Proper Weight Training Technique

NicheG

Can someone help. I'm a total novice to weight/resistance training and the gym that I attend; I just don't trust the instructors enough to ask them how to develop the correct techniques in the basic fundamentals of weight training.
I had a quick look at Amazon to search for any effective DVDs that demonstrate the mechanics of the important/popular weight training exercises; but I wanted to see if anyone would recommend a DVD that shows the likes of:
Deadlifts (slightly weary of these as I do have a history of minor back pain), Squats (all types), Bench Press and all other forms of weight training.
Once I get the fundamentals on the proper technique, I'll begin to discuss what sort of activity I need to practising to achieve weight loss. Looking to get down to 90-93kg. Am already doing about 45-60mins 5 days a week of cardio and dabbling ever so slightly (approx 15-20mins) on the weight machines (particularly seated bench,seated squat and seated quads) but I know I need to up my ratio of weights to cardio by a lot more than I am. My philosophy on weights is that I would undertake an excercise on the three machines above to the point where I just can't physically do another set. I would normally do 3x10 of each of the three above at 60-70kg, 130-150kgs and 50-70kg respectively. But I hear that weight machines are supposed to be pretty useless when it comes to achieving maximum efficiency.

I'm 6'4 (M) and 105kg, and would consider myself to have average to okay strength.
Cheers

rubadub

Colm had some good videos for deadlifts here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55175788&postcount=37


on the right on this page are muscles listed. Click to get exercises and demo animated GIFs
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html


that site is all good
http://www.exrx.net/

This is good too
http://stronglifts.com/
just type the exercise you want in the upper corner search.

Colm_OReilly

You need coaching. Everyone needs coaching in their lifts.

Buy this book - Starting Strength, well worth the investment.

Mark Rippetoe, the writer, critique's people's form on this forum.

But really, you need coaching. From Rip himself:

My personal squat form is not perfect, and neither is anybody else's who is not constantly coached. I know what is supposed to look like, but because I can't see it while I'm doing it, my form will drift over several workouts from good to bad. It will settle into a stable, bad technique and will remain there until I get it corrected again. This is called "form creep", and affects all uncoached athletes to varying degrees.

Everybody needs a coach, no matter how accomplished they are. A coach provides a good set of eyes and the experience to know what to say to get you to do a movement correctly. This is the primary problem with training alone at home, not the lack of some asshole yelling that it's "All you, man!" You can't see it as it's being done, and you can't correct it as it happens if you can't tell what's wrong. Video is useful, but it's no substitute for a coach's correction in real time, your feeling the correction and incorporating it into the movement pattern, and then your feeling the difference the correction made from wrong to right during the set.

Seriously, get the book.
Colm

flywheel

NicheG wrote: »

Can someone help. I'm a total novice to weight/resistance training...

hi, here's two books you might want to take a look at:

Strength Training Anatomy - 2nd Edition [Human Kinetics]
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=0736063684

I like the way it makes you focus on technique and what muscles are supposed to be hit when training particular exercises. It also includes some information on common injuries and how to avoid them.

There are some Sample Pages on the site to take a look at, and they have it in stock in HF and Chapters in town (Dublin) if you prefer a closer look.

Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training [McGraw Hill]
http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071475338

Again anatomical based diagrams showing the mucles (that should be) at work when doing a particular exercise. A more step by step description on exercise set-up and technique. More info on joint / muscle actions if that is of interest.

Sorry can't find a search inside / example pages online.

Main tip would be to use a weight you are comfortable with to learn the technique and achieve full range of movement, build up from their in stages keeping your form and range of movement intact... rather than going too heavy initially and never getting the technique right from the start...

NicheG

Thats sound advice about starting light to get my form and technique right and gradually building up in weight from there on in.
Thanks for the reference links everyone.
Much appreciated.

Colm_OReilly

Another good book, now that DubWireless has reminded me:

Explosive Lifting for Sport - Human Kinetics, even if you're not interested in sport, an excellent training manual.

Hanley

DubWireless wrote: »

hi, here's two books you might want to take a look at:

Strength Training Anatomy - 2nd Edition [Human Kinetics]
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=0736063684

I like the way it makes you focus on technique and what muscles are supposed to be hit when training particular exercises. It also includes some information on common injuries and how to avoid them.
.

I have this book but I'm really not a fan of it. I don't think it does anything different or special that many other books also do. While it does give you good ideas of what to do for different muscle groups, I think it's a a bit vague at times as to HOW to do them.

