Never Sacrifice Form for The Amount Of Weights You CAN LIFT…..

     In just about every gym I have ever visited, 95% of the people are performing exercises the wrong way. You can thank  magazines, fitness myths, training fads, out of shape trainers, marketing gimmicks, etc. for this misinformation. Sacrificing form for the amount of weights you can lift does nothing more than feed your ego. What does this mean? Performing exercises incorrectly leads to injury. Injuries keep you out of the gym with your goals slipping further away.

     You should ask yourself a couple of questions before you begin each exercise.

1. “What muscle will I be working? You should already know ahead of time before you approach the weight rack or machine which muscle will be targeted. Example: when performing squats: the focus is on your glutes (buttocks), quadreceps, and lower back while maintaining proper alignment throughout the entire lift. Use no/light weight until you perfect the exercise.

2. “Do I Know the Proper Range of Motion for this Exercise?” -This is probably one of most violated rules I encounter while watching others. Every exercise should have a starting point and an ending point, know them. When you lack full range of motion, you lack results. Perform each exercise to the fullest and you will always come out on top.

3.  “How many reps should I perform?” Never under any circumstance should you stop a set just because you have completed some number of repetitions. Focus on a range of repetitions such as 9 to 12 reps with the 12th rep being dificult to complete, but once again, maintaining proper form and alignment throughout the lift. If you can perform 15 to 20 reps, increase the resistance applied.

4. “How much weight should I use?” If you can perform a total of at least 6 repititions properly, then the weight is sufficient. If not, reduce the weight preventing injury. NEVER MAX OUT. End of Story! I get this question often, mostly from young gentlemen…….”How much do you bench?” My answer, “Enough”. Who cares? It doesn’t mean anything.

5. Make your body suffer! Enjoy the burn and get used to the feeling. Focus on quality over quantity. I enjoy running stairs for my cardiovascular exercise. If I can’t get to a skyrise, I will train on the stairmaster at the gym. The key here is to let go of the side rails and let your legs do the work. If it’s too fast, slow the speed and vice versa. There are no side rails in the backwoods!

6. ALWAYS USE PROPER ALIGNMENT!!!!!!! A general rule of thumb, keep your ears, shoulders, and hips in a line on all exercises performed.

     If you take these 6 rules and apply them on every training session and exercise you perform, you will Hunt Strong.  Functional exercising leads to a life long of  hunting success with minimal to no injuries. So next time you want to impress your friends or others, think twice, it could cost you your health.