Form First | Kingsfield Fitness

February 5, 2020

BY READING THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL GET THE FOLLOWING:

Why form first is important in any exercise plan.
Why improper form can increase the chance of injury.
What to do when you sense you are losing form in your weight lifting exercise.

Form First

At Kingsfield Fitness, we emphasize the importance of having proper form before adding load during exercise. As a general rule of thumb, you should always start in a bio-mechanically neutral position — knees over feet, hips over knees, shoulders over hips, and a firm core. If your body is not properly aligned, you are conditioning yourself to be out of balance.

Imagine this scenario:

Your friend does 20 pushups so you want to match them. However, when you get to 15, your chest muscles become strained and you feel fatigued. So you fight hard to finish, and as a consequence, your form is compromised. Your brain tells you to keep going, but the proper muscle groups aren't firing. Your chest can no longer produce the force needed to properly perform a pushup. So your brain tells other muscle groups to step in and help. This could mean your lats, your triceps, or your glutes. Your brain will call on any muscle that can help you complete the task.

A balanced approach to a workout requires putting form first... and then adding load. Form first means engaging only the muscles you should be engaging for the movement you are about to perform. Doing this combined with the right fitness routine is how you achieve proper balance.

What you should do When you Lose Proper Form:

Once you sense your form breaking down, it is important to stop. Failure to do so results in the consequence of training your brain the wrong way. Other muscles attempt to compensate for the muscle that should be firing, and unless you stop, your brain will learn that new behavior is as correct.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts commonly boast about how many reps they did. But how many quality reps did they do? Form First! Otherwise, you are training your brain to store these improper movements as correct. If you are going to train, train the right way. Resistance bands combined with proper form create a solid base for weight lifting. Combine this with the right workout plan, and this will help you prevent injury while working out, lead to a longer career, and ultimately let you live a happier and healthier life.