“Keep your back straight.”
“Don’t let your knees pass your toes.”
“Feet shoulder width apart.”
All of these are common coaching cues that are used with weight training exercises. While they’re considered by many to be “textbook form” – the concept of proper weight lifting technique is complex and can depend on several factors.
Disclaimer: the purpose of this article is to explain why two people may need to do the same exercise differently – this is not intended to be specific individualized advice for you.
Lifting technique can depend on…
1 – Anatomy
People vary in how long their legs, arms and trunk are. Also – people’s joints and bones are shaped and angled differently.
A lifter who has short legs and a long torso will squat and deadlift with a more upright posture.
By contrast, a lifter such as myself with long legs, will have more of a hip dominant squat & deadlift with more of a forward lean.
One person may need to squat with a wider stance and the feet turned outwards whereas another may need to squat with a narrow stance and the feet pointing straight ahead.
2 – Goals
The goals of the exercise such as muscle gain, strength, injury prevention or athletic performance can affect how the exercise is done. For example…
If the goal is to build the chest muscles – doing bench press with the back flat and the legs relaxed is the way to go.
If the goal is to bench press the most amount of weight – arching the lower back, tucking the elbows, and driving with the legs is the way to go.
3 – Injury history + pain presentation
Injuries and pain can change how an exercise is done. For instance …
Some clients with knee pain do better with a wider stance and more of a hip dominant squat or deadlift. Some clients with back pain conversely do better by staying more upright during these movements. Those are examples of how injury history and pain presentation can affect lifting technique.
I hope this piece provides some useful insight as to why the way you lift weights may need to be different than someone else’s. If you are interested in learning about how to exercise the right way – working with a Kinesiologist or Physiotherapist with proper training, knowledge, and experience in weight training is the way to go. As always – thanks for reading!
