We’re smack dab in between two parts of the year (New Years Resolution time and getting ready for the Summer time) where people start up an exercise routine which may involve lifting weights.
Unfortunately the hobby of lifting weights has a strong association in the public mind with injuries. People are afraid of lifting weights and in some circles the activity is almost demonized. In reality though – there are a lot of myths about lifting weights that I will address in this article.
Myth #1 – Lifting weights has a high rate of injuries
The rate of injuries when lifting weights is rather small – even competitive strength sports such as powerlifting, strongman, and olympic weightlifting have injury rates similar to those of non-contact sports (1).
Myth #2 – Lifting weights will stunt your growth
This is a common myth I hear a lot with regards to younger people – and again the research has refuted this (2).
This myth in part comes from younger people lifting weights in an irresponsible fashion which can affect growth. By contrast, a proper weight training program can help with growing muscle mass and bone density in younger individuals – particularly in the puberty years. In fact – building more bone density at a young age can pay off as you get older.
Read Part 2 of this series where I share more Weight Training Myths! Thanks for reading!
References
Keogh, J.W., Winwood, P.W. (2017). The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports. Sports Med, 47(3), 479-501. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0575-0.
Pierce, K.C., Hornsby, W.G., Stone, M.H. (2022). Weightlifting for Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review. Sports Health, 14(1), 45-56. doi: 10.1177/19417381211056094.
Eric Bowman is a Physiotherapist in Waterloo.
