18
votes
Accepted
My knees fall when I do push-ups. Is it weakness, or bad form?
What you are describing suggests that your knee extensors, and particularly the single-joint quadriceps muscles—vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius—are weak. The closer that you ...
- 5,666
8
votes
Recurring muscle pull in Upper-back/Neck when doing overhead press/bench press - form advice
There can be many reasons for muscle spasms/pulls in the neck area, including (in no particular order):
Insufficient food: the muscles lack the glycogen stores required and overcompensate
...
- 45.6k
7
votes
Recurring muscle pull in Upper-back/Neck when doing overhead press/bench press - form advice
This has happened to me a lot over the years. I found it was caused by tightness of the levator scapulae and middle and upper trapezius and a weak lower trapezius and serratus. All largely sorted ...
- 71
6
votes
Accepted
Scapular contraction: should I always do it?
The bottom line is you want your shoulder in a neutral position. That doesn't necessarily mean full scapular retraction, but it's a cue that helps a lot of people.
Considering your level of ...
- 45.6k
6
votes
On what should a deadlift beginner try to improve?
I would suggest starting with the barbell on the floor. If you can't, or won't, and the blocks are necessary1, then I would find some way to safely elevate yourself to the same level. Once you and the ...
- 4,587
4
votes
Any reason to (or not to) vary foot position in seated calf raise?
The reason for that advice may have resulted from a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in March of 2011.
Riemann, BL, Limbaugh, GK, Eitner, JD, and LeFavi, RG. ...
- 6,641
4
votes
Accepted
hip and oblique muscle imbalance
I'm willing to bet you don't do single leg work at all. It's not fun, but it is necessary to deal with things like this. Single leg work that supports squats include things like the following:
...
- 45.6k
4
votes
Recurring muscle pull in Upper-back/Neck when doing overhead press/bench press - form advice
Their answers hold weight... I've noticed the pull or tear when the weight was a little heavy or a lot heavy. Also every time you actually move your head forward or look down to do the weight, it's ...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Deadlift form and individual morphometry
When I start to pull, inevitably my knee angle "wants" to open first to the point that my back is horizontal before the bar actually leaves the ground
This sounds fine. Fully horizontal is a bit much,...
- 25.7k
4
votes
Accepted
How should squat form change based on proportions?
Caveat: Proportions is an indicator of how your squat form could look. Actually measuring your limb and torso lengths and trying to mathematically deduce "correct" form is rarely beneficial, and can ...
- 715
4
votes
Accepted
Hand position / form when swimming Crawl/Freestyle
You were likely taught to cup you hand in some beginner class.
That's not so much "wrong," just ineffective & unnatural. It also doesn't add to your propulsive power as you may think.
The cup ...
- 312
4
votes
Accepted
Does proper incline bench form require pinched shoulder blades?
We usually refrain from offering diagnoses here, for obvious reasons, but you touch on something important: Bench press prep. So I'll touch on it too.
I would caution against doing the exact same ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
4
votes
Unable to keep lower back straight during Romanian Deadlift
Others have mentioned correct breathing but i might also suggest that:
1). The weight is too heavy. If you can't do the movement correctly the first response should be to lower the weight until you ...
4
votes
Accepted
Does lifting form/technique always break down when performing the heaviest work-set for the first time?
Does [form breakdown at a new working weight] happen to other beginners?
Yes, absolutely. The degree changes, and it doesn't happen to everyone every time they add weight, but it's common.
Does ...
- 25.7k
3
votes
How can proper form be determined?
There are a few ways to obtain the information you want. Some colleges/universities offer a major in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. You may want to see if there is one in your area. They may ...
- 6,641
3
votes
Why does a closed width bench press hurt more than a wide width bench press?
Based on you not knowing what your shoulder muscles are called, I'm going to take a guess that you're not really doing any shoulder exercises to speak of, or at least over-emphasizing your bench press....
- 14.9k
3
votes
Accepted
How can I learn to deadlift with proper form at home?
Learning proper form in any exercise, is something that's hard to judge on your own. But that's not to say that you have to have a personal trainer with you.
A lot of people these days post form ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
3
votes
What is the primary difference between mixed grip and overhand grip for deadlifts?
So I believe it depends on your progression. When you just start training there is really no need for a mixed grip until you can deadlift with good form and reach heavier weigths. However doing mixed ...
- 498
3
votes
Accepted
L-sit on paralletes vs floor
L-Sit Progression
Foot Supported L-sit
Sit down on the ground with your legs straight in front of you. Put your hands next to your thighs and push yourself up (straight arms!), leaving your feet on ...
- 6,954
3
votes
Hand position / form when swimming Crawl/Freestyle
Back in the 1970's, the theory was to hold your fingers together. Then people started applying engineering and science to sports. One of the early investigations was of Dara Torres, involving the hand ...
- 131
3
votes
On what should a deadlift beginner try to improve?
You're pretty much using all back with your current form. Lifting with your legs is really important with a deadlift and will help you get more weight, as well as, not hurt your back. You have a ...
- 70
3
votes
On what should a deadlift beginner try to improve?
You need to position your feet so that the bar starts directly over the mid-foot.
Your biggest technique issue that is visible from this video is that you are starting with the bar over the balls of ...
- 10.6k
2
votes
How do you do knuckle pushups without injuring yourself?
My yoga instructor told me to fold my fingers over my hand with the four fingers reaching towards my wrist and my thumb goes up against the side of my pointer finger so the pad of my thumb is flat ...
- 21
2
votes
Correct shoulder position when doing hanging leg raises
From my personal experience and, as a result, my professional opinion as a certified fitness instructor, I found that the width of the grip in "hanging leg raises" is better and longer tolerated when ...
- 21
2
votes
What is the primary difference between mixed grip and overhand grip for deadlifts?
My Recommendation
I advocate deadlifting with a double overhand with no hook grip for as many warm-up sets as possible, in order to develop grip strength. For heavy warm-ups and work sets, I think a ...
- 25.7k
2
votes
Accepted
Effect of band around arms when bench pressing
This strategy looks like an emulation of the effect of a slingshot, a device which mainly sees use with people benching heavier weights (300+). I have not used this device, but I've spoken with users ...
- 1,459
2
votes
hip and oblique muscle imbalance
I tend to descend to the left a little bit as well. Conscious effort to fix the form in a complex movement and then adding weight on top of that will probably not help the problem. I personally have ...
2
votes
Recurring muscle pull in Upper-back/Neck when doing overhead press/bench press - form advice
I"ve had this exact problem for 2.5 years and I think i finally found the answer..
It's because we push our neck against the bench or seat when we press. Try not doing this for a bit and see if it ...
- 29
2
votes
How to do standing military press without damaging back?
It may sound unnatural, but squeeze your glutes (butt cheeks) as hard as you can during the lift. It will prevent your back from bending. Stronglifts explains it very well. The section "Common Pains" ...
- 171
2
votes
Why does a closed width bench press hurt more than a wide width bench press?
If you have trouble with the close-grip bench press, but you want to target the pectoralis muscles more intensively, I'd suggest you implement some flies into your program instead, while working on ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
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