***Gym Exercise Guide, and Form Discussion/Feedback***

[icecold]

This thread is intended as a collection of instructional videos and tips for exercises done in the gym, or involving weights. Anyone is free to make suggestions, and if you feel there are exercises missing from the list you should propose that they be included along with any relevant videos or tips.

It will also be useful for people to post videos of their own lifts, as this will allow feedback and critique and afford others the opportunity to see real world examples.


Form is everything. Being strict with yourself and your training partner will pay off hugely in the long run. Before we start, make sure that your footwear is correct. You either need shoes with a hard flat sole, or you need to go barefoot. If you have lifting shoes then fine, but do not lift in trainers.

Important video on head positioning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME5lVpgs-Ro

*Examples of users doing the lifts are underneath the main entry for each exercise.


Lower Body


Bulgarian split squats
Try to maintain an upright torso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZlodHgCipk

Cleans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDxK_8iX__U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMTpYe2JxQ – you don’t need to drop like she does

Deadlift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRRlk6264I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjbvf0P0bas "Finding torque" - great video explaining the concept of keeping tension in your hips and screwing your feet into the floor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-DJu0bEVPw "Deadlift load order error"
Djdom56, LiE, Delvis, Deception, Syla5

Reverse lunge
Upright torso, and don’t lean forward on the way up. Squeeze glutes and bring hips through at the top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfMIqYNNLl8

Romanian deadlift
http://www.allthingsgym.com/2011/06/mark-rippetoe-explains-the-romanian-deadlift-rdl/

Single leg deadlift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erVRy0P3BGc
Core braced, hips level on every plane

Pendlay Rows
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-perform-the-pendlay-row-with-correct-technique/

Pullthroughs
Knees out (very important!), back straight. Big glute drive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A32WSOB-6Gw

Squats
A Guide To Better Squatting
This is also a good video series (apart from the stuff about looking up): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkF9QD7oCIA&feature=BFa&list=PL0FCC7D1D4A896FF5&lf=results_main
Box Squats
Box squatting is an accentuation of the low bar back squat. Here you squat to a box that places your hip crease below your knee, and emphasise sitting back and verticalising the shin. You are not meant to rock back when you hit the box, nor are you meant to lose any tension. Back angle should remain constant. People with tight hamstrings are more likely to lose their lower back positions here, so caution is needed.
Djdom56

Step ups
Try to keep hips level and not lean forwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wcgEGQN5_U

Walking lunge
Upright torso, and don’t lean forward on the way up. Squeeze glutes and bring hips through at the top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wrvrw4mA9w




Upper Body


Bench
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6I0z_d4xqY
http://www.dieselcrew.com/how-to-bench-press

Bent over row (BOR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boxbOSGwD4U
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...ining_performance_repair/wanna_grow_gotta_row
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ooY1N05Ig
Another common error not listed in the video is driving up with your legs. If you can't pause the weight at the top of the ROM, it's too heavy.

Cable row
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/cable-row.html

Close grip bench press (CGBP)
Same as regular bench, but use a shoulder width grip and tuck the elbows against your sides.

DB row
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/deconstructing_the_dumbbell_row
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ooY1N05Ig

Facepull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kexr7CqnVng

Floor press
Can be done with DBs, single or double arm. Back flat on the floor throughout.
http://www.dieselcrew.com/how-to-bench-press-supplement-floor-press
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR

Goblet Squat
http://www.dieselcrew.com/killer-goblet-squats

Half kneeling single arm db press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtOtOdZBCNQ
The idea is to avoid wobbling around

Incline DB press
See bench press.
Elbows should be tucked slightly towards your sides, so less than 90 degrees to your torso.

Overhead Press
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-overhead-press-with-correct-technique/
http://doubleyourgains.com/how-to-overhead-press
There should be no movement in your legs.

Pullups/pulldowns
Don’t use your legs to help you up. Keep your abs tight and don’t extend your spine. Do pulldowns if you aren't strong enough to do more than 5 pullups, but try to do 2 sets of 5 reps of negative pullups where you jump up to the bar and lower yourself slowly before you do your pulldowns.

