It’s nice to work out at home. There’s more comfort and privacy than you would typically find at a commercial gym. Still, there’s also more risk involved with exercises that you may not realize. Given that fact, here are the top five rules for weight training safely at home to help.
Use Proper Form
One of the most important tips for safely weight training at home is to use proper form. Even when you’re not at the gym, form is everything. While there may not be anyone there to adjust your positioning, there are countless tutorials on the internet to help. Use these for guidance if you’re confused about any exercises. Don’t feel ashamed, either. Even the best athletes need help with their form to correctly lift weights without risking injury.
Keep a Clean Gym Space
It also helps to keep a clean gym space. Tripping over a random dumbbell or weight plate is the last thing you want to happen after a vigorous training session. Since your home gym will vary depending on your budget, free space, and training style, there’s no universal image of what a clean home gym looks like. Everyone’s home gym may have different machines, free weights, and accessories. Still, do your best to clean up after yourself. Use cabinets, racks, and storage bins to keep your home gym tidy.
Be Smart With the Weights
You don’t need free weights for strength training. But if you’re a strength athlete or weightlifter, then you must have free weights. When using dumbbells, barbells, and strength machines, be smart. Don’t overexert yourself. Since you’re in a home gym and not a commercial gym space, there probably isn’t someone there to give you a spot unless you train with a friend or family member. Without a spotter, there’s a greater safety risk. If you’re not careful, then you may experience accidents or become stuck due to repetition failures. Also, don’t use free weights if it causes discomfort.
Don’t Fight Through Pain
One of the top five rules for weight training safely at home is to heed pain. While you should expect natural soreness with weight training, don’t ignore pain or discomfort. Weight training flexes and tears your muscle fibers. That’s why continuous weight training enhances the strength and size of different muscle groups. Therefore, you can expect to feel some soreness. However, if you feel pain, stiffness, or aches throughout your body, you may need to reassess your training. You may have torn a muscle or worse. If the pain persists, consult a doctor to evaluate your injury.
Rest
Last but not least, don’t forget to rest because your body needs recovery time to heal. As mentioned, weight training tears your muscle fibers. Therefore, they need time and nutrition to rebuild. Try to hit each muscle group at least once throughout the week to avoid overtraining. Also, be sure to eat nutritious, high-protein meals to give your muscles the amino acids they need to rebuild.
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