Salguod Wrote:I've read great things about exercises like squats and deadlifts, but I never really got started because the warnings about bad postures and messing up your back worry me a lot. I realize it's an excuse, but at the same time, I don't really get how I can tell if I have the right posture even after reading guides and watching instructional videos. Do you have any tips that may be a bit more personal than the guides?I read Starting Strength to learn how to do the big four lifts I mentioned. My posture still isn't perfect but my form doesn't really suffer. My advice:
Squats: Make sure the bar is resting near where the dents on your back are, between your traps and your scapula, and not on your neck. Have your thumb over the bar so your hands are just keeping it in place, not supporting the weight of the bar; this takes some stress off your wrists. Try to keep your knees behind your toes otherwise you could end up with knee problems. The hardest part is knowing when you're going to parallel; you usually "know" when you're squatting some heavy ass weight and your butt starts to hurt on your way up, but other than that someone just has to form check you until you get used to doing it.
Deadlifts: Mark Rippetoe, the guy who wrote Starting Strength, explains it in a way that's really easy to understand.
Bench: Bury your upper back into the bench and use your legs to push your midsection upwards so you're lying with an arch, that is, your head and upper back are touching the bench, your lower back mostly isn't, and your butt is. Squeeze the bar like your life depends on it; your arms will be able to put in more work. Do your reps as fast as you can, since the longer you're holding the bar the more tired you get. The bar when it's racked should be lined up with your forehead. Make sure your wrists aren't bent when taking the bar off the rack. Lower the bar to your middle-lower chest and keep your elbows slightly in.
Overhead press: Stand straight with your chest out, maybe a little exaggerated, so that you can use your chest when lifting the bar. Jerk the bar up once from your initial starting position if you have to, since your initial starting position might be lower than your repeating starting position. Tighten your entire body so your back stays straight and your core stays engaged. Make sure you're looking straight and not up; the only time you should be looking up is when the bar is passing your chin so you don't hit yourself in the jaw.