Proper Form

Dear BBQ,

I know what you mean, we all get bugged by having to see those teenaged wanna-be's workout every day in the gym using awful form and half-hazard sets cycles. 

Proper form is absolutely essential. Period. 

I will go over some common mistakes people make:

1. Bad bicep curls.

Obviously the most common. People will swing their hips to get momentum to pull the weight up. Other times they don't straighten their arms all the way, and often they make a horrible combination of the two. The goal of curls is not to lift the most about of weight, that is for bench press and deadlift, the goal is to get a ripped set of guns. To correct this follow these steps:

A. Extend to joint lock. 

B. Go slowly and isolate each arm.

C. If necessary use a pulpit to do preacher curls. 

Now remember, it is perfectly ok to pull a cheat rep or two at the end of a brutal set to get some extra pump, just do most yours reps right. 

2. Not squatting all the way.

Ok so everyone thinks that they squat deep enough, but if your knees are parallel that only counts as half a squat. To squat full you should be practically sitting on the floor. These types of deep squats are called ATG squats. Don't ask what it means... 

I tried out ultra deep squats for the first time today and it was actually really cool. Just make sure to stop if your knees start to come apart. 

Remember to keep your back straight too. 

3. Bent back Deadlifts.

Keep your back ramrod straight or you will regret it when you turn 32... 

Workout near a mirror to check your form.

4. Partial Rep Bench Press.

Touch your solar-plexus (not sure if thats how its spelled) with the bar each rep and go slowly so you feel your muscles squeeze. Remember, you get stronger when your muscles work, not when you move a heavy weight. Knock down the weight and do it right. 

If you notice all but the deadlift, done wrong, allow you to move more weight. This causes problems because young weightlifters like to brag. Trust me, you gain muscle much faster when you do the exercises with proper form, and you also don't break your body to pieces. 

Ryan