More and more people are seeing the importance of working out to maintain their overall well-being. However, it is also necessary to ensure a proper form while you are doing your exercises to yield better results and to help avoid any injuries. This article lists down some of the ways that will be able to help you maintain a proper form while working out.
Barbell Curls
To maintain the proper form while doing barbell curls, make sure that your elbows are not in front of your shoulders. The reason behind this is that this can cause tension and strain to be transferred to your shoulders rather than developing the muscles in your biceps. As much as possible, keep your elbows tight and pull back. In this way, you will be able to target your biceps accordingly.
This is also applicable when you are doing other forms of exercises with a dumbbell such as hammer curls. In this case, what you can do is to explore online sources and click here on these sites to get more information on how to perform hammer curls with a proper form. Most likely, you will be aware that you should not swing the dumbbells up or even short-cut your range of motion. Keep in mind to also use the right grip according to your goals.
Squats
In performing squats, you should always remember to keep your back and shoulders relaxed. In parallel to this, your knees should always be in line with your toes. You should also continue squatting until the top of your tight is already below your knees. If you fail to squat lower than this, then you are limiting your range of motion, as well as the size of the muscles that you can build in your legs.
When you fail to squat low enough, you will also increase the likelihood of hurting your knees. This can be attributed to the fact that the force of the barbell won’t be able to shift on your hips. For this reason, make sure to brace your core as you squat. Also, make sure that your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Crunches
In doing crunches, make sure that you are lying flat on your back, having your knees bent enough for your feet to be flat on the floor. Slowly bring your shoulders off the ground. Hold this position for a couple of seconds before you exhale. This is considered to be the most effective form of crunches that will yield maximum results when it comes to strengthening your core.
Bench Press
When you are using the bench press, make sure that your elbows are not too high. In parallel to this, make sure that your elbows are as close to your rib cage as possible when you drive the barbell up. In this way, you are reducing the strain in your shoulder joints that may lead to serious injuries later on. The pressure is then on your chest and triceps. When you point your elbows directly out to the sides, the exercise will prove to be harder to execute as the barbell has to travel farther.
It is also a good idea to be mindful of your legs when you use the bench press. Avoid flailing your legs even if you get stuck on the bench press because you will only lose more power. Getting stuck only means that you are not tight enough when you start to do the exercise. Thus, make sure that your feet are firmly planted into the ground while keeping your bottoms on the bench before you do the routine. In this way, you will be able to tighten your lower body, boosting your strength and stability accordingly.
On the other hand, try squeezing your glutes and core as hard as you can as you push overhead to stabilize your lower back. The reason behind this is that bending backward as you push overhead can put enormous stress on the joints in your lumbar spine. This can then lead to a serious workout injury in the long run.
Jogging
There is also a right form in jogging and this is landing on the balls of your feet. You should also try to run as quietly as you can because both of these will train your body to absorb the shock from the ground. In this way, you will be able to prevent overuse injuries.
As much as possible, avoid jogging on your heels. The reason behind this is that this can rattle your ankles and knees. When you often do this, you will most likely experience shin splints or ankle injuries over time. This can also lead to knee pain because not only is jogging on your heels repetitive, but it is also inefficient, leading you to feel tired even before you maximize your endurance.
Pullups
When you perform pull-ups, concentrate on pulling your chest up while pulling your shoulder blades down and in. In this way, you will be able to activate the muscles in your rhomboids, helping you build a good posture as you keep your shoulders safe from injuries. When you let your shoulders rounded forward, you will most likely miss the benefits of a pullup. This can be attributed to the fact that you are aggravating poor posture.
Kettlebell Swing
Finally, in performing a kettlebell swing, you should avoid using your arms to pull the kettlebell. In parallel to this, you should also avoid going overhead with this heavy movement because doing so will put unnecessary strain on your shoulders. Rest assured that when you perform a kettlebell swing properly, you will be able to target the triple extension at your hips, knees, and ankles.
You need to maintain proper form while working out. Apart from yielding better results, this will also minimize your risk for any injuries. This will prove to be beneficial when you perform barbell curls, squats, or crunches. Rest assured that there are various ways on how you will be able to monitor yourself and your form even if you are working out alone.
