Edgar Artiga
So the New Year is upon us, and you’ve decided it’s finally time to put some serious muscle on your frame. You do your due diligence in signing up for a gym membership, but seeing all of the workout machines and tools leaves you feeling a bit intimidated. The thought of stepping into the free weight section is daunting enough, but actually performing some of the weight room's most popular lifts is downright frightening.
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Here are five important moves that may seem overwhelming at first, but with the right instruction can be mastered in short time.
1. Squats
One of the most generally agreed upon result-producing movements is also one of the most intimidating when it comes to performing them correctly with weight. The most commonly used variation of a loaded squat is the back squat. When you're ready to give this king of legs exercises a try on your own, make sure to follow this checklist:
- Start with an empty bar to master the correct form. Remember, form matters above anything. Once comfortable with movement, you can add a gradual load.
- Set the bar holsters at just below shoulder-level, so you can easily remove and return the bar.
- Make sure the bar rests on your upper back, not your neck.
- Pinch your shoulder blades together to make the chest tall, and to support the load on your back. It’ll make things more comfortable.
- Set your hands on the bar just outside shoulder-width, and apply more tension through your upper body by squeezing outwards on the bar with your hands.
- Get into position by setting your feet at a comfortable width (this may take trial and error via a few bodyweight reps beforehand to determine).
- Breathe in, hold it, and then squat “tall”—keep your heels on the ground at all times, spread the knees, and let the butt sit back and down. Aim to keep your torso as upright as you can, and focus on keeping the chin tucked the entire time.
- Stay tight, and drive up through the full foot, exhaling near the very top of your rep.
- Keep the reps low (5-6 reps per set) to ensure quality.
One more thing: If these cues give you a hard time, dumb things down by going to an easier lift that can prepare you for the back squat. The kettlebell goblet squat is a good option that will encourage a tall spine and enforce good form.
Getty / Mr. Big Photography
2. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are bad for your back, right? Wrong.
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In truth, anything is bad for you if it’s not performed correctly. Luckily, you’re learning to do it the right way here. As you may have learned with the squat, a key with many compound movements like these is to protect your spine at all costs, so the way you set up will encourage that and also allow the bar to travel in a straight line from top to bottom (which is the way to use your strength and leverage to your advantage).
- In a conventional deadlift, the feet are kept hip-width apart, and the shoelaces are to be located below the bar at all times.
- Place hands on the bar just outside the shins, and squeeze the chest up high. That will encourage your back to stay straight and your posterior to be tight.
- Keep the heels firmly on the ground, and fill your stomach with air.
- Next, simply contract your glutes and stand up with the bar.
- Stay focused on the floor a few feet in front of you, and focus on keeping the chin tucked the entire time.
- Stay tight on the descent, too. Don’t collapse—that’ll be the way to hurt your back.
- “Drag” the bar down the legs by pushing your hips back as you lower the bar to the floor.
If conventional barbell deadlfits are a touch too advanced, you’ll likely find it easier to get the right back position when you assume a medium sumo stance.
Getty / Marco_Piunti
3. Overhead Press
If you’re new to working out, chances are you won’t see as many examples of overhead pressing as you should. The reason is simple—even experienced lifters shy away from this one, because they’re hard. That shouldn’t discourage you. Here’s the blueprint:
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- Set the bar up the same way you did with the squat (just below shoulder-level).
- Hold the bar with a firm grip, with the hands just outside shoulder-width. The elbows should be pointing downwards, just ahead of the bar. Step back, and keep the feet hip-width apart.
- Squeeze everything tight. Your abs and glutes should both be engaged as the bar rests on your collarbone. Take a big breath in, and press the weight straight overhead. Aim for your nose on the way up; you won’t hit it.
- Once the bar clears your head, drive your face “through the window” you create with your arms. The biceps should be in line with your ears, not in front of your face. Exhale as the bar nears the top.
- Disallow the back from arching too much as you reach overhead. This will be achieved by keeping the glutes and abs engaged.
- Lower the weight slowly to the collarbone, and repeat.
- Keep the reps low (5-6) to encourage good form.
Edgar Artiga
4. Bench Press
We’ve all seen horrendous YouTube videos of dangerous bench press fails that nearly decapitate the lifter. Don’t be that guy. Train smart. Almost all of that comes from having the proper setup on the bench:
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- Keep your shoulder blades pinned on the bench by pulling them back. It helps to wear a shirt with a print on the back, so it “sticks” to the vinyl.
- There should be a notable arch in the back. Nothing crazy and back-breaking, but there must be definite space between your back and the bench.
- Pull the feet in close. Your knees should be bent inside 90°.
- Hold the bar with a grip that creates no more than a 90° angle at the elbow when the bar contacts the chest. It can be even narrower if it’s more comfortable on your shoulders.
- When you lower the bar, be sure the forearm is vertically underneath it, creating a perpendicular line to the floor.
- Always “blow the bar away”—exhale on the press portion of the lift.
- Remember to push with everything. Keep your butt on the bench, and drive your feet into the floor on every press. It’ll help the strength of your movement.
Getty / Mr. Big Photography
5. Pullup
Truth be told, it’s a bit inaccurate to say most beginners are intimidated by pullups or chinups. Since they’re mainly done with bodyweight and any beam available you can get your hands around, it’s an accessible and often practiced move among many men.
Sadly, it’s also one of the most often bastardized movements in the gym, and bad form can lead to problems that you should be intimidated by. With that said, it's worth mentioning that it all comes down to is how you start the lift. Most people who perform pullups are looking for back development—both in size and strength. But they don’t pull using the back muscles as the dominant driving force. And that’s a problem. To make the lats do their job, three things have to happen:
- The shoulder blades have to move inwards and downwards, and they have to do so first.
- The ribcage has to rise toward the bar.
- The elbows have to finish things off by bending as far as the body will allow.
This is much more challenging than it looks, and proper pullups can humble lifters who are used to using poor form. So you don’t fall into the same category, start conservatively by honing the skill of initiating your shoulder blades.
Once you’ve got that down pat, do the full thing, and pull the eyes right up to the bar. Rather than push yourself for sets of 10-15 reps, do the opposite and get the same number of reps, broken up into several sets (forget about 4 sets of 10, and go for 10 sets of 4 instead). This will preserve the quality.
5 Stars
Earning your stripes in the gym takes a methodical approach that starts at ground zero. If you want lasting gains, the rule is simple: don’t skip steps. The second you do, you’ll probably be skinny, weak, and injured, and that’s the kind of triple threat nobody wants to be.
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