Proper Form For Weight Lifting At The Gym
Executing 3 Important Strength Exercises with Precise Form
When you are doing strength exercises in a fitness center or at a gym, it is always important to have the correct form.
Why Form Is Important
A question our team in the weight room at Gravity Fitness and Tennis is often asked is why form is so important. For one thing, the correct form can prevent you from developing injuries. Performing strength exercises using incorrect form can aggravate certain areas of a person’s body, which can make them more susceptible to injuries.
Correct form can improve your performance by helping you lift heftier weights, so you will experience better results overall. If you want to fully utilize almost any strength exercise, you must have correct form.
In the weight room at Gravity Fitness and Tennis, three common exercises include the bench press, the pull-up, and the barbell squat. To decrease injury and enhance performance, these exercises have certain procedures that must be followed. You will learn more in this article about the appropriate techniques for you to achieve the strongest and safest lifts.
Barbell Squats
If you are looking for a technically advanced exercise, we recommend the barbell squat.
If you want to perform a barbell squat using perfect form, here’s how:
Feet
Face your toes forward and keep your feet shoulder width apart. You will be able to focus more on driving up through your heels because they will stay put after you have lowered yourself to the ground. If you are on your toes because your heels came off the ground, then there are some mobility and flexibility issues that must be addressed.
Knees
Your knees should always be pushed out over the second toe on descent. Otherwise, you could be at risk for developing an injury if your knees cave inward. If you are having difficulty getting your knees to push out, your gluteus medius is probably weak. It can be strengthened with other exercises.
Hips
Your movement should always start in the hips. Begin this exercise by moving your hips backwards, as if you were sitting down in a chair.
Spine, Back, and Chest
Throughout the movement, your chest, back, and spine should remain in a neutral position to prevent injuries. Make sure your chest faces upward and outward instead of facing the floor while you are doing the squat. Some beginners tend to lean too far forward, which causes their chest to face towards the ground. This can occur if there are flexibility issues in a person’s hips. When you attempt to load much heavier weights onto your back, this can cause serious injuries to the lower back. When you’re grabbing the bar, make sure your elbows are pointing towards the floor. This will force your chest to stay in an upward position.
Core, Upper Back, and Shoulders
Make sure that your shoulders, upper back, and core are held in a stable, neutral position. These areas can be tightened up by pulling the bar down to pretend like it is being bent over your back. If you can do that, you should be able to hold your position without any difficulties.
There is a general rule you should follow regarding how far you are able to squat down, otherwise known as depth: without pain, squat down as comfortably as possible. Never allow the knees to go past the toes – your main objective is to achieve the best range of motion possible.
The Bench Press
So many fitness center fanatics enjoy the bench press. The problem is many people do not know how to perform this exercise properly.
If you want to perform a bench press using perfect form, here’s how:
Wrists
Whenever people are doing bench presses, their wrists often bend backwards. Your wrists must always remain in a neutral position, where they are at their strongest. If your wrists are bent, they could become injured, especially if you are using a very heavy weight. It may feel weird at first to position your wrists in a neutral position, but once you have gotten used to doing it, it should become second nature to you.
Chest
Make sure that the bar is lowered towards your chest. If you lower it higher on your chest area, it can put your shoulders at risk for injury due to the stress.
Upper Back
Your back should never be flat while you are on the bench. It should always have a slight arch. To decrease your risk of injury and keep your shoulders in a stable position, tighten up your upper back and pin your scapulas back. Make sure your feet and behind remain flat on the ground.
Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are one of the more difficult exercises to perform at the gym because there are so many variations of this particular exercise. Band pull-ups or assisted pull-up machines can help you work your way up to performing pull-ups using your own bodyweight. People sometimes confuse chin-ups with pull-ups. When you perform a chin-up, you are grabbing the bar with the palms of your hands facing towards you. Pull-ups are the exact opposite, as you want the palms of your hands to face away from you.
If you want to perform a pull-up using perfect form, here’s how:
Hands
Make sure your hands are slightly wider than the width of your shoulders when you are grabbing onto the bar.
Elbows
As you are pulling up, keep your shoulders back, while bringing both elbows to your side.
Shoulders
One common mistake people make when they are doing a pull-up is rounding their shoulders forward. You want to keep them back, as well as in position.
Upper Body
Your upper body should be kept in a straight and stable position. Your back should never become round.
Don’t try to get up by bouncing around and keep your reps under control.
Consistent Practice At The Gym
One of the major keys to proper form and weight training at the gym is consistency. Maintain a regular workout schedule for training will help you
achieve your goals.
The key to performing exercises correctly is form. How many reps you complete, or how much weight is being lifted is not important. Make sure you are practicing this skill in all of these exercises, and everything else will eventually fall into place. If you are using poor form, you’ll never improve an exercise if you become injured. If you are no longer able to perform physically, you won’t get better at an exercise at all. If you don’t want to progress backwards, it’s important for you to learn how to do these exercises properly in order to keep improving. You will be able to enhance the quality and longevity of your life much better if you correct your exercise, nutrition, and other life habits now, instead of later.
The Gym At Gravity Fitness And Tennis
The gym at Gravity Fitness and Tennis has all the top equipment for great weight exercises, including the squat, bench press and pull ups. Stop by the gym for a guided tour to get answers for your questions about our gym, weight training, personal trainers, courses and specials.
Resources: Gym At Gravity Fitness And Tennis Athletic Center Hailey ID
Gravity Fitness And Tennis
1970 Woodside Blvd
Hailey, ID 83333
(208) 788-7669