perfect form, no trainer required: 5 keys to perfect form with any exercise

Dave Reddy - Nov. 8th, 2006
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“We only ever grow as individuals when we leave our comfort zone.”

One of the many reasons people get stuck in a rut, temporarily plateau'd with their fitness progress, is that they continue doing the same exercises each workout, with the same weight, over and over again.The body will build up a tolerance to the same program after a couple of months, similar to the tolerance to caffeine or alcohol, therefore, we have to "shock" our bodies into change by occasionally mixing up the types of exercises we perform. People innately stay with familiar exercises because they've developed this comfort zone, then say they are avoiding injury or avoiding looking as if they do not know what they are doing at the gym. Well, I'm sorry to break this to you, but if you choose to read on, and learn the 5 keys to perfect form, you may consider those excuses are all but gone.

Two of your goals concerning your exercise program should be :

1. to be comfortable and confident while performing any exercise, whether at home, at the park, outside, or in a weight room,
2. to develop a similar comfort zone within your own body, so you improve your body awareness, and realize what you body is capable of doing.

When discussing exercising with proper form, we learn that these two ideas are inseparable.

While fitness professionals (hopefully) strive to create an “environment of success” by providing external motivation, education, and accountability, my ultimate goal when working with others is to develop in each person: body awareness, internal drive, and overall confidence that may enhance any particular aspect of that individual’s life.

This includes having the confidence to safely and effectively perform a wide variety of exercises without the need of a personal trainer. Because it is too difficult to remember the do’s and don’ts of every individual exercise, I've developed the “5 Keys to Perfect Form” to guarantee safe, effective form with any exercise you do.

5 Keys to Perfect Form:

1. Comfortable & Safe - before beginning any exercise, make sure you are comfortably in position, and safe from losing your balance or operating the exercise equipment incorrectly that may result in injury. If on a machine, make sure the bench and seat are both locked securely into position, and check out the picture (most machines have them) to make sure you are in the correct position. If you are standing during the exercises, give yourself enough room from others working out, dumbbells, water bottles, etc, especially if challenging your balance, or performing single leg exercises.

2. Posture - if we train with bad posture, we will live with bad posture. Train the way we want to live, stand, and sit. Whether seated or standing, keep your chest up, neck neutral, and shoulders (shoulder blades) back and relaxed. If you need to hunch over, round your shoulders forward, or otherwise fall into poor posture to complete a repetition of a given exercise, you've lost your form, and the weight is probably too heavy. If your postural muscles cannot withstand the strength of your arms or legs, you will develop an imbalance throughout your body that may lead to injury.

3. Breath - learn to control your breath, as their is a positive correlation between strength, relaxation and how your breathe during exercise. Although there are some exceptions, the rule of thumb is to exhale with exertion, meaning you should exhale as you are pulling (or pressing) against the resistance. If you learn to "exhale with a purpose", meaning you are aware of this exhale, tightening your abdominal muscles, and not taking a relaxing exhalation, you will find you are safely able to exert more force and improve your strength more efficiently. You do not need to exhale with every single repetition, just make sure you DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH while performing any resistance exercise. This causes your blood pressure to rise and limits the oxygen required for energy production and recovery. You may also feel light headed after an exercise that may indicate your are not breathing properly during the set.

4. Feel it in the correct muscle - “Work your body, not the machine”. Before performing any exercise, you should be aware of why you are performing the movement, i.e. what muscle are you attempting to work? Keep this in mind as you perform the movement to improve the “mind to muscle link”. If you are not feeling a stretch, fatigue or “burn” in the muscle(s) you are working on, you are probably doing the movement incorrectly.

5. Minimize momentum - When performing any physical activity, momentum often equates to lack of control, and therefore, increases your chance for injury. Always attempt to control the cadence of your movement as you concentrate on the muscle you are working. To move a weight through the full range of motion of an exercise, you need (momentum + muscle strength). When you feel you are swinging a weight or using momentum to complete a repetition, simply be aware of this, and that you should always be trying to lean towards using all muscular strength, and minimal momentum. There are times you use momentum to better stretch the muscle you are working. This is OK, just make sure you are in a safe and comfortable, injury free, range of motion.

Summary. Because it is important to change up the exercises in your workout every couple of months, we encourage everyone to attempt new movements, and not be held back by being unsure how to perform newer or unfamiliar exercises.
Do not let the worry of poor form stop you from doing so. Keep these tips in mind the next time you are attempting an exercise you read about online or in a magazine, or maybe an exercise you saw someone performing at the gym. Before long, you’ll be finding new ways to "keep your body guessing”, your workouts fresh and challenging, and avoid those dreadful fitness plateaus.

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