Do You Make These Exercise Mistakes? 4 Quick Fixes for Bad Form

Gym time is precious so you want your exercises to be effective. As well, you want to make sure you are safely performing each exercise using proper form and technique.

There are common mistakes people make when doing standard exercises. In the video below I demonstrate the mistakes and show you the proper way to do a squat, push up, lunge and row.

Squats

Incorrect Form:
– knees caving in
– leaning forward too much
– butt to high up

Correct Form:
– feet outside hips, toes slightly turned out
– knees track over 2nd and 3rd toes
– butt down
– fairly upright upper body (chest open)

Push Ups

Incorrect Form:
– head too far down (reaching towards floor)
– core sagging
– butt to high up (sometimes it’s too low)

Correct Form:
– think moving plank
– body solid: glutes, lats, core are engaged
– shoulders down
– head, upper back and butt all in one line

Lunges

Incorrect Form:
– feet too close together
– leaning forward too much

Correct Form:
– feet hip distance apart
– 90 degree bend in knees
– upright upper body (think elevator not escalator)

Row

Incorrect Form:
– shoulders shrugged (too high)
– lifting with arms (biceps) not back

Correct Form:
– shoulders down and back (shoulder blade retracted)
– pull with back bringing shoulder blades together
– think about having a pencil on your spine and squeezing to keep it there

I hope this helps you improve your workouts. If there are other exercises you have questions about, or you want me to review your form, get in touch! Send a photo of you doing the exercise and I’ll get back to you with suggestions.