This section is for coaches and trainers who are new to the weight room and who may not understand proper form for some of the basic lifts.  When I give presentations, I often show these video clips to the audience to demonstrate common errors in lifting technique.  Remember, proper lifting technique is critical to avoid weight room related injury.

SEATED ROW

The video on the left depicts poor form in the seated row.  Notice the the athlete's posture- he is lifting with a rounded back and never fully activates the muscles that retract the scapulae.  Many athletes have problems with posture and performing the seated row in this manner will worsen this problem.  The video on the right exemplifies proper form for the seated row.  Notice the athlete's posture and the retraction of his shoulder blades at the end of the concentric phase.

1/4 DEPTH STEP DOWN

The 1/4 depth step down is a good exercise to develop hip and lower leg control.  It is also a good pre-screening exercise for coaches to use when assessing the control of the hip and leg muscles.  The video clip on the left depicts poor form in the 1/4 depth step down.  Notice the athlete's weight being transfered to the instep of the foot, the medial deviation of the athlete's knee,and the dipping of the hips.  The video clip on the right demonstrates proper form for the 1/4 depth step down. 

Remember, this exercise is an excellent tool to assess your athlete's hip and leg control.  If he or she is unable to perform the exercise properly it is an indication that more basic lower body exercises are required.  I also suggest beginning with single leg movements until the problems have been corrected.

 

PUSH UP

The push up is commonly prescribed by coaches as a "foundation" upper body exercise.  The push up is often used as a test for upper body strength, a punishment, and for general strength training.  Despite its commonplace usage, the push up is often performed incorrectly especially by novice or beginner athletes who lack upper body strength.  The video clip on the left depicts poor form in the push up.  Notice that the athlete's elbows are flared outwards, the hips are flexed, and that the shoulders elevate towards the ears in attempt to stabilize the shoulder joint.  When the push up is performed properly, the elbows point down at a 45 degree angle, the hips are kept flat and the shoulders and scapulae are stabilized with the middle and lower portion of the trapezius muscle.