A lot of people jump into gym membership for one reasons or another
and often neglect getting some necessary information about getting
started with exercise. Whether you are new to exercise or a long
time practitioner, it doesn’t hurt to go over the basics.
A lot of these “rules” are for preventing injury,
but following them will also maximize the effort you put in and
you will notice results as you become stronger, leaner, and develop
a beautiful body.
The first rule of proper form is
range of motion. The most important thing to remember
with range of motion, is body position. For
almost all lifting positions, you want your center of gravity
below your hips, which can be accomplished by keeping your feet
apart the width of your shoulders and keeping your knees slightly
bent—as well as keeping your core tight.
We can accomplish this by tightening our abs/stomach and pulling
them in towards our spine. Not only does this give you a little
extra ab work during your exercise session, but it also helps
to prevent injuries.
It’s important to use only the muscles you are trying to
work for the full range of motion—all the way up, and all
the way down—keeping the joints you are not using stable,
but relaxed. Avoid hyper-extending joints, and don’t twist
things that should not twist. Do not lift weights that are too
heavy for you.
The second rule of proper form is correct
speed. Using momentum
is cheating. Explosive, jerky, fast movements don’t work
the muscle you are trying to use. They fire type II muscle fibers
which are not the ones you can really build, and they really don’t
burn fat either. To work the right muscles, you need to lift
slowly in two counts and lower in four. Yes, lower
more slowly than you lift so that you actually work the muscle.
Don’t let gravity do all the work for you, make the muscle
work and get more out of it. Remember, most of the effective part
of the exercise is the relaxation part. Taking time to lower the
weight slowly can make a light weight seem challenging and give
you an excellent workout.
The third rule of proper form is breathing.
NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!
This creates an excess of pressure in your cardiovascular system,
(in other words, you raise your blood pressure) which could facilitate
a heart attack or stroke if you are already at risk. The proper
way to breathe is to exhale whenever you are exerting, or straining
against the weight. Sometimes this is pulling, sometimes this
is pushing. You inhale as you are relaxing and allowing the weight
to return to the resting position. By
exhaling during the exertion you help to tighten your core and
provide a good stable base of strength from which to lift the
weight. Lifting with a “loose core”
could result in preventable injury. Keep it tight and stay healthy.
And finally the fourth rule of proper
form is lifting ENOUGH weight. You have to stress
the muscle to make it stronger. Some men and women worry about
bulking up but unless they are specifically trying hard, training
properly, eating properly and resting properly with the GOAL of
gaining size, they aren’t going to gain much if any. If
anything, their body will lean up as the fat starts to come off.
Strength training is just that, training to get stronger and you
do have to lift progressively more weight, either in additional
repetitions—which raise total weight lifted—or increase
the weight. It should be your goal
to increase total weight each session. The easiest
way to do this is to add a rep. You should shoot for between 1
and 3 sets and 10-15 repetitions is all you need to develope strength
and shape the body.
Knowledge is the most important factor in any endeavor. Knowing
how to lift, when to lift, and what to lift will help to achieve
fitness goals. If you have any questions, be sure to contact a
fitness professional. •
