The Importance of proper form during exercise cannot be overstated. Ask any personal trainer or fitness coach and they will tell you that doing 5 reps of any exercise using correct form and technique is more effective than doing 20 reps with poor form.
You might think this topic is pretty straight-forward, but actually it is fairly complex. The reason for this is because knowing and practicing correct form during exercise is a skill that requires learning and repetition.
Throughout this blog, I have extolled the virtues of exercise, regular daily exercise and being motivated to start an exercise routine. Motivation, determination and routine are fantastic and all necessary to achieve your fitness goals. However, you also need know-how; that is to say, you need to know the correct way to exercise. You need to learn correct form.
Think back to high school, or even grade school and Phys-Ed class (or Fizz-Ed class as I like to remember them as). Surely you can recall at least one well-meaning teacher who taught you how to do situps and push ups. Sit Ups were performed by laying flat on your back, then reaching up and across to touch your toes. Personally, I never really felt much going on in my gut, but my back sure did hurt afterwards. Push-ups seemed just as pointless to me, no one told me to squeeze my butt and keep my back straight not swayed. So again, very little affect for me at that time, except again to aggravate my back.
No fault to the Fizz-Ed teachers; they were simply teaching what was practiced at that time.
These days, physical fitness and nutritional health are not just for the fringe few. Fitness and health have become "buzz words" that are known by the general public. Yet sadly, only 15% of Canadians achieve the recommended weekly 150 minutes of physical activity; according to the Globe and Mail . What the Stats Can survey does not take into account is the quality of the exercise that the 15% are engaging in. I think its safe to say most people would prefer quality over quantity in most things; TV shows, movies, food, cars etc.
So I've kinda wandered away a wee bit from my original thought here, but the point is that correct form (aka: quality) is very important during your exercise sessions. So now the question is, how do you learn correct form??
You can research; like I've done here for you OR you can book a few personal training sessions with a qualified Personal Trainer at your gym.
If you decide to take the route I recommend most, which is work with a Personal Trainer; make the most of your sessions by asking outright what you want to achieve; that is TELL YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER WHAT YOUR FITNESS GOALS ARE. They can only help you if you tell them; so don't be shy. Second; during your training sessions, if you have any questions or are unsure about what you are doing ASK QUESTIONS!. The best Personal Trainers will respond to your questions and will be further inspired by your interest in your own physical health.
When I started my most recent personal training sessions, my trainer had me use free-weights for some of the exercises. I had never used free-weights before and I told him that so that he would know I was a beginner. This gave him the opportunity to teach me the correct form; thereby achieving maximum effect while performing the exercises AND most importantly; avoiding unnecessary injury or strain that can happen when you perform an exercise with poor or incorrect form.
Again; I want to repeat that last point:
Using proper form during exercise will help you to achieve maximum effect while performing the exercises AND most importantly; avoid unnecessary injury or strain that can happen when you perform an exercise with poor or incorrect form.
Of course, you can also learn correct form from books and videos. Be sure to check the dates to ensure the information is current and check if the author and their information is backed by a government agency or other qualified agency.
I found a few web sites and videos in a quick search for correct exercise technique:
Squats: this one describes the squat technique I use which was taught to me by my personal trainer
Abdominal Exercises: This video shows a series of exercises done together to achieve optimal results, I actually use about half of these exercises in my own routine. The demonstrator in the video is quite good at explaining the mechanisms behind the exercises
I'm pretty picky, these three were the only ones I found so far, that were easy to understand and also showed correct form during the exercise. I was trying to find some videos showing free weight exercises similar to the ones I have been taught. But I was not able to find any today.
Basically, I use a 20 or 30lb barbell for the first exercise. The idea is to hold the weight in front of you, allowing your arms to relax stretched down fully in front of you while you stand with your legs hip width apart, knees very slightly bent, feet pointed forward. Slowly bend at the waist (do not bend at your knees); pushing your butt out behind you until your hands holding the weight lower past your knees. Be sure to keep your chest and head up, looking straight ahead. Hold for 1 second then come back up more quickly than you went down; squeezing your butt while doing so. Keep your core (tummy) tight during the exercise. If done correctly; you should feel the exercise work your butt, thighs, tummy and lower back. I had started with 20lbs several weeks ago and today I used 30lbs and was able to feel the exercise again. Do about 15 reps, then mix with 15 reps of two other exercises and repeat 4 times.
If you find some great videos showing excellent proper form for exercises, please send me the links and I will post them here for everyone to share.
The summary of today is to remember that proper form is extremely important during your exercise routine. Whenever you are unsure, always ask a personal trainer or seek other professional advice. An easy rule to use is that if the exercise is causing you pain; then its probably not working correctly. The key is to know the difference between pain and the normal burn you feel when working the muscle correctly. A personal trainer can help you to learn this and they can help you to achieve your own fitness goals.
Until next time; don't sweat the small stuff...
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