When exercises are not done with proper form the risk of injury greatly increases and the effectiveness of the workout goes down. Form is extremely important for results as well as safety. Commonly, people try to lift far too much weight than what they can handle with proper form.

General Tips:

• Control the movement -do not swing the weights, or arch your back
• Keep propoer posture for every exercise (back tall, shoulders back)
• Ensure that you breathe out on the concentric phase of the exercise, and breathe in on the eccentric phase
• Increase the intensity in some way eahc time you workout (decrease rest, increase reps/sets, etc.)
• Write everything down
• Go to full intensity -do the maximum amount of reps you can with proper form

Deadlifts

• Common errors:
  • Rounding the back and shoulders
  • Dropping the head too low
• Corrections:
  • Keep your back flat -stick out your butt as you lower the weights, and bring your hips forward as you come back up
  • Keep your shoulders back, do not let them round forward
  • Keep your head in line with your spine

Rows

• Common errors:
  • Letting your arms do all the work
  • Rounding the shoulders forward
  • Raising shoulders up as you row
  • Locking the elbows
• Corrections:
  • Before beginning the row, make sure you have proper posture (eyes forward, shoulders back, sitting up tall)
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you row back
  • When your arms go forward again, keep your shoulders back, and keep a slight bend in your elbows

Biceps Curls

• Common errors:
  • Swinging the arms and arching the back
  • Not going through the full range of motion
• Corrections:
  • Keep the weights controlled, flex your abs instead of arching your back
  • If you cannot go through the full range of motion, choose a lighter weight

Shoulder Press

• Common errors:
  • Pushing the weights forward to much when pushing up
  • Arching the back
• Corrections:
  • Keep the weights lined up with your ears as you push up and come back down (when they are forward, it becomes more of a chest exercise)
  • Flex your abs instead of arching your back

Squats

• Common errors:
  • Knees coming too far forward over the toes
  • Knees going outward or inward
  • Shoulders rounding forward
  • Back angled too far forward compared to shin angle
• Corrections:
  • Knees should almost be at a 90 degree angle, not poking over toes
  • Keep your knees lined up with your feet, not inward or outward
  • Keep your shoulders back and chest up
  • Do not arch forward with your back

Lat Pulldown

• Common errors:
  • Yanking the bar down
  • Rounding the back when bringing the bar back up
  • Brining the bar behind the head
• Corrections:
  • The bar should be controlled as you bring it down; keep your back stable
  • As you bring the bar back up, keep your shoulders back, and do not round your back
  • Bring the bar down in front of your head, right down to your chest as you squeeze your back

Bench Press

• Common errors:
  • Not enough of a support base
  • Brining the bar down in the wrong spot
• Corrections:
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together, keep your heels firm on the ground
  • The bar should be lined up with your chest, not in front or behind

Plank

• Common errors:
  • Sagging of the lower back
  • Dropping of the upper back
• Corrections:
  • Keep your hips tucked underneath you so that your back does not arch
  • Push your shoulder blades up so that your back is flat