There is no doubt that over the last 10 years, women have emerged themselves into the weightlifting culture. Realizing that aerobic step-classes and yoga aren’t all that they need to create the “toned” body our society searched years for, more and more women started trickling their way into the free weights side of the gym, hopping off the ellipticals. This is awesome! And not to sound super feminist-but it’s about darn time. Growing up playing sports and having a dad who would help me lift weights in our basement, I was no stranger to lifting-but I will admit I had no idea what I was doing. And thats okay-because it was a step in the right direction. A ton of women ages 20 to 70, are starting to pick up the weights and put down the “10-minute Full Body Sculpt” DVDs.
However, along with this uprising, comes technique issues that are affecting their gains. You never know what advice you find on the internet these days (except these blogs of course ;) ) and it’s quite terrifying. Some of the “form” and “workout” advise these novice, and even long time lifters have been exposed to, is either wrong or way too technical that it becomes worse because they don’t understand how to engage the muscles correctly in order to execute the movement.
At The Spot Athletics, we offer technique sessions to first time clients of our facility included in our Life Ready Team Training. It’s great because it gives the client an hour with one of our coaches to make sure they learn the movement before jumping into their first strength training session. Also, it gives us an opportunity to pass on our knowledge, which makes us better coaches.
I am going to elaborate on a few outstanding technique issues that us coaches see across the board, especially in females. While it is mostly women who come see us have these issues, men definitely fall into these traps as well. The reason for why the form is demonstrated the way it is can be two fold: 1.) Just not knowing the correct technique and not understanding how to put the body in that position, and 2.) Weakness or range of motion limitations that prevent our bodies form getting into the correct position.
The over-extended squat
Why you are doing this? We females think that in order to use our glutes, we must stick our butt out as far as it can possibly go. Wrong! By doing this, you are hyper-extending you spine, lengthening and weakening your abs, and locking out your hips so it’s almost impossible for you to even hit depth. And sorry, but you are not even using your glutes at all-therefore making them even weaker and wasting your time.
How to fix it: Start by standing straight up when you take out the bar, and squeeze your glutes hard. Now-you are using them before you even squat! Maintain a neutral spine as you sit your hips back and bend your knees and push them out. Notice here how I sit back a little then my hips go straight down. I’m also bracing my abs tight throughout the entire lift-this is easy to do when you don’t lengthen your trunk. Don’t forget to squeeze your butt at the very top by posteriorly tilting your pelvis (that’s fancy for tuck your butt in and squeeze hard).
The squatting of the deadlift
Why you are doing this: Most likely because you haven’t been taught proper deadlift technique. The deadlift is a hinge pattern, not a squat pattern. With this type of error, your shifting weight onto your quads and knees, and putting everything you’ve got in your low back at the top. The bar is also far away from your body, causing even more stress on your lower back. No wonder you may have back pain when you deadlift, it was painful for me to do it wrong.
How to fix it: Make sure your knees are over your toes, HINGE back by sticking your butt back and feeling the stretch in your hamstrings. Back is flat-then pull. At the finish, like the squat, tuck your hips in and squeeze your glutes hard.
The standing incline bench press
Why you are doing this: Again, this is mostly a technique issue. Once you understand that your head moves around the bar, and not the bar around your head, you should nail it. Your abs are weak therefore not engaging how they should be, leaving everything up to your low back. By pressing out like this, you are putting a ton of unnecessary stress on your anterior shoulder.
How to fix it: Simply squeeze your butt and engage your abs hard (like someone is going to punch you in the stomach). Tuck your head back when pressing the bar up, then put your head all the way through once the bar has passed. Don’t forget to also keep your elbows underneath you as you press.
Elbows-out bench press and pushups
Why you are doing this: As females, we are know we don’t have the best upper body strength-and until recently, women have left the bench press up to the guys. The days are gone where women don’t bench. If you know that you bench and do pushups with your elbows straight out like this, you know it doesn’t feel good at all.You’re doing it this way because you don’t understand how to use you BACK during a bench press, therefore putting all the press in your shoulders. Pushups are the same-weak chest and poor trunk stability are keeping you from having good form. Remember: Mediocre form=less than mediocre results.
How to fix this: On the bench, put your shoulders down and back and think about puffing your chest up big. If you can maintain this position throughout the lift, this will keep you out of shoulder internal rotation-creating way less problems down the road. Bring the bar in the middle or right below your chest, elbows about 45 degrees-not straight out to the side.
On pushups, position your body to where your hands are directly over your shoulders. Harder to get all the way down? Use a board to touch your chest on drop to your knees.
The lat pull down shrug
Why you are doing this: Because you keep all of your tension in your upper traps. You don’t know where your lats are, let alone how to use them. So your very first movement is to elevate your shoulders and use your traps to bring the weight down (or yourself up).
How to fix it: Get the lat’s stronger. Perform shoulder depressions on the lat pull down machine-keeping your arms straight and get use to pulling the weight down using your lats instead of traps. Unhttps://youtu.be/XLGmmgDHNkEderstand and feel the way the scapula is moving downward.
The Over-Extended Glute-Ham Raise
Why you are doing this: You don’t know how to use your glutes and/or hamstrings. You relying on your low back to finish the motion.
How to fix it: When you bend your knees to come up, tuck your hips in fast and hard at the top like you are locking out a deadlift. If it helps, which is why I do it, you can roll your shoulders forward with your hands in front of you to try and prevent going into extension.
These technique issues are most commonly found in women from my experience. Again, these can also hold true for men. Look for “How to overcome the BroScience” in part 2 of technique fixes-the most common mis-haps in males across the board.
Reading this blog and putting what I’ve rambled about together during your training session can be tough. Let us at The Spot help you with your journey and get you performing exercises right so you look and feel the best.
Way to pick up the barbells, ladies.