Lifting: A Matter of Form

As I walk into the weight room of the gym where I work out, I see overly ambitious men grunting and straining their backs and necks as they try to lift more weight than they did two days ago. Men everywhere are lifting barbells and dumbbells, using more weight than they can handle. How do I know this? It’s all in the form.

Good form is essential to weight lifting. As a fitness professional for seven years, I have seen the consequences of improper form. Complaints of low back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and hip pain are usually the result of lifting too much weight or improper body alignment. To make matters worse, many men tend to ignore pain or dismiss it as regular muscle soreness. They may hope that with more time and heftier workouts, the pain will go away. In many cases, however, the pain or condition gets worse.

What is good form? If you’re using weightlifting machines such as Nautilus, the proper form is usually clearly illustrated on a sticker posted on the machine. If you’re lifting free weights such as dumbbells and barbells with weight plates, keep the knees soft and slightly bent so that most of the pressure is borne by your thighs instead of the lower back. Remember this when you are between sets and changing the weight plates because, even though you aren’t doing a biceps curl, you are still lifting. Proper form also means keeping your head and neck relaxed and keeping the shoulders down so you aren’t hunching forward. This prevents neck strain and the type of back pain you feel between your shoulder blades when you’ve spent the day hunched over your desk or at the computer. Also, keeping your hips and shoulders forward and square when doing squats, for example, will help prevent hip or back pain.

Another thing to remember to prevent strains is this: lift the right amount of weight--and no more. Lifting too much weight compromises proper form. Overlifting also tends to force you to rely on body parts other than the ones you are targeting. For example, when doing biceps curls, a man who lifts too much weight will tend to arch his lower back because the biceps are not strong enough to lift the weight. The lower back compensates for this and moves back and forth as the arm lowers and lifts the weight. Done properly and with the proper weight, however, the arm will be the only thing moving while the back, legs and neck remain stationary.

For men who are just beginning a weightlifting program or resuming lifting after a long hiatus, it may help to hire a fitness trainer to show you proper body alignment and help you choose the right amount of weight to use. Sometimes, a fitness consultation is included as part of the membership fee. Men should not be hesitant to ask for assistance; in fact, learning how to properly execute an exercise will help you get the most out of your workout in the time you have.

So remember, the path to a lean and strong body is not how much you lift. It’s all in the form.

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Kristl Buluran has a graduate degree from the UCLA School of Public Health and is a clinical researcher in Los Angeles. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].