Preventing Injuries with Bryan Dermody

"What would you say is key to your training to help prevent injuries?"

I would consider the following points in addressing this question:

A.    Proper mobility and stability in the body: The needs of each joint of the body follow an alternation sequence as follows

• Neck: mobility
• Shoulder (glenohumeral joint): stability
• Scapulo-thoracic joint: mobility
• Lumbar spine: stability
• Hip: Mobility
• Knee: stability
• Ankle: Mobility

If you do not possess proper mobility or stability at a given joint, this must be corrected with training or it will inevitably lead to injury.

B.    Address imbalances and weaknesses: If the right side of the body does not match the left side at any joint or muscle, or if the front side of the body does not match the back side of the body (agonist/antagonist muscle pairings), this must be corrected with training. Additionally, if a given muscle or muscle group is weak, this must be addressed with training. The most common weaknesses are the posterior chain (low back, glutes and hamstrings), upper back, and core.

C.    Perform proper warm-up before training: A proper warm-up will address the following:

• Increase core temperature of the body and muscle tissues to be trained
• Train proper mobility and stability of joints and muscles to be trained as described above in point A
• Perform movement pattern of the first or primary movement to be trained in the current training session
• Recovery: It is nearly impossible to train in a completely recovered state all of the time. However, one should make every effort to avoid training in an overtrained state.
• Technique: Never compromise technique while lifting.
  
   

    Bryan Dermody, Powerlifter & Former Strength & Conditioning Coach