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Another good book, now that DubWireless has reminded me:

Explosive Lifting for Sport - Human Kinetics, even if you're not interested in sport, an excellent training manual.

Again, another book that I own and one that I would recommend.

BUT having said all that, the only book that you REALLY need when it comes to learning how to lift is Starting Strength. It really is the best book ever put out on the topic and should be the first port of call for anyone looking to learn how to perform the basic lifts.

Mikel

Is anyone aware of somewhere you could get proper hands on coaching?
Books are useful, but there's no substitute for ab expert set of eyes.
There seems to be coaches for everything else

Hanley

Mikel wrote: »

Is anyone aware of somewhere you could get proper hands on coaching?
Books are useful, but there's no substitute for ab expert set of eyes.
There seems to be coaches for everything else

Any competent personal trainer should be able to take care of you!

Mikel

Hanley wrote: »

Any competent personal trainer should be able to take care of you!

'Competent' is the key thing though isn't it, how many PTs would be qualified to do it?
the serious competition guys, do they coach/get coached?

Hanley

Mikel wrote: »

'Competent' is the key thing though isn't it, how many PTs would be qualified to do it?
the serious competition guys, do they coach/get coached?

In powerlifting we're pretty much all coaches. Everyone that trains together watches each others form and will offer suggestions and call out cues during training.

Olympic weightlifters would generally train in a similar manner, or under the constant watch of a dedicated coach. Since the lifts are ALOT more technical and even the slightest change in something as simple as elbow position can make or break the lift.

Where are you based? I'm sure there's somebody on here who could recommend a good PT based on location.

NicheG

Original poster here. It would be great to get one on one coaching. It need not even be on a continuous basis, as I do tend to monitor what the serious minded power lifters do at the gym I attend (although it's probably not the best example of a gym with the best free weights facilities. Its Northwood in Santry by the way. At the times I go at, 5-7pm, there is literally barely any space to swing a cat in the weights area) and try to copy their form and activity levels although on a totally lighter scale.
I had participated to a reasonably high level in two sports till I was in my mid twenties until I started to suffer from serious back pain, so would tend to absorb the technical side of conditioning quite quickly, but that seems an eternity ago (although only 6 years).

Colm_OReilly

It's a damn shame that all you do in most modern "gyms" is rent space and equipment for use. At least I know of one gym where you're coached everytime you walk in the door.

Hercules in Lurgan street is the centre of Irish Olympic Lifting, so I'm sure you could get coaching there. A lot of the power lifters from boards train in Pinnacle Gym off Camden St as well.

Hanley

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Hercules in Lurgan street is the centre of Irish Olympic Lifting, so I'm sure you could get coaching there. A lot of the power lifters from boards train in Pinnacle Gym off Camden St as well.

UL's the REAL home atm

I'd say it's wholely unneccessary to worry about trying to learn the olympic lifts or even going to a weightlifting coach. The OP seems far more interested in just learning how to squat, bench and dead. You'd have a hard time finding a weighlifting coach who's gonna teach someone to bench. It really seems to be considered the devil in Hercs... A good PT (you might have to pay for one since the guys in the gyms aren't always the best) will certainly be able to teach you how to bench and deadlift correctly, and depending on your flexability, how to squat.

Colm, just outta interest, who are the boards powerlifters who train in Pinnacle?

Colm_OReilly

I was under the impression the team test guys trained there, is this erroneous?

JayRoc

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I was under the impression the team test guys trained there, is this erroneous?

Nope. It's correct. And of those, there are several who have competed, or who will be competing, in powerlifting.
Nothing along the scale of Hercs, obviously (just to mollify Hanley! ).

Dragan

JayRoc wrote: »

Nope. It's correct. And of those, there are several who have competed, or who will be competing, in powerlifting.
Nothing along the scale of Hercs, obviously (just to mollify Hanley! ).

And one who has competed in Oly lifting, a few have eyes on MMA/Sub Wrestling competition, a couple of the guys up in Pinnacle should be entering BB shows next year, a few decent boxers up there as well, a few MT guys.

Starting to build up a nice broad spectrum of competitiors up there.

rubadub

Mikel wrote: »

'Competent' is the key thing though isn't it, how many PTs would be qualified to do it?

Qualification is one thing, actual ability is another. Thats the problem these day with the points systems. People who are academically good or choose subjects that you can get high points in sometimes go for careers simply because they "have the points".

