By: John Destacamento


Almost everyday when I walk in the gym, I see both new members and experienced members performing exercises with improper form. It’s still possible that you can get in pretty good shape with a few flaws in your form, however why would you want to increase your risk to injury? Form and function in your resistance workout is very important to achieve your fitness objectives quicker, safer and to live a longer healthier future.

Don't put yourself at risk to injuries with bad form! Here's five areas to consider and tips to improve your resistance training program.



Improper posture can become a burden to reaching your goals. Most posture problems are caused by deviations in the spine due to muscle imbalances. Your daily activities can contribute to these such imbalances if you do not exercise properly or perform stretches on tight muscles. The most common posture deviations are the upper-cross syndrome (tight cervical extensors and trapezius) and excessive anterior pelvic tilt (tight hip flexors and erector spinae ). Prolonged sitting at a desk or starring into a computer are usually the main cause. You can correct your posture by performing stretches of the tight muscles while performing resistance training for the weak lengthened muscles. Some of the stretches involved are: Cat Stretch, Supine trunk rotation, and hip flexor stretches. Consult your personal trainer on details.


As mentioned above, muscle imbalances can lead to chronic problems in posture. Not only imbalances are found in the spine, they can be found throughout your entire body. These imbalances can lead to pain in your tendons and joints. While performing an exercise the primary muscle you're working on is referred as the agonist and the opposing muscle as the antagonist. Severe tightness in any muscle will deviate the natural alignment of the joint, therefore it limits your range of motion when performing a movement. This causes increased tension on the antagonists tendons and ligaments of the joint. At this point, your tendons are more vulnerable to injury. To avoid severe muscle imbalances, you must design a workout program which properly rests and recovers specific muscles in a systematic way.

Here are a few tips:

  • Be sure to resistance train all the main muscle groups once or twice a week: (Chest, Back , Shoulders, Legs, Arms, Core) You do not have to do all groups in one day. A split routine is recommended.
  • Drink a lot of fluids to replenish water to your muscles
  • Stretch tight muscles after a workout or frequently when needed.
  • If you experience knots, slowly foam roll that area (myo-fascia release technique)
  • Learn more anatomy to determine the differences between prime movers and opposing muscles.

This next section provides information about the common areas vulnerable to injury, and here are a few tips to improve your form. These are the most common “DO NOT’s”.




Back and Core – Common injured area : Lower back

Your core is 29 muscles located near your trunk or mid section. You must strengthen this area to support stabilization while performing most exercises especially overhead or distal movements.

  • Lower Back Extensions - do not extend your back beyond your neutral position. (avoid hyperextending)
  • Standing Bicep Curls – use the lower part of your arm only. Avoid movement of the spine, elbows and shoulders!
  • Bent over rows – keep your lower spine straight throughout the entire exercise. If you have to use your back to lift the weight, the weight is too heavy.
  • Shoulder Press – contract your core muscles to keep your spine solid against a seated pad. Do not arch your back.
  • Lat Pull Down – Do not pull the bar behind your neck, this may cause two serious problems if continued for a long term. Your cervical vertebrae is not in neutral alignment and rear deltoid fibers are vulnerable to injury such as tears while in this position.
  • Behind the neck Shoulder Press – Do not perform this exercise. . Your cervical vertebrae is not in neutral alignment and rear deltoid fibers are vulnerable to injury such as tears while in this position. Becareful with any exercise which involves resistance behind you or above your head(the posterior plane) which creates an unnatural position of your spinal column. Exercises such as an overhead pullover, cable shoulder press or an overhead tricep extension, are examples of exercises that should be performed only with proper back and spinal support.




Shoulders – Common injured area: Rotator Cuff, shoulder tendons

  • Bench Press – Unless you are attempting to perform in a bench press competition, do not bring the bar all the way down to your chest. When your elbows go extensively below your shoulders or way below the height of the bench, you are increasing your risk of injury. Approximately 9 out of 10 injuries in the gym are shoulder related. You are not contracting your chest muscles anyway, if your elbows are below the bench height. Bring the bar until your arms flex to 90 degrees or just below the bench press is fine if you properly contract your chest, not the shoulders.
  • Shoulder Press- Bring the bar down into a 90 degrees bend in your arms, not too low. Try to avoid weight machines that restrict a natural movement of your own limited diameter.




Knees – Common injured area: ligament and tendon pain

  • Squats and Lunges (free or barbells) – In lower squat position, avoid the knees going past your toes. Do not bend legs past 90 degrees. Do not lock your knees when you return to the standing position.
  • Leg Presses – Keep your toes forward on the platform along alignment with your knees, do not perform “duckies”, nor inner pronated presses. Do not lock your knees.
  • Leg Extensions – When performing a moderate or heavy set, try not to start the extension below the 90 degrees position. (severe bent leg). Avoid hyperextensions. Stoping before your knees are fully extended is recommended.
  • Stretch proper muscles after a warm up set or after your cardio warm-up.
  • Avoid active stretching or dynamic stretching which involves rapid knee and leg movement unless you are an athlete trained by a professional trainer.



Please contact your personal fitness trainer to learn more.


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