One of the biggest worries when you start to lift weights at the gym for the first time is that you won’t know what to do. At least, it is for most people.
There are so many different types of exercise, so many lifts, so many muscle groups to target—and so many ways to mess up, afterall.
But the real reason why lifting weights properly—with the correct form—is so important isn’t because you’ll look stupid or that people will laugh at you (they won’t, by the way).
No, the real reason is because proper form protects you from injuring yourself. It’s also vital for actually making progress and seeing some gains come from your hard work.
Not to worry though, because we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about lifting weight with good form.
Why? So that you can head into the gym full of confidence, knowing that you can exercise correctly and get the absolute most out of every single lift.
Let’s get to it.
How to start lifting weights: 10 essential tips on proper weight lifting form for beginners
Despite what we said above about there being a ton of different exercises, all of which have their own particular ways to approach them—there are a handful of things that apply to every single strength-training exercise.
These big-hitting tips should flow through everything you do in the gym (or even if you work out at home), forming a strong basis for each and every lift—from big compound movements like squats and deadlifts, to isolation exercises like bicep curls and lateral raises.
Start by focusing on these key factors, then you’ll be better placed to actually perform the relevant movements for each specific exercise knowing that you’ve got all the basics covered.
1. Warm up and stretch
Before you even begin to start throwing weights around, you need to get your muscles and joints warmed up.
A few minutes of dynamic stretches will help to improve your flexibility and mobility, so that your body is fully prepared and ready to smash that big weight-training workout that lies ahead.
2. Get positioned correctly
Once you’re warmed up and ready to rock, your next step is to get yourself in the correct physical position for the exercise you’re about to perform.
Start by getting your feet set and maintaining proper foot position for the specific lift. Most of the time this will require keeping your feet flat on the ground and shoulder-width apart to create a strong and stable base for you to lift from.
Next, grab the bar (or whatever piece of equipment you’re using), concentrating on proper grip and hand placement.
Always pay attention to your grip on the free weights, whether it's an overhand, underhand, or neutral grip. You should also always make sure your hands are in a comfortable, secure position that isn’t causing any unnecessary strain along your arms.
Getting your feet and hands in the correct places will make it much easier to then follow the next point…
3. Maintain proper posture
Once your feet are planted and your hands are set, the next thing to do is ensure the rest of your body is in the correct position too.
For example, keep your back straight and chest up during exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses to avoid straining your spine.
Likewise, make sure to engage your core. Activating the core muscles will help to stabilise your body, maintain your balance, and protect your spine as you lift.
4. Start off slow
When your whole body is set correctly, you can then concentrate on the actual movement of the exercise itself.
The best way to familiarise yourself with a new lift is to start with a light weight (or even just the bar) until you’ve perfected the movement.
You can then load up with extra weight as you progress over the weeks and months—just do so gradually to avoid overexertion and prevent injury.
As you’re learning to lift with that lighter weight, you’ll be able to…
5. Focus on technique
There are two keys to a safe and effective lift: Range of motion and complete control.
Going through the full range of motion on an exercise will ensure you’re working your muscles properly—so avoid any temptation to only perform partial movements or half-ass it.
Then there’s the control side of things. To test your muscles, sometimes less is more. Too much weight means you’ll likely have to use swinging or jerking motions, or use momