In October 2018, physical therapist and world record-breaking weightlifter Stefi Cohen posted an image on Instagram that was always going to be controversial: a man deadlifting with a rounded back.
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“People worry when they see deadlift from someone with a rounded back”, he wrote, but wrongly, in Cohen’s opinion. In the post, he meticulously discusses the complex biomechanics at play before concluding: “I like to think there is no bad move, but rather a lack of preparation for it.” In other words, it’s your force in a given position that makes it good or bad, not the position itself. (Her post garnered over 1,200 comments.)
This idea, that there is no single, universally “correct” way to perform an exercise, is divisive. For one thing, there are 50-minute YouTube videos dissecting the ins and outs of squatting; on the other, lifters who casually throw their weight behind rollers and presses, seemingly without consequence. But is good form really just a matter of individual preference?
We are all built differently
“The biggest lifts – deadlifts, squat Y bench press – tend to be controversial,” Tarek Shuhaibar says, a strength and conditioning coach of nine years, with a keen interest in biomechanics.
Shuhaibar uses the barbell bench press as an example: a lot of people say that the bar has to touch your chest for the rep to count. “But your structure plays a role. For example, if you have a large sternum and short arms, touching the bar to your chest may transfer more force to your anterior delts and less to your pecs,” he explains. “This will make it more difficult to produce force at the bottom Y it takes the load off the muscle you’re probably looking to train.”
Shuhaibar refers to a principle called “anthropometry,” which is the scientific study of the proportions of the human body. “Range of motion, based on our unique structure and mobilityit will vary from person to person and will contribute to the appearance of our elevators,” he says. “For example, if I have long legs and a short torso, my squat may look different than yours.”
Men with very long legs, to give another example, often struggle with the deadlift and could benefit from switching to a hex bar. By contrast, the aforementioned Stefi Cohen, who is 5 feet tall and deadlifts 4.4 times her body weight, prefers an unconventional sumo stance, shifting more focus to her quads.
This begs the question: when most moves have so many accepted variations, can you tell if a stranger, on Instagram or at the gym, is performing a move “correctly” without context?
Josh Senior is a qualified PT and CrossFit competitor. In 2010, a 35-foot fall resulted in life-changing injuries, along with the amputation of his foot and ankle. Senior also has a sprain in his lumbar spine, which means he can’t adhere to one of the most-cited training instructions: “maintain a neutral spine.”
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“I had people come up to me while I was doing weight work and we had a good conversation about why my setup might not be the same as theirs.” But, he says, he’s also had interactions with “some very arrogant people,” intended to dissuade him from performing his workouts in a way they deemed flawed.
Senior’s situation may be unique to him, but he believes there are lessons here for all lifters: “Develop good habits and work on your mobility,” he says, but don’t let excessive fear stop you from trying unfamiliar moves: “Our bodies they’re designed to move in a multitude of directions and handle different forces. There’s a lot to be said for making sure your body is strong in unconventional positions, because real life will take you into those positions.” After all, he points out, lifting a squirming five year old is more challenging than cleaning a 50kg barbell.
When form guides count
While it’s true that best form is influenced by a multitude of factors (individual strengths and weaknesses, body shape and size, targeted muscle groups), there’s also a benefit to having simplified, agreed-upon guidelines for performing certain exercises. , particularly for beginners Shuhaibar compares it to learning a new language: “The more you can standardize it, the faster you’ll learn it.”
Memorizing simple cues when you first master a new move will give you a foundation that you can build on as you gain more experience, playing with new variations.
Taofique Folarin, physical therapist and fitness instructor for 10 years, points out that any idea of the “correct” way to execute a movement should always be based on two fundamental principles: “maximizing efficiency and minimizing the risk of injury”. He compares training with poor form to riding a bike uphill in a high gear: “Eventually you can get to the top, but it will be harder and less energy efficient.”
If your only goal is to burn calories, this loss of energy efficiency might not matter as much, again, as long as you don’t risk hurting yourself.
When training clients, Folarin likes to emphasize the “why” behind the advice on the form, not just the “how.” “Why if the movement is executed in this certain way, why if it is more suitable for your body or your goals, then it becomes education through movement.”
But while coaching clients is a trainer’s job, correcting form on social media, and in the gym IRL, can quickly turn into a game of superiority. If you’re really worried that a person is at risk of injury because of the way they perform a certain exercise, Folarin advises trying to relate to them, rather than lecture them. “If I see someone executing a move that I also used to do incorrectly, I can offer advice through [sharing] my own experience It is about empowering the individual to make an informed decision. Respect is key.”
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Hendrick Famutimi, a PT and former weightlifter from the GB, can see an advantage in the growing debate about what “proper form” looks like. With posture and positioning now more of a topic of conversation on social media, “a lot more people are trying to learn by watching video tutorials posted by professional coaches and athletes,” he says. Although he advises choosing your tutor carefully: “Bro-science will always be present. The moment you have abs you can say the sky is pink and people will believe you because they want abs too. Just because you exercise doesn’t necessarily mean you understand the biomechanics of a squat.”
Ultimately, the best results can be found in the middle ground between rigid dogma and wild experimentation. Move carefully. Pay attention to aches and pains. Don’t let your ego compromise your safety. Consult a professional if in doubt. And the fundamental rule: don’t bother arguing with strangers on the Internet.
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