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Certification for Active Minds

Altering training protocol, as dictated by those into a periodization method of training, does not help prevent injuries. You do not avoid an injury simply because you change your weight loads, choice of exercises, repetition schemes, etc.

Fundamentally, injury refers to either macro (acute) or micro (chronic) trauma to the soft tissues. Micro trauma (constant tissue degradation) can often lead to macro trauma, slowly weakening the tissues until the forces exceed structural integrity (forces that normally could have been tolerated if the tissues were allow to remodel).

Doing too much, too often will usually lead to microtrauma, such as tendinitis – a common affliction among those who exercise regularly and intensely or for too much. Periodization and other such methods are no exception; it does not prevent micro trauma from occurring, regardless of the change in intensity from one ‘phase’ to another.

Some coaches have their athletes perform up to 60 sets per workout (it is the volume and frequency that causes overuse injuries just as much as intensity of effort of the magnitude of the weight). And once you get tendinitis or any joint affliction, reducing volume and workloads in the next phase will not permit the malady to retreat or heal. It can sometimes reduce in severity, but complete rest will be necessary (or at least working around the injury, which can be hard for some athletes).

Exerting too hard, as with heavy repetition maximums for performing explosive or ballistic movement, can exceed tissue integrity and cause macro trauma, such as tissue sprain or strain. Many coaches endorse heavy maximum lifts, plyometric movements and explosive actions, such as power cleans and jump squats. These movements guarantee the highest rate of force possible. Moreover, you don’t need a heavy weight to produce high forces; lighter weights (or body weight) at fast speeds can do the trick nicely. Hence, you require a moderate weight while moving under strict conditions. More will be said about proper lifting technique next installment.

When is explosive training safe and not safe? Unfortunately, it is impossible to know when an injury will take place until it is too late – when you exceed the structural integrity of the soft tissues. Many world-class athletes, including Olympic lifters, injure themselves by performing explosive plyometrics and Olympic lifts. A trainee does not hurt him or her self by moving slowly, with a moderately heavy weight and while remaining in the confines of proper mechanics.

Certainly these athletes do not intentionally train to become injured and believe they train within safety constraints (not thinking they would become injured).

The point is: These are EXPERIENCED athletes who had years of knowledge and application in this training methodology and often under the guidance of a coach. But that is the risk they decided to take, as many plyometric experts conclude; a risk that is necessary for Olympic lifters, but not Joe Average or valuable athletes who don’t need to demonstrate a maximum lift, an Olympic lift, a plyometric jump off a box, or other non-specific, potentially dangerous sporting activities.

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Brian D. Johnston is the President of the International Association of Resistance Trainers (I.A.R.T.), providing certification and education resources for personal trainers, coaches, and athletes. His website is www.ExerciseCertification.com, where you will find dozens of free articles on exercise and nutrition science, including several on proper coaching practices for athletes. Don’t forget to visit the learning resources section and pick up a book or video. We have plenty of excerpts from each volume so you can ‘test the waters’ before buying.

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