Weight Lifting 101

You pick it up. You put it down. You pick it up again. Weight lifting is easy, right?

In fact, there are a lot of considerations in weight lifting that are easily overlooked. Imperfect technique can make lifting exercises ineffective, unnecessarily difficult, or even harmful. A few simple checks and adjustments before you pick up the weights will ensure that your exercise works for you, not against you.

For exercises that involve the chest muscles:

Maintain a neutral spine
Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears
Keep your shoulder blades as close together as you can
Don’t lock your elbows
Don’t let the weight drop too close to your chest -- it increases the risk of shoulder injury

For exercises that involve the back muscles:

Maintain a neutral spine
Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears
It's O.K. to scapular wing but not to the point of rounding your back forward
When performing lat pull-downs, pull bar down to your chest – never pull it behind your head

For exercises that involve the leg muscles:

Maintain a neutral spine
Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears
Don’t lock out your knees
When lunging or squatting, keep your knees directly over your ankles – don’t let your knees extend past your toes
Make sure your knees are always moving in the same direction as your feet

For exercises that involve the shoulders:

Maintain a neutral spine
Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears
When doing overhead presses, keep your arms perpendicular to your body, and don’t lower the weights past your ears
When doing side raises, maintain a slight bend in your elbows

For exercises that involve the arms:

Maintain a neutral spine
When doing bicep and tricep exercises, make sure your upper arms don’t move
In each repetition, concentrate on completing a full range-of-motion without curling your wrists

For exercises that involve the abs:

Focus on shortening the distance between your ribs and pelvic bones
Do not hinge at the hip – if you do, you’re working your hip muscles more than your abs
Choose crunches rather than full sit-ups (G. Reynolds, "Well: Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?" New York Times, June 17, 2009.)
Focus on maintaining a natural spine – it may help to place your hands under your lower back

Breathing

Exhale whenever your body is exerting
Don’t hold your breath

Hydration

Be sure to drink plenty of water – but not too much – before and during your workout
Be careful not to overheat