Push press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6oQLMcTGTo
Not covered in the video:
- Keep your core braced and don’t arch your lower back too much
- Knees should not come in as you dip
- Keep your chest up

YTWL
Y - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owOtS66Omxw
T - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssYqvTaKQZM
W - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8X5dMzHq4
L - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNG7TxXnO0k



Core exercises


http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...formance_repair/core_training_for_smart_folks
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...ormance_repair/high_performance_core_training
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21st_century_core_training_1

Ab wheel rollouts
http://www.ericcressey.com/rollouts-friend-or-foe

Dragon Flags
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_dragon_flag

Pallof press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE553my1o8

Plank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN1pzUm_zLI
Notice on the final video his glutes are fully tensed drawing the front of the pelvis up to the ribs and he will also be squeezing the **** out of his abs. If you can do that for more than a minute you aren't doing it right.

The plank is not about seeing how long you can stay in a press-up position with your elbows on the floor.

The important things to focus on are these, in this order and for the entire duration of the exercise:

1) keeping your back completely straight
2) Squeeze your abs as hard as you can
3) Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can <-- do not skip this

Reverse crunch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkafd6GkaPo

Turkish get up (TGU)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQUlshxO_8 – use of girl is optional

 

[icecold]

reserved

 

[icecold]

reserved2

 

[LiE]

Great idea for a thread
The RDL link doesn't work anymore, try this one http://www.allthingsgym.com/2011/06/mark-rippetoe-explains-the-romanian-deadlift-rdl/

 

[Steedie]

<3 great thread

 

[LiE]

Bent over row is something I've seen done a million ways. Any videos of a decent example?

 

[Kimi]

Thanks for this, i was wondering what some of the moves where

 

[icecold]

Made some changes (thanks LiE!)

Hope people find it useful. I'm contemplating doing posts on some general shoulder pre-hab/health, and there is room for things like explaining HIIT or other cardio stuff if people think it's useful.

 

[Kimi]

That would be great,

Also maybe some base workouts where people could start to build from, like which of those exercises to do, in what order etc?

 

[Disco Boy]

Good idea.

Can we add T bar row please?

 

[bakes0310]

Nice thread, but lets just keep to the bicep curls.

 

[mrthingyx]

wot, no bicep curls?

Wot bout my gunz?

 

[icecold]

Good idea.

Can we add T bar row please?

Do you not think that this is very similar to the other rowing variations listed?

If not, point out the differences you would like to highlight and I will add them

 

[icecold]

I also forgot wrist curls

 

[LiE]

Dragon flags for people with god like cores

 

[RobSmith]

Awesome thread Ice. Will certainly help a lot of people, including me!

That TGU video is hella funny, does anyone else actually do these with another person attached to their arm?!

 

[Skillmister]

and if you feel there are exercises missing from the list you should propose that they be included along with any relevant videos or tips.

Olympic barbell squat rack curls

 

[Disco Boy]

Do you not think that this is very similar to the other rowing variations listed?

If not, point out the differences you would like to highlight and I will add them

Do you mean differences in term of what muscle groups they target or in terms of how they are performed?

In terms of carrying it out, setting up T bar rows isn't obvious (or at least wasn't to me) so an instruction video would be useful. And as for it targeting the same groups as other exercises, well variety is the spice of life

 

[icecold]

Do you mean differences in term of what muscle groups they target or in terms of how they are performed?

In terms of carrying it out, setting up T bar rows isn't obvious (or at least wasn't to me) so an instruction video would be useful. And as for it targeting the same groups as other exercises, well variety is the spice of life

As stated in the OP, feel free to make your own suggestions for tips and videos.

For this thread to work other people are going to have to put in some leg work too!

What has been posted so far is mostly what I've given to people that I coach, I don't coach how to set up your bar for t-bar rows Most of the actual coaching points are the same as BORs.

 

[Zefan]

I remember the idea for a thread like this coming up in the Gym Rats thread, nice one.