have access to water
Provide little towels
Check machine cables weekly to prevent un-expected breaks
Conduct weekly maintenance checks of all equipment
Keep floor mats clean
No overhead hanging signs
Cover all power outlets
Have a safe distance in between equipment
Always have gym staff on duty
Good lighting in all locations of the gym
Lookout for water on the floor around the water fountain
This list could go on indefinitely. As mentioned earlier, the gym is not the place you would like to learn from encounter. So foresee potential problems and devote an excellent hour to walking about the gym and searching for these potential problems just before they occur.
Some of the dangerous items that I have observed more than the years include:
Athletes tripping more than the machine cords that were not properly covered
Improper unloading of plates on bars for the bench press causing the bar to tip over.
Athletes slipping on the wet floor close to the water fountain
Nuts on the dumbbell not being tight enough as well as the plates sliding off landing on the lifter
Athletes not using a spotter on the bench press and squat exercises
Athletes falling off the back of the treadmill
Cables snapping throughout a lift causing injury
Improper technique
Spotters not paying attention or being distracted
Dropping of weights on feet
Any one of these mishaps could bring about significant injury and finish an athlete’s career. Some have made these mistakes and have become globe famous athletes, some have suffered career ending injuries. Do not be a casualty!