Weightlifters out there: Be Safe Than Sorry

I was fortunate as my secondary school had a gym. So I started weightlifting. Hitting the gym has been part of my healthy lifestyle regime and daily essentials since then. When I was younger, my exercise routine focused more on getting rip and muscular and having six-pack abs was always my goal. And I did manage to get the elusive washboard stomach. However, as I grew older my fitness goal changed. I wanted to be big and if possible huge aka muscle bear. I started to take lots of supplements: weight gainers, creatine, testosterone booster, etc. coupled with regular, high intensity workout and heavy pumping. My body shape started to change. I was becoming bigger by the day while losing my body’s definition.

I have been going to the gym for almost 30 years (of course with the occasional 1-2 years break in between) and I have been lifting heavy since.  I used to hate wearing gym accessories during heavy lifting and it never posed a problem until last year where I had a serious accident.  I had forgotten that my body was not getting younger and heavy lifting requires more protection, as you get older. I hurt my wrist and elbow during the process of heavy lifting. I was out for more than three months. Since then I have been a fervent believer of gym accessories. Trust me, it’s not worth the risk of getting injured.

So if you ask me what is the one most important gear that you should invest in for those gym regulars? Gloves? Nope it’s not the gloves guys, it’s the Wrist Guard, especially if you are lifting heavy. Don’t be gung-ho and stop behaving like a stupid a** like me cause you’ll live to regret it. Once your wrist is injured, you almost can’t perform any upper body exercise for a long period of time.

And if you’re wondering which brand of wrist guards you should invest in, well there are many good brands out there and most will do a good job. Just make sure that it’s a wrap (means that you have to wrap around your wrist a few times before securing with the Velcro tabs) and not a flimsy sock-like guard. I recently made an online purchase for a pair of new wrist guards and gloves by Harbinger. It has good reviews and definitely a good brand for gym accessories.

Remember, be safe rather than sorry.

PS. And for those who perform heavy squats regularly, please do yourself a favour. Go and get a lifting belt and knee wraps. (will discuss more in the future)