Exercise
How to Achieve Good Form in Any Exercise
How do you know if you have good form when you are exercising if you aren’t following an instructional program or have access to a personal trainer?
You might be wondering if the exercises you are doing are correct for what you are trying to achieve and if you are performing those exercises in the right way.
In this post I want to show you how you can set up perfect form every time no matter what exercise you are doing in just 5 simple steps.
Learning Throughout My Training Journey
I wish I had known about 5 steps to perfect form when I started my own fitness venture over 10 years ago. I often wondered if I was doing press-ups, planks, squats, lunges even ab exercises correctly. Sometimes I would feel twinges but I didn’t know any better then, I was just overweight and hated that I felt this way about myself I was determined to get on top of it asap.
It wasn’t until years later when I became a qualified Personal Trainer that I was gifted a book called The Supple Leopard by Kelley Starret a renowned physiotherapist and personal coach he has written many pieces on pain-free movement, mobility and strength.
In this book Kelley gave me my most valuable teaching tools that I teach to every single client and class member that I have ever taught.
I still use it every day for myself, new and current clients. If you have never heard about 5 steps to perfect form before let me tell you about them and show you how its done.
Now that you know how to apply 5 Steps an incorporate it in to your routine you will feel the difference as you focus on your anchors, being able to distribute weight evenly into them and drive movements into them.
Examples of Good Form in Different Exercises
Plank Can be a little trickier because we have no palms or heels to anchor from. In this instance I’m using elbows and forearms (an elbow plank works the core just a teeny bit more than a high plank). Arrange the anchors then glutes and core to maintain. Also don’t be annoyed if you have to do it on your knees. It is always better to be able to hold a movement with good control that force your body through something it isn’t ready for yet.
Squat With 5 steps applied you can focus on even weight distribution into your anchor points, this often results in being able to sit down evenly without putting pressure on the knees. You can then focus driving your bum (glutes) with even power into your anchors to stand up and being able to press the bum into an engaged core. You will feel much more glute activation for it and your knees won’t take a battering for doing it. If your knees ache from squatting – check out this video.
Push-up The secret to perfect push-ups is great anchors! See how they stabilise your form once fully anchored you can then distribute your weight evenly into your anchors as your lower down and press up evenly into them to for an awesome pec pumping push-up.
Applying the 5 Steps to Perfect Form
Have you only just learned 5 Steps to Perfect Form? Give them a go and see for yourself how much of a difference they make to your own routine!
I still use them everyday for my own training and for all my clients, it’s the perfect checklist to make sure you’ve set yourself up properly and are continuing to do it correctly.
Are you looking for an awesome morning wake up and work out live interactive class led by yours truly? Check out my 06:45 online, live group workout and weight-loss program led by me.
Want a bit of one on one coaching? I’m a personal trainer, nutrition and lifestyle coach all rolled into one – send me a message: [email protected]
