Ensuring proper form when lifting.

Phrick
Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm about ready to enter the weight room again after ages of not lifting (or doing anything, except gain all my weight back +30). The last time I did any type of lifting I had a trainer and never really paid attention to learning proper form and technique, as he was always there to correct things when I got haywire. So now I don't have a trainer nor the funds for one, and I have unstable knees and ankles and lumbar spine - and have to protect these since I also have no insurance at the present. So I guess my questions are,

1) can you learn proper form and technique from a book (such as NROLFW)?
2) would I be better off saving to buy a few sessions with a personal trainer again?
3) am I possibly one of the few who shouldn't venture into the weight room just yet? (FWIW, my SW was 254, my CW is 246, and my GW is 145. I'm 35 years old and 5' 7.5" tall)

Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Read books, watch YT videos, and possibly hire a trainer for a day to ensure you are using proper form. Also, start doing the exercises with no weight and work up gradually with each session to ensure you're using proper form.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    As a side note, I actually watch videos for the exercises I'm doing that day right before going to the gym and I go through the motions at home after stretching, just as a warm up.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    Its never too soon to enter the weights room. Lifting now will help you maintain muscle which in turn will help burn fat. I started lifting 8 months into my weight loss and regret not starting sooner.

    You can learn form from books and u-tube, but if you are anything like me, having someone tell you where you are going wrong would be more beneficial. I use a PT, its not cheap, but has been worth it.

    Good luck.
  • starcatcher1975
    starcatcher1975 Posts: 292 Member
    If you live close to a university with a gym see if you can join there, they usually have discounted rates on personal trainers. Some may be willing to work outside of the school gym for reduced rates. (Some schools only allow students, faculty and staff to use the facilities though) You could also try the Y, some people don't like it, but mine is great and the employees are very helpful. There's always someone willing to show a person how to do the move correctly or how to modify a move if needed.

    As someone already said, I read through the move several times (I use NROLFW and bring the book with me to every workout) and even "practice" doing it with no weights a couple times to be sure I have it. If I'm still unsure, I'll youtube it.
  • westcoastgrl21
    westcoastgrl21 Posts: 172 Member
    1) I recommend watching videos online of the exercises you want to do. Bodybuilding dot com has a great database of them, with good instructions. I agree with the previous suggestion to practice them without added weight to get the proper form.

    2) If you still feel lost after doing this then a session with a PT may be useful.

    3) If you are beginning your fitness journey now, then you should start lifting weights now. There is no reason to wait...I'm not even sure what you'd be waiting for?
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Thanks folks. The only ONLY reason I was wondering about waiting is because of risk of injury - if I do something wrong and injure myself, I don't have insurance to cover medical expenses. Only reason. I think I'll probably save toward hiring a trainer. For now I have a gym membership however that will be coming to an end at the end of May so I'll have to reevaluate then.

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