Weight Lifting in Prisons: A Survey and Recommendations John Amtmann, EdD

Transcription

1 Weight Lifting in Prisons Weight Lifting in Prisons: A Survey and Recommendations John Amtmann, EdD Don Berryman, MS Robert Fisher Abstract. Proper strength training regimens have many well-known benefits. However, given that improper strength training programs can be injurious, should correctional health officials support policy that requires proper strength training techniques? Twenty-five randomly picked prisons in the western United States were surveyed and asked these questions: (a) Are there weights or formal resistance training equipment within the facility? (b) If yes, does the institution have any formal policies established regarding use of that equipment? Twenty-three of the institutions had strength training equipment; only 2 had policies regarding equipment use. Survey results clearly show that most correctional facilities have no policy regarding practice of safe and effective strength training techniques and therefore may fail to achieve the desired results. It is recommended that qualified supervision be present inside all correctional strength training facilities. The qualified personnel in charge should be certified by nationally recognized organizations and should enforce safe lifting policy, including (a) limitations of one repetition maximum lifts allowed at least six repetitions should be performed for each exercise for most inmates, (b) emphasis on slow and controlled lifting movements only, and (c) emphasis on proper warm-up and cooldown procedures. John Amtmann, EdD, is a professor in the Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department, Montana Tech, Butte. Don Berryman, MS, is a teacher and director of technology development, Montana State Prison, Deerlodge. Robert Fisher is a graduate student in physical therapy at Texas Tech University. For correspondence contact John Amtmann, EdD, professor, Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department, Montana Tech, HPER Building, 1300 W. Park St., Butte, MT, 59701; jamtmann~mtech.edu. Journal of Correctional Health Care, Volume 10. Issue 1 CO 2003 National Commission on Correctional Health Care 109

2 Journal of Correctional Health Care Introduction Strength training in prisons has become a controversial subject. The purpose of this report is threefold. First, this article will discuss the known health effects of proper strength training, and the basic advantages and disadvantages of weight lifting in prisons. Second, it will present the results of a survey regarding weight lifting in western correctional facilities. Finally, the authors will make recommendations for safe lifting in prisons. Strength Training There are many well-known benefits of proper strength training. These benefits can be incorporated into America's correctional institutions to produce many desired effects that go beyond those known to civilians. It must be emphasized that properly designed and executed strength training programs stimulate the desired health effects. Poorly designed or improperly executed strength training programs, on the other hand, tend to cause negative health effects. Given that improper programs cause negative health effects, should correctional health officials support policy that requires proper strength training programs? Muscular strength refers to the maximal force that can be generated by a specific muscle or muscle group. The most popular method of muscular strength assessment is the one repetition maximum, defined by Neiman (1999, p. 690) as "the maximum resistance with which a person can execute one repetition of an exercise movement." Development of muscular strength has been associated with a wide variety ofhealth benefits throughout the many systems of the body. The American College of Sports Medicine (2000, p. 80) recognizes that muscular fitness improves or maintains the following: 1. The fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate, which is related to weight gain 2. Bone mass, which is related to osteoporosis 3. Glucose tolerance, which is related to type 2 diabetes 110

3 Weight Lifting in Prisons 4. Musculotendinous integrity, which is related to a lower risk of injury, including lower back pain 5. The ability to carry out activities of daily living, which is related to self-esteem Benefits of Strength Training in Prisons Professionals also recognize many benefits associated with strength training for inmates (Polson, 2000): 1. Weight lifting privileges can be used as a behavior tool, e.g., if an inmate is out of line he will not be able to use the facilities. 2. Weight lifting teaches discipline, record keeping, and goal setting; it also fills time, reduces boredom, bums off tension, and improves self-esteem. 3. Weight lifting may reduce health costs, especially in the elderly. 4. Weight lifting can keep a large number of inmates busy at once. 5. Inmates require less supervision when participating in constructive open-yard recreation activities such as weight lifting than they do in many other situations. 6. Inmates preparing for a competitive meet will rarely get involved in prohibited activities because they do not want to lose their lifting privileges. 7. Well-conditioned inmates are more employable upon their release. 8. Most crime happens during leisure time, so inmates who fill their leisure time with recreational activities such as weight training, and continue to do so upon their release, are less likely to return (pp. 1-2). Disadvantages of Strength Training in Prisons Despite the many advantages of strength training in correctional institutions, professionals are aware of some negatives, as well (Polson, 2000): 111

