While you may finish a workout thinking that you just did an awesome job, what if you wake up the next day and you are sore? If you use the improper form when strength training, you may use the wrong muscles and end up with injuries.
Additionally, you are likely to not get the most out of your workout if you use improper form. It is important to use the correct muscles in order to build strength.
When you have proper form, you will be able to teach your body how to use your muscles more effectively in your everyday life.
Here are some common mistakes that people make when strength training that can lead to injury or an inefficient workout.
Deadlifts
With this exercise, people often round their backs, making their shoulders lean forward while they are dropping the weight. Rather than doing this, it is best to have a neutral spine while keeping it strong. Keep your shoulders back, tighten up your stomach, and make sure to bend at the hips rather than leaning over. This way, only your hips are moving. Your shoulders, back, and abdomen remain in the same plane as they were in your standing position. Keep your back flat and your spine neutral.
Bent-Over Row
Similar to deadlifts, you have to consider bending your body at your hips and make sure you keep a neutral spine while doing bent-over rows. As you pull your elbows back and move the weights toward your chest, keep your neck and head in a neutral position and in line with your spine. While you may want to check your form out in the mirror, looking up can add stress to your lower back. Instead, have somebody else spot you.
Bridge
While you may feel that you can do a bridge without engaging your glutes due to having a flexible lower back, this is not an effective method. You might feel the need to arch your back to thrust your hips off the ground, but you should think about keeping your back straight and abs tightened before bringing your hips up.
Pushups
There are several mistakes that can happen when doing pushups. First, you don't want to allow your head to hang forward, however, you also don't want to look upwards. Keep your head neutral. You also want to avoid bending your elbows out too far. Instead, allow your elbows to bend backwards at a 45-degree angle away from your body, which will allow you to engage your back muscles. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged while you slowly lower and raise your body, and keep your body straight during the entire pushup.
Plank
Many people get their planks wrong. This is bad because this form of exercise is the foundation of many other exercises, so it is important to get it right. Common mistakes include allowing your hips to rise up too high in the air or letting your hips fall, adding pressure to your lower back. Make sure to keep your spine neutral and your abs tight to stay straight, with your elbows placed directly beneath your shoulders.
If you follow these rules, you are more likely to get a more effective and efficient workout in. Additionally, it will lower your chances of becoming injured, which is important if you don't want to be benched for several days.
