Proper-Form

To prevent injury when using weights, you must keep proper form throughout the exercise from start to finish. When it comes to weight lifting, here are some constants:

When picking weight up from the floor remember to lower yourself by bending your knees into a squat position and lift weights from the floor. With chest facing forward, slowly rise and straighten the knees keeping the torso in an upright position.

Throughout the exercise, never lock out joints. Remember to keep knees and elbows soft or slightly bent.

Engage core.

Before the lift of the weight, inhale first and exhale when you are exerting energy with the weights (overhead or in an ascending motion to a higher plane).

To the right is a picture of a weighted lunge done with proper form. Pay close attention to her body positioning.

Upper body form

Her head is held in a neutral position in alignment with her spine.

Her chest is upward and erect.

Her shoulders are squared and held back.

Lower body form

Her legs are spread apart in a comfortable but wide stance.

She is bearing her weight in the heel of the foot on her forward leg and toes are free to wiggle around.

Each hand holds a dumbbell with arms long by the sides of her legs.

Performing the lunge

Her forward knee stays behind the toe which will keep her knee from being stressed.

She descends straight down like an elevator stopping the back knee about 3 inches from the floor.

In the lunge, both legs create but never bend past 45◦ angles.

Coming back up, proper form is maintained until she is back to her start position; that makes one repetition.