KNOW-HOW TO LIFT WEIGHTS PROPERLY
The benefits of working out with weights are huge, lax of age or level of fitness. If you find yourself making a bee-line for the treadmill at each gym visit, these tips will help you to feel more confident in approaching the weights area.
Many of our members have previously been working out on their own at gyms in Clapham. It’s common to hear that they find the gym-floor an intimidating environment. This is often because they’re unsure of what they’re doing. They find excerption weights particularly confusing. Also, the thought of lifting weights incorrectly and becoming injured can be terrific.
HERE ARE 5 TIPS TO GIVE YOU THE KNOW – HOW TO LIFT WEIGHTS PROPERLY IN GYM
1. KEEP CORRECT FORM TOP PRIORITY
The most important tip to remember when terrific weights is that bad form is the express route to injury. To make sure you have the correct form, keep the following points in mind.
IF IT FEELS PAINFUL, DON’T KEEP DOING IT
The entire concept of ‘working through the pain’ is nonsense. Muscular ache and fatigue are different than sharp pain – the former is a part of the process, the latter is a red flag to stop. If you find that an exercise is painful, make a mental note of where and at what point the pain is occurring, and then ask for a gym trainer to watch your form without resistance. By performing the exercise without weight you’ll get a better idea of what can be done to correct the movement.
DON’T SACRIFICE YOUR FORM TO LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS
Use the correct form as a guide to help you increase the resistance lifted. If you have to round your back to complete a deadlift correctly, lower the weight and do it right – your low back will thank you for it.
ASK FOR HELP
If you have a question or need someone to spot you during an exercise, ask one of the gym trainers to help you.
2. BRACE TO SUPPORT YOUR BACK
The Bracing Sequence, developed by Dr. Kelly Starrett, is a simple, 4-point process that ‘resets’ your spine. This is crucial to weight training because when your spine is in alignment, you are lifting weight safely. When you are not aligned you are exposed to injury risk.
3. PUSH YOUR KNEES AND SHOULDERS OUT
To understand the importance of this point, it’s necessary to explain the concept of ‘torque’. Torque is the process by which you twist a joint in order to stabilize it. The more stable a joint is, the more safely you can perform the exercise.
See the video below to understand how to utilize torque to stabilize your joints when performing squats and overhead press.
SEE HOW JESS USED THE FIT TO the LAST FRAMEWORK TO TRANSFORM HER BODY
4. TRAIN YOUR WHOLE BODY NOT JUST FAVOURITES
I’ve been guilty of this many times, and I’ve seen others do this often too – completing exercises they like the most or that they excel at most.
You’re only as strong and stable as your weakest link. If the balance is a problem for you, start performing exercises on one leg (it works, trust me). If your legs feel weak and unstable, make them your prime area of focus. By paying attention to your weakest points, you will come stronger and more stable overall.
5. CONTROL YOUR PACE OF MOVEMENT
It’s important to control your pace to maximize the benefits of using resistance. When you lift quickly (unless you are lifting for power), you will use momentum to complete the exercise. By slowing down the pace of movement, you will strengthen the joint(s) being used as well as causing a sustained contraction of the targeted muscle group. When a muscle contracts for longer, you will see more benefits from the training. By moving slowly through your exercises, while it may be tougher to complete the sets it will actually be a more effective use of your training time.
Follow these 5 tips to get more out of your workouts at the gym, but as importantly to feel more confident so that you visit the gym more often. The key takeaway — practice makes perfect!
