A lot of people think that weightlifting can be bad for joints. In theory, this logic does make sense, since you're pushing on your muscles and lifting a lot of weight. As it turns out, however, the opposite may be true. Weightlifting is actually very good for your joints, in most circumstances. Some research has even suggested that joints were healthier for individuals who lifted weights than they were for people that didn’t do any form of resistance training.
With that being said, there are circumstances when weightlifting can cause problems for your joints. It’s not actually dangerous to lift weights, but sometimes you may find yourself getting hurt while you’re lifting. It’s the same as if you were playing other sports or doing any other kind of physical activity.
There are generally two main situations when a person may injure their joints while lifting.
The first is when the person is trying to lift more weight than they can realistically handle. Yes, it’s important to challenge yourself and progressive overload is an important component of any weight lifting regime. With that in mind though, you’re not superhuman. If you’re trying to lift double your body weight and you haven’t even been lifting weights for more than around 3 weeks, then you may want to reduce the amount of weight that you’re trying to lift for the sake of your joints. You don’t want to injure yourself, after all.
Weightlifting is an art form in itself. It’s not just a matter of picking up a weight, dropping it, then picking it up again. Form is an essential part of lifting weights. If you aren’t using the proper form while you’re lifting, then you are far more likely to injure your body. It’s very easy to lift weights with improper form, especially with notoriously difficult movements such as the deadlift, bench press and the squat. Before you try to lift more than you can realistically carry, check your form first. Your body will thank you for it. If you are struggling with your form, practice with a lower weight than you can manage until you master the form.
Oh, and here’s another thing. It’s a common misconception that you have to be in pain when lifting weights. This is most certainly not the case. If you are feeling pain while you are lifting weights, it’s a good idea to stop what you’re doing and take a break. Over straining your muscles can result in injuries, and that’s the last thing that you need when you’re trying to get good results in the gym. If you do get injured, make sure that you take a breather. Your muscles need time to heal if you’ve injured them.
In essence though, weightlifting is good for your joints, bones and muscles. The key is ensuring that you lift correctly when you’re doing it so that you can avoid injury. Getting injured thanks to improper weight lifting is bad for your joints, not weight lifting.