Avoid Overloading High Risk Joint Positions
If you’re over 40 we can make a few assumptions about your injury risk based on studies that incorporated samplings of MRIs across injured and uninjured populations. Here are a few examples:
- 50% of people over 40 are likely to have a disc herniation, whether or not they are symptomatic.
- 36 to 54% of people with asymptomatic shoulders have rotator cuff tears as shown by MRI; prevalence increases significantly in those over 60, and in younger athletic populations.
- 30-40% of people with asymptomatic knees have meniscal tears as shown by MRI; prevalence increases with age.
Unfortunately, this is pretty much the theme for every joint in our body with age. The important thing to remember is that these statistics are noted in people who do NOT have any pain in the joint that is presenting with damage. Hence, for those of us pursuing fitness and strength-building activities, we can avoid moving a joint that might be compromised from non-painful to painful if we’re smart about our training.
In other words, we simply need to be respectful that injuries could be present, attempt to identify limitations that can help us determine whether injury risk is higher, and then re-work our training program to be conscious of activities that increase the risk of injury to our joint structures.
One of the easiest solutions is to avoid overloading the “end range-of-motion” of a joint, or forcing your joints to bear load in their most at-risk and weakest position.
Let’s use the knee as an example. The knee joint has a limited or defined range of motion when you bend or straighten your knee. The weakest or most at-risk position would be in either a position of full hyperextension (beyond straight) and at the point of greatest flexion (or bent all the way).
Excessive stress at either of these positions would be performing an exercise with a resistance that exceeds the threshold of the joint structures and/or muscles that support the joint in that extreme position. You can overload the joint with an exercise in two ways. First, you can simply use too much resistance (i.e. load). Second, overload can become excessive under states of increased fatigue.
With this knowledge, we can modify our training to be respectful of this while continuing to optimize the benefit of strength training for muscle growth and/or improving strength in a particular movement.
Let’s use the Squat as an example. There can be a benefit to training through a full range of motion or a full squat with a deep knee bend. However, the risks begin to outweigh the benefits as the load increases. Hence, the greater the relative load (bodyweight + external resistance) the greater the risk of injury, but even more so at the end-points of the movement.
The solution is to train the full range of motion with lighter loads (sometimes body weight or less) under conditions of less fatigue (i.e. avoid reps beyond the point that the movement feels in control and fresh), and less range of motion with heavier loads and more fatigue.
Some weight-stack gym equipment has been designed to reduce or limit the loading at the involved joints end range of motion. The Knee Extension machine, for example, has adjustments for the leg pad that allow you to avoid excessive bending of the knee all-together. Some equipment actually allows you to manipulate the loading arm so that you can perform a full range of motion with less weight in the most compromised position (i.e. Prime Fitness).
At Marino’s Fitness, we have a unique solution for modifying more traditional lifts by using elastic bands to reduce the amount of resistance the joint experiences at its most at-risk position. If you’re a client, this is why we love our Reverse Band Bench Press and Barbell Squat. The bands allow us to reduce load where your body is weakest and increase load where your body is strongest; thus protecting your joints and empowering you with exercises that have a high return on investment.
After a number of years of nagging injuries, I can honestly say that coming to respect this factor has allowed me to regain the confidence and strength to continuing training in a way that makes me feel limitless.
If you’re interested in learning how we can help you overcome your limitations, to get stronger, and increase your fitness click HERE to schedule a free strategy session.