Lifting · 1 min read · Updated
Form basics: lift well, lift for years
Brace your core, control the weight, use a full range and stop a set when form breaks. The habits that keep you lifting.
Good form isn't about looking pretty. It puts the work on the muscle you're training and keeps stress off your joints and lower back. It's the difference between lifting for a year and lifting for life.
The universal rules
- Brace: take a breath into your belly and tighten your core before each rep of a big lift.
- Control the weight on the way down. No dropping, no bouncing.
- Full range of motion that your body allows, without pain.
- Keep a neutral spine on squats, hinges and rows: chest up, no rounding your lower back under load.
- End the set when form breaks. A grinder rep with a rounded back isn't worth it.
Learn the moves
Start light and own the movement first. Tap Show me next to any exercise in Gainsville to see how it goes. Filming a set on your phone from the side is one of the best coaches there is.
Cheating reps
Using a little body English to finish a rep is an advanced trick, used sparingly on the last rep of an isolation move. It's not a way to lift weights you can't control.
Safety first: Sharp pain, pain that changes how you move, or numbness and tingling mean stop the exercise. If it doesn't settle in a few days, see a doctor or physical therapist.