Weight lifting may cause serious injuries if you`re not careful, no matter if you`re training for a competition or just working out. This type of workout improves your muscle tone, endurance, and strength but it may cause injuries if it`s not properly done. You may enjoy a safe workout if you try some of the following tips:

- Find a trainer who shows you good techniques for lifting weights and how to exercise correctly;
- Set goals according to your age, built, and trainer`s advice. Establish the weight you`re starting with, how much and when you’ll increase it, how often you need to practice, and which exercises are best for you;
- It`s good to wait until you`re fifteen or older to start lifting weights. The major lifts include the power clean, squat, clean and jerk, snatch, the bench, and dead lift. Major lifts may cause injury if you don`t follow a proper technique for lifting heavy weights;
- Try to keep your back straight when you practice;
- Make sure you`re wearing shoes with good traction and the equipment is in good shape;
- Use spotters when lifting weights;
- Warm up for five or ten minutes before starting to work out and include jogging or calisthenics. After the workout cool down by stretching;
- Don`t spend more that an hour lifting weights. This way you can avoid fatigue or boredom;
- Take a day off between weight lifting sessions;
- You may want to work only certain muscle groups during a session. For example, one day you can work your back and biceps muscles, on the next work your leg muscles, and the last day of practice from the week use it for triceps, shoulders, and chest muscles;

You may want to hold your breath while lifting weights. Don`t breathe fast or you may faint. Stop exercising for a few days if you feel any kind of pain, or use less weight. Avoid injury by exercising a set of muscles for no more than three times a week.

Specialists recommend an hour per day of aerobic activity, only in the days when you`re not lifting weights. Aerobics help your heart and lungs work better.

Weight lifting helps you burn calories, reduce the level of fat, or increase your muscle mass, but you need to take safety precautions to enjoy these benefits.

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