Understanding Exercise Technique

What is Exercise Technique?

Every exercise is designed to develop specific muscle groups. The correct technique involves engaging these muscles without putting yourself at risk of injury. However, personal factors can affect how well someone can follow the right technique. For example, people with long legs may find it harder to squat deeply compared to those with shorter legs. Despite this, there is a single proper way to perform an exercise that minimizes the risk of injury.

When you use the correct technique, the risk of injury is significantly reduced. Even if you're lifting heavy weights, if your technique is right, you won’t be able to move or lift beyond your capability. This safety ensures you are working out effectively.

Why is Technique Important?

Injuries are not the only concern when it comes to exercise technique. Even if you are lifting light weights to avoid injury, improper technique can lead to a lack of effectiveness. This means you may not get the results you want, making your workout feel like a waste of time.

This principle applies even when lifting heavier weights. Some athletes might neglect proper technique in favor of lifting heavier weights, thinking that more weight leads to better results. While it's true that heavier weights can create more stress, which can help with muscle growth, it doesn’t always work out this way in practice.

When athletes push to lift the maximum weight, they often compromise their technique. This can lead to ineffective workouts, as the targeted muscles may not be getting the intended load. In this way, lifting heavier weights without proper technique can actually hinder your progress.

Technique is essential not just for safety but also for the effectiveness of your training. A qualified fitness trainer will emphasize the importance of maintaining proper technique. In sports like powerlifting or weightlifting, where lifting maximum weight is crucial, proper technique can sometimes be sacrificed. However, this should only be done by experienced athletes who understand how to safely reach muscle "failure." Beginners usually lack the ability to push themselves in this way while maintaining proper form.

How to Identify Correct Technique

Determining the correct technique can be straightforward but also quite complex. Learning the right way to exercise is a long journey that involves understanding muscle anatomy and physiology, as well as applying that knowledge effectively. To help, we've created a series of articles focused on proper techniques and important nuances that are often overlooked, based on the experiences of our fitness trainers and their understanding of biomechanics.

However, reading articles alone isn't enough. You should also consider several practical factors:

Comfort: The correct technique shouldn’t cause discomfort.
Progress: Your working weight should not decrease with every workout.
Target Muscles: You should feel the exercise working the intended muscles.
Balance: You shouldn’t struggle to maintain your balance.
Grip: You should be able to hold the equipment firmly.
Trajectory: The equipment should move smoothly along the correct path without any deviation.
The best sign that you’re using the correct technique is being able to explain it to someone else without them feeling any discomfort or confusion. Unfortunately, this understanding is often limited to professional trainers. Many gym partners may try to explain techniques but may make errors in their instructions, leading to discomfort for those trying to learn.

Practical Advice

Finding knowledgeable fitness trainers can be challenging, especially in many gyms where the hiring process is not very strict. Often, a large athlete might become a trainer without any real qualifications. In major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, there is more focus on ensuring trainers are knowledgeable. However, this emphasis has decreased in recent years.

As a result, beginners might struggle to find qualified help when trying to learn proper exercise techniques or when building a workout plan.

It’s advisable to seek trainers with professional certifications, such as those from the FPA. Many other certificates may not hold as much value.

If you can't find a qualified trainer, consider recording your exercises. This way, you can review your form at home and compare it to the information provided in articles on our fitness portal.

Summary

Mastering exercise technique is crucial for everyone involved in fitness, whether as a hobby or professionally. Don’t overlook this aspect. Your fitness journey begins not with the equipment or motivation but with learning and applying the correct technique. Remember that proper technique is essential for safety and effectiveness in your workouts.