So if I repeat the leaving and do math, physics, applied math, and bus org, accounting and economics- they are all crossover subjects, it is easy to study math and business and get high points. Then I become a doctor go down to a gym and pronounce all you guys obese!:D because my little chart says so.

I expect some personal trainers are doing it just for a job with no real knowledge or care, they just passed the exams and make money. Like the pharmacists selling lipotrim to women trying to fit in a size 8 wedding dress.

I had a lecturer with a PhD in electronics engineering and a string of Masters that couldnt answer stuff that a lad on his first year on a FAS course could.

You have to find a gym with respected trainers, and I would go with recommendations from the experienced posters here.

BossArky

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Buy this book - Starting Strength, well worth the investment[/URL]:

Seriously, get the book.
Colm

Since I've seen a few of you recommend this book I'm going to try and pick up a copy. Currently no copies on ebay so may have to go for amazon.

Hanley

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I was under the impression the team test guys trained there, is this erroneous?

I thought there was only the one who lifted in competition tho!! Which brings me onto...

JayRoc wrote: »

Nope. It's correct. And of those, there are several who have competed, or who will be competing, in powerlifting.
Nothing along the scale of Hercs, obviously (just to mollify Hanley! ).

There's more of ya's coming along eh? As for the oly lifting.... Hercs could lay claim there too

Hanley

BossArky wrote: »

Since I've seen a few of you recommend this book I'm going to try and pick up a copy. Currently no copies on ebay so may have to go for amazon.

Make sure you get the newest edition, the white book here http://www.aasgaardco.com/store/store.php?crn=199

I don't have it but it has all of the old book and more. Might be cheaper off amazon tho.

Dragan

Hanley wrote: »

I thought there was only the one who lifted in competition tho!! Which brings me onto...



There's more of ya's coming along eh? As for the oly lifting.... Hercs could lay claim there too

Did you not spot Davey down at the Nationals? The Boy done good!

And yeah, one or two of the others will be going in at the deepend soon! Should be sweet.

As for laying claim to anything, well, Pinnacle is just a gym. No attitude. No bull****. No warm water!!! ha ha ha

Hanley

rubadub wrote: »

Qualification is one thing, actual ability is another. Thats the problem these day with the points systems. People who are academically good or choose subjects that you can get high points in sometimes go for careers simply because they "have the points".

So if I repeat the leaving and do math, physics, applied math, and bus org, accounting and economics- they are all crossover subjects, it is easy to study math and business and get high points. Then I become a doctor go down to a gym and pronounce all you guys obese!:D because my little chart says so.

I expect some personal trainers are doing it just for a job with no real knowledge or care, they just passed the exams and make money. Like the pharmacists selling lipotrim to women trying to fit in a size 8 wedding dress.

I had a lecturer with a PhD in electronics engineering and a string of Masters that couldnt answer stuff that a lad on his first year on a FAS course could.

You have to find a gym with respected trainers, and I would go with recommendations from the experienced posters here.

Yeah you see there's the thing... Knowledge, and applying that knowledge are two completely different things!! There's a few lads who train in Northwood, I'm sure some of them have exp with a trainer up there.

Failing that get some videos from the side and 3/4 view and post them up here.

rubadub

Hanley wrote: »

Make sure you get the newest edition, the white book here http://www.aasgaardco.com/store/store.php?crn=199

I don't have it but it has all of the old book and more. Might be cheaper off amazon tho.

Yeah, I heard the 2nd edition is is well worth getting.

Bossarky- I looked on ebay completed listings the other day (in advanced search) - only 2 copies were sold last month, one was the 2nd edition, think it went for €17.

With the weak dollar it could be got cheap if the post is reasonable. I sent you a pm about it.

It is not appearing on the irish library search. I must email the library and see how you go about recommending books. I did before but never heard anything back. That was in town, while my local library is VERY quiet and the librarian seems very helpful, think he has feck all to do!

Mikel

I'm in Dublin central. The term 'PT' I think covers a multitide, I don't want to be shown something by a less than qualified person that will get me hurt.

I don't know a whole lot just a little, but some of the advice I've seen gym instructors give makes me cringe, how do you know you're not hearing the powerlifting equivalent?

Granted too that ability to do and ability to coach are different things.
I've seen some oly lifting and would love to learn that, but it does look very technical. Fear of injury would put me right off.
It would be nice if you could get private lessons along the lines of boxing bjj etc