Home Gym safety should be top of your list when you are planning on what fitness equipment to buy. You should also keep safety in mind when you are working out. After all, in a healthclub gym there are generally plenty of people around you who can help if something goes wrong. But at home you could well be exercising alone. These tips will help you prevent an accident.

1) Maintain Proper Form

Always make sure that you lift weights in the correct manner. It is far more important to lift using the correct form rather than lifting heavier weights. Lifting weight in the incorrect way can put unnecessary stress on the muscles and underlying joints and tendons. This can lead to traumatic or chronic injuries. To prevent this from happening many exercises are best performed by having your back straight, your stomach muscles tightened and your elbows or knees slightly bent.

2) Use a Spotter

A spotter is a friend that will watch you while you lift a weight to make sure that you don't drop it on yourself. It is useful to have a spotter when you are lifting free weights over you such as a barbell bench press. Let your spotter know how many reps you're going to perform so that they can be ready when you start to tire.

3) Use a Machine

If you are likely to be working out alone or without access to a spotter, then using a machine can remove the risk of lifting weights overhead. A Smith machine can be used to lift a barbell overhead. It is designed with hooks that will catch the bar if it is dropped. There are various other weight machines that will allow you to lift weights in a safe manner. These are ideal for beginners.

4) Move Weights Carefully

If you are moving weights around or lifting free weights off the floor in your gym, do so in a safe manner. This could be at the start or end of an exercise. You should bend your knees and keep your back straight.

5) Use Collars on Free Weights

Always use collars on free weights to make sure that the weights do not come off the end of the bar and cause injury. Although it's sometimes tempting to just get on with the exercise to save time, this could be an accident waiting to happen if you don't correctly fix the collars.