question for lifters

Yaxomoxay
Yaxomoxay Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When you started how did you learn proper technique? Trial-n-error, book, personal trainer, etc?

Replies

  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
    Starting Strength book and YouTube.
  • kellapicola
    kellapicola Posts: 28 Member
    I hired a personal trainer to show me form on the machines as well as with the free weights. I also go on bodybuilding.com and watch the videos on it of how each exercise is performed. I also try to read as much as I can about form, exercises, plans, etc. Hope that help! :)
  • farsteve
    farsteve Posts: 157 Member
    Most all of the more modern books give examples on how to do different lifts.
  • fstfrd00
    fstfrd00 Posts: 33 Member
    All the above plus online (googling / youtube). There are many excellent resources to help you (your form).
  • chrisb75
    chrisb75 Posts: 395 Member
    You Tube is your friend. As is the StrongLifts website.
  • sh1nee
    sh1nee Posts: 1
    youtube
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    Videos are a good way- but not just watching, but videoing yourself doing the lifts so you can evaluate your own form compared to someone doing the lift properly. Finding a mentor is also really good, you can learn a lot in just 1 or 2 sessions with someone who really knows what they are doing. I used to help kids on my son's football team in high school put 20-30lbs on their bench in 1 workout just by helping them with form and technique. There is NOTHING more important than form and technique when lifting. It helps you do the best you can and helps you avoid hurting yourself.
  • oOMusicBabii
    oOMusicBabii Posts: 494
    Google, youtube and a mirror. I just built my first routine after a month of research so we will see what happens over the next couple weeks.
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
    I studied Health and Exercise Science in college and just picked it all up
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Classes way back when, books, and videos.
  • cad39too
    cad39too Posts: 874 Member
    New Rules and youtube
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    If I am unsure about the technique for a specific lift I you tube or break out my New Rules of Lifting book. However, if you are a beginner I suggest putting together a program you want to do with a list of basic lifts and the procuring yourself a personal trainer to run through proper positioning and form correction for those lifts. I see a lot of dangerous stuff on the weightroom floor.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    All of the above and starting out with a ridiculously low weight (for me) so that I could actually "cheat" and watch my form but not risk hurting myself.
  • Vlly4life15
    Vlly4life15 Posts: 248 Member
    I try to film myself and I watched a lot of youtubes
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    This is a little off topic, just an observation- I see some replies that say people are new lifters, and they have created their own routine. My question would be why do that when there are so many proven routines out there already that you can try? People who know what they are doing and have had success can be a big help in that regard. Whether it's a personal trainer, the big dude in the gym, someone with experience to help you set up a plan based on your goals. Otherwise, it's a mish mosh of exercises that overwork some muscles and neglect others.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Youtube, reading up online, and a little bit by trial and error. I'm doing stronglifts, and ended up with my knees killing me. My knees were drifting inward while squatting, so I deloaded and worked on form for a few weeks. Finally starting add weight back to my squats.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    There was no youtube when I started lifting.

    I learned from a comination of my gym teacher, the owner of the gym I went to, and later my college roomate who was very big into body building.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    Personal trainer to start off with then I bought the Body for Life book that had photos in there with instructions for the main muscle groups which pretty much set me on my way. If I am unsure about anything I will ask gym staff
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
    Research.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    This is a little off topic, just an observation- I see some replies that say people are new lifters, and they have created their own routine. My question would be why do that when there are so many proven routines out there already that you can try? People who know what they are doing and have had success can be a big help in that regard. Whether it's a personal trainer, the big dude in the gym, someone with experience to help you set up a plan based on your goals. Otherwise, it's a mish mosh of exercises that overwork some muscles and neglect others.

    In my post I did say "putting together a program" what I meant was "picking out a program."

    As an aside, I've tried a few, New Rules of Lifting when I was just starting out, Strong Lifts following that, and right now I'm doing PHAT. I've broken out and done my own thing for a while here and there, but PHAT seems to be doing the trick for me right now. New Rules, Starting Strength, Strong Lifts are all good beginners programs. bodybuilding.com also has a library of programs to choose from, so you are correct in that you don't have to go it alone, there are some really great programs to be had.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,157 Member
    I started with Body for Life. Then, I moved onto New Rules of Lifting for Women - and with that program, everytime I started a new "stage", I would book 2 sessions with my gym's personal trainer. He walked me through an "A" work-out and then, next time, through a "B" session.

    I really felt that having good FORM, from the start, was KEY. As an injury-prone individual, it's been great to be virtually injury-free by doing it this way!
  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
    Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe

    "So you think you can squat" and "So you think you can bench" series on Youtube

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