***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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[icecold]

Fixed/added some more, thanks guys. RDL link refused to get edited last time :/

Post up some suggestions for the more advanced stuff, I think that would go in it's own "Powerlifting" section perhaps.

 

[icecold]

I'll put that in along with the mwod dip episode later.

Sigma, worrying about shoulders also means worrying about what your elbows are doing.

 

[icecold]

I'll put it in if you want, but I'll have to mention that head position should not look like that

 

[icecold]

Yep that's really common, but it's an ineffective and even damaging way to train the core.

 

[icecold]

That's a good shout, it would be good to get examples of user's lifts. Then I could link to them and any discussion on them.

I'll give this thread a little more TLC in a few days, I've been busy!

 

[icecold]

Let's do it!

 

[icecold]

Paused squats on monday for me, possibly some bench tonight.

 

[icecold]

That's going to be something for a passing mod to take care of...

I've got my olympic lifting course this weekend, once that's out of the way I'll be able to add more stuff.

Post yer videos chaps! (and chapets?!)

 

[icecold]

Any and all, Dom is posting some right about now...

 

[icecold]

Thanks for the stars SPW!

FF, that's why I left another two posts blank for now - just in case there is demand for more specialised stuff that would be a little confusing if included in the main list.

So far I'm considering using one for specialised weights stuff, and the other for explaining about different cardio protocols. I'm waiting to see where the demand lies before committing myself though.

Updates in the pipeline:
Goblet squats
Dragon flags
Links to a few users videos

 

[icecold]

With facepulls you're going to have to lean to accommodate the weight, and finding a wrist position that isn't painful is important. This should all be possible without compromising the basics of the lift.

Olympic lifting is going to be a lot more complicated to teach over the interwebs. I'm not giving up on the idea, but it need to find a way to be very thorough. This is possibly where doing my own filming would come in.

 

[icecold]

It's something I thought would be useful too, but it's a matter of being able to convey the information so it's actually useful...

Not a problem at all, I'll read it now

 

[icecold]

While true (in the sense that LiE sets up differently) as long as there is no load on the back it shouldn't be an issue I would have thought Long as you don't lift like that

It potentially IS an issue.

The correct way of viewing this situation is that LiE is strong enough and careful enough with his back for it to be ok. For some other people, not setting up with stricter spinal priority will be the difference between a healthy back and not being able to lift again, especially if those people don't have a training partner that will be strict with their form.

While saying, "long as you don't lift like that", is technically true, a lot of people don't have the body awareness to be able to make that judgement accurately.


But yes, thanks LiE that's exactly what I'm looking for