Has anyone had a silly “lightbulb” moment while exercising?

[acer621]

@ilikemango Bahahahaha!!

 

[loveu11]

@acer621 This was a good article/video about it.

https://journal.crossfit.com/article/proper-bench-technique

 

[m32s]

@acer621 This is super helpful advice!

 

[godislove32]

@acer621 Yes! This is so true!

Also, I see so many people jiggling around all over the place between reps during a set. No, no, no. You don't want to lose any tension through the whole set. Everything tight and keep it that way from unrack to rerack. Don't be jiggling your feet around between reps, keep them planted and push as if you're trying to force your toes out the front of your shoes. Keep your chest up the whole set. Shoulders depressed and pinched back for the entire set.

And don't get me started on lifting the butt off the bench while pressing! That's a no rep right there.

 

[spaaace0]

@acer621 Saw a video on this just the other day, followed this advice and wow, so much easier!

 

[christoph2005]

@acer621 Wait, really?! I've been trying to stop engaging everything else, because I figured I was somehow "cheating", and that it was supposed to be more isolated, so I'm kinda psyched now that that's actually what I'm supposed to be doing.

 

[iconoclast]

@christoph2005 I think there’s a difference between engaging a muscle and using it for a lift. For example, I use my core a lot to STOP me “swinging” when I do bicep curls. Basically I use other muscles to help me isolate the ones I’m using for the lift. Idk if I’m making sense. You should basically use your core to help you stabilize in every lift. Once I learned how to brace my core when I benched it changed my lift dramatically.

 

[teatimebabe28]

@christoph2005 For strength training, engage everything. When I do a curl, I grip the bar as hard as possible, so my arms can transfer all the strength they have to the bar. My upper body is braced as tight as I can, as my curling muscles are attached to it. If it's not tight, they are unable to exert as much force as they can. My core is packed as tight as possible, so my upper body is supported by it's own rock solid base. My glutes and legs are braced to give my spine a rock solid base. And my feet are engaged to root my whole body to the floor.

 

[randy321]

@christoph2005 From what I remember my trainer telling me, bench press, deadlifts and squats are all all body movements. I could be remembering wrong though lol

 

[acer621]

@randy321 Trainer is definitely correct.

 

[acer621]

@christoph2005 Yes, definitely engage everything else!

 

[ccscott61]

@m32s Deadlifting with my feet close together sorted out my rounding back. It was like magic. Before this realisation, I spent a year trying to deadlift with my feet further apart, and always ended up with back pain. Might not work for everyone, but has worked wonders for me.

Also, planking with my forearms on a towel (singe layer) makes it way easier to stay in position for longer.

Oh, and doing more reps with a lighter weight will also build muscle. Who knew

 

[msgee]

@ccscott61 Exactly! I just noticed this yesterday. I thought to myself wow, this is a lot easier when my feet are actually hip width apart and not where I think my hips end which is much wider. Even when I focused on form I still occasionally pulled more with my back and started to think maybe I just don’t have the body for it lol. But closer feet really took the strain and thought out of it.

 

[1blssddaddy1984]

@msgee Apparently foot position has a lot to do with the length of your femurs. For a lot of taller people a narrower foot position is more comfortable.. or so I'm told.

 

[msgee]

@1blssddaddy1984 Makes sense! I’m a tall woman, although I’d say my torso is the long part of me so my back has a lot of wiggle room, so to speak.

 

[dawn16]

@1blssddaddy1984 Not just tall, but specifically long femurs in relation to your torso. I'm 5'3 but my femurs are super long for my height. I deadlift with my feet maybe 4" apart, pretty narrow!

 

[1blssddaddy1984]

@dawn16 Very interesting!!

 

[ccscott61]

@msgee It’s crazy, right? I kept thinking that my core must be terrible, despite evidence to the contrary, but no. My back just can’t stay in place when my feet are placed widely apart.

 

[tmtj]

@ccscott61 Omg I’ve always been afraid of deadlifts because I have a problem with rounding my back and I’m afraid I’m gonna hurt myself. Maybe I should try adjusting my foot placement

 

[ccscott61]

@tmtj Yeah, I’d definitely recommend playing around with foot placement. Most gyms also have booster blocks that let you deadlift from a raised surface - they were hugely helpful to me when I was figuring my issues out, as they shortened the range of motion and let me skip the bit of the movement that caused the back trouble.