The Importance of Proper Form: Avoiding Injury and Maximizing Gains

Hello Ziddis! We often talk about the right workout, achieving your fitness goals, lifting heavy weights or doing more reps but it is time we pay attention to something that can change your entire output and make your workout more fruitful and safe. That’s right, today we talk about FORM! It’s about doing every exercise correctly. Proper form is super important for preventing getting injured at the same time to get your workout work for you. Let’s check out some of the common workouts and the ideal proper form to avoid injuries and gain more from those by exercising correctly.

Importance of Proper Form

Maintaining proper form while exercising is important for so many reasons as you know. which will include the obvious ones like not getting injured by straining, spraining or pulling a muscle when the technique you used did not distribute the weight evenly across the target muscles or lock up your joints but also some underlying reasons like:

• Optimal Muscle Activation: Sounds fancy but it simply means that having a proper form helps you in targeting the right muscle groups. This will increase the effect your workout has on you without making you unnecessarily sore.
• Efficiency: The reps and weight are important to push yourself and get to your fitness goal faster but without the right form you might have to put a sick leave for your gym days. So you must practice and analyse your form well before changing any weight or reps of your workout. Make sure to master the form before jumping on to something new.

Doing Dumbbell Kickbacks the Right Way

Dumbbell kickbacks target the triceps and are an excellent way to build those target muscles but if not done the right way they can lock the elbow or strain the shoulder because the dumbbell has significant weight you pull up. Some things you should always consider while doing dumbbell kickbacks are:

• Position: Your feet should be parallel to the ground and your shoulder width apart.
• Bend Forward: Bend at your hips not your back. This will help you not strain your back and keep your core stronger and tighter.
• Upper Arms Parallel: Keep your upper arms close to your torso and parallel to the ground.
• Kick Back: Focus on squeezing your triceps at the top while pushing the forearms away from your body.

Ideal Types of Squats

Squats are great for working those glutes out and getting a good shape of your lower body. You have different types of squats targeting different areas of your lower body and that helps create a good shape for your body. Here are a few types and their proper forms:

Bodyweight Squat:

• Stand with feet parallel to the ground and shoulder-width apart.
• Try to imitate the motion of sitting on the chair but keep your chest outwards and back straight
• To return to standing position push your body through heels, not knees.

Goblet Squat:

• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest.
• Squat like sitting in an imaginary chair all while still keeping the weight close to your body.

Barbell Back Squat:

• Hold a barbell behind your neck on your upper back and tighten your core.
• Now squat with the core still tight and get back up

The Proper Way to Deadlift

Deadlifts are a fabulous way to build and show your strength but perhaps they are regarded as an exercise notorious for injuring you if not done right.

• Position: Your feet must be parallel to the ground and hip-width apart and the barbell should be placed near the middle of your feet.
• Hold tight: Bend at the hips and knees to hold a grip over the bar with your hands
• While lifting: Keep your back straight and core tightened while lifting the bar by keeping your hips and knees straight.
• Lowering the weight: While lowering the bar back down without losing control over your back.

The Proper Pushup Technique

Pushups are great for upper body strength but must be done right:

• Starting Position: Your start position will be plank with palms parallel to the ground a plank position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lowering: Lower your body until your chest almost touches the ground, keeping elbows close to your body.
• Pushing Up: Use the strength of your arms to push through and return to the starting position of the plank.

Some Workout Accessories that You Need:

Protein Shaker

Including a good pre and post-workout is a perfect way to start your fitness regime. Using a protein shaker can help you measure your protein intake or even hydration levels and also make it easier and more convenient to make your protein shake within seconds.

Gym Bags

Gym bags come in all shapes and sizes whether you want to carry your little sipper or a change of clothes and shoes. Investing in a good gym back will make sure you are always on the go and stylish.

Final Notes:

Proper form is the foundation of any effective workout routine for many reasons but most importantly so that you can avoid injuries and reach your goals faster and safer. Make sure to understand the form before starting any new workout regime. Whether you’re lifting, squatting, or doing pushups, always prioritize form over the amount of weight or reps. Stay safe while you push your limits. Remember: form first, gain later!

Read Also: Compound vs Isolation Exercises