4 Journal of Correctional Health Care 1. Inmates could use their size and strength gained from strength training to overpower guards, other inmates, or the public when they are released. 2. Guards are intimidated by larger inmates. 3. The public does not want its tax dollars to go towards gymnasiums and new weight rooms for felons. 4. Weight lifting equipment could be used as a weapon or as a tool to provide means of escape. 5. Injuries to inmates may require tax dollars for medical treatment and/or surgical repair. 6. There should not be better facilities in prisons than in schools. 7. Equipment for weight lifting is expensive to purchase and maintain (p. 1). With reasonable arguments for both the pros and cons of prison strength training programs, a controversy exists. This controversy revolves around the argument of necessity versus luxury with potential risks. The key questions are, do the benefits of strength training in prisons outweigh the disadvantages, and are strength training programs in correctional facilities worth having? Methods A survey was conducted to ascertain the approaches that correctional institutions are taking toward the issue of strength training programs. Twenty-five out of 30 randomly picked prisons in the western United States agreed to be surveyed by telephone. All were state prisons, 24 for men and 1 for women. The individual interviewed was a staff member for the department overseeing the weight lifting area, most often a recreation department, or similar. The inquiries were guided by the following general research questions: 1. Are there weights or formal resistance training equipment available for inmate use within the facility? 2. If yes, does the institution have any formal policies established regarding inmate use of that equipment? 112

5 Weight Lifting in Prisons With these questions in mind, the authors developed a set of subquestions to ask each respondent who indicated that the facility did have strength training equipment: 1. Do you have any policies regarding one repetition maximum lifting in your facilities? 2. Do you host power lifting meets in your prison system? 3. Are your inmate lifting programs monitored? (This is the most important question. In the authors' opinion, there is a high probability that if inmates are left unsupervised they are practicing unsafe lifting techniques.) 4. Do you require a warm-up session prior to strength training sessions? 5. Do you require a cooldown session after strength training workouts? 6. Are the inmates in your facility required to stretch as part of their strength training programs? Grand Tour Questions Results Twenty-three of the 25 prisons interviewed had weight equipment. One of them made its own equipment, which could be a safety issue in itself. Of the 23 prisons with weight rooms, 5 said they had machine weights and 5 said they had free weights. The others did not disclose that information. Of the 23 institutions that had strength training equipment, only 2 had established formal policies regarding equipment use. See Table 1 for a summary of responses to the six follow-up questions listed above. Dangerous Lifting Any physical activity carries some risk of injury. Strength training or weight lifting is no exception, but in strength training, 113

6 Journal of Correctional Health Care some factors can increase the degree of risk. These factors are highspeed/explosive movements and one-repetition maximum lifts. TableiI Summary of SuvyRespon~eR Number of institutions that do not require/have Number of institutions that do require/have Policy against 1 rep. max 2 21 Monitoring for safety 1 22 Power lifting meets 2 21 Warm-up 4 19 Cooldown 4 19 Stretching 4 19 Weight lifting techniques that involve high-speed/explosive movements have higher potential for injury than slower speed/nonexplosive movements, many experts believe (Bryzcki, 1995). High-speed movements use momentum to complete a movement, causing increased internal forces to the joint especially during the initial explosion to "throw" the weight and the deceleration that must take place to stop momentum. Experts believe that these acceleration and deceleration forces place initial and terminal stresses on tendons, ligaments, muscle fascia, and bone, and are more likely to produce injuries than exercises that are done in a slow and controlled manner (Bryzcki; Friday, 2001; Mannie, 2001; Mannie, 1996; Westcott, 1987). The general types of injuries that occur due to high-speed movements are traumas, contusions, pulls, muscle and tendon tears, dislocations, and fractures (Friday). Low back pain that results from various orthopedic injuries is the most common complaint by those who use explosive competitive weight lifting movements (Friday; Bryzcki). The traditional and most popular dynamic strength assessment has always been the one-repetition maximum (I RM). Unfortunately, this measurement technique also may be dangerous. Problems associated with 1RM lifting include the following: 114

7 Weight Lifting in Prisons Orthopedic stress: Even if it is performed with perfect technique, the IRM can cause trauma by putting an overload of forces upon muscles, bones, and connective tissues. Blood pressure response: 1RM lifts increase blood pressure beyond what is normally encountered during use of submaximal poundage. This is of greatest concern to younger and older populations due to the great demands put upon the heart. Peak systolic pressures in excess of 300 mmhg have been recorded by individuals performing IRM lifts (MacDougall, Tuxen, Sale, & Moroz, 1985; MacDougall et al., 1992), and this may be extremely dangerous. Skill proficiency: A 1RM lift requires skill that takes a great deal of practice and patience to acquire. This also requires a large amount of time because of the number of warm-up sets that must be performed to prevent injury. The time used to acquire this skill could be put towards more productive ventures. If IRM lifts are performed without proper warm-up or with subpar skills, the potential for injury increases. Also, the 1RM lift is a less efficient and less effective means of strength training, according to Brzycki (1995). Therefore, only inmates who are competing in power lifting/weight lifting events need to practice the skill of 1RM lifts. Recommendations Survey results show that most correctional facilities have no established policy regarding practice of safe and effective strength training techniques. Improperly supervised facilities may subject their inmates to higher injury potential and fail to achieve the desired results that strength training may otherwise offer. The majority of the environmental risks associated with the weight room can be effectively controlled. Even if highspeed/explosive movements are allowed and are supervised in strength training programs, a high injury potential still exists (Friday, 2001). Considering the information given, resistance training that is performed safely is beneficial to almost everyone. It 115

8 Journal of Correctional Health Care is recommended that all correctional facilities have qualified supervision inside correctional strength training facilities. Qualified personnel may include staff who are certified by nationally recognized organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine ( the National Strength and Conditioning Association ( or the International Association of Resistance Trainers ( The qualified personnel in charge should be knowledgeable about exercise prescription and strength training, should have in-depth knowledge of contraindicated exercises, and should enforce safe lifting policy. The safe lifting policy could include: 1. Limitation of one repetition maximum lifts allowed at least six repetitions should be performed for each exercise for most inmates. The following formula may be used to predict IRM from completion of 6 to 12 RM (Bryzcki, 2000): Predicted IRM = Weight Lifted X where X = the number of reps performed 2. Emphasis on slow and controlled lifting movements only 3. Emphasis on proper warm-up and cooldown procedures Mandates are not always the best way to institute change in the correctional setting (G. Polson, personal communication, February 5, 2003). Therefore, another recommendation is to conduct educational sessions that highlight these safety issues. A simple way to do this would be to appoint a knowledgeable recreation staff member and a knowledgeable infirmary staff member to collaborate on and deliver an educational presentation during an appropriate time to all eligible gym users. Conclusions Institutions that allow resistance training should develop an approach to ensure safe lifting practices in prisons. Unsafe lifting practices in prisons may not exhibit the common desired effects in inmates, and could render weight facilities not only useless but also 116

9 Weight Lifting in Prisons detrimental to health. Detrimental effects can result in a variety of musculoskeletal system injuries that not only cost tax dollars to treat but also may limit the inmate's work capacity and contribution to society inside and out of the correctional facility. Again, the health benefits associated with properly designed and executed strength training regimens include increased bone density, connective tissue strength, lean body mass, muscle strength, improved aerobic and anaerobic power and capacity, improved blood pressure, overall protection against heart disease and other chronic disease, and higher self-esteem (Neiman, 1999). In correctional facilities these benefits may contribute to positive inmate behavior, discipline, health, and productivity upon release. If safe practices are not followed, and if strength training programs are not supervised with qualified personnel at all times, then prisoners have greater potential to experience negative effects (injuries) from strength training programs rather than the positive. References American College of Sports Medicine. (2000). ACSMs guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Brzycki, M. (1995). A practical approach to strength training. Indianapolis, IN: Masters Press. Brzycki, M. (2000). Strength testing: Predicting a one rep max from reps to fatigue. Retrieved January 9, 2000, from Friday, J. (2001). Are explosive lifts safe and effective. Retrieved October 10, 2001, from 117

10 Journal of Correctional Health Care MacDougall, J. D., McKelvie, R. S., Moroz, D. E., Sale, D. G., McCartney, N., Buick, F. (1992). Factors affecting blood pressure during heavy weightlifting and static contractions. Journal ofapplied Physiology, 73(4), MacDougall, J. D., Tuxen, D., Sale, D. G., Moroz, J. R. (1985). Arterial blood pressure response to heavy exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 58, Mannie, K. (1996). Ballistic weight training dangerous and unnecessary. Hard Training, 1(1), Mannie, K. (2001). Explosive weight training. Retrieved October 10, 2001, from Nieman, D. (1999). Exercise testing andprescription (4th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. Polson, G. (2000). List ofissues concerning weightlifting in prisons. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from Westcott, W (1987). Strength fitness: Physiological principles and training techniques (2nd ed.). Newton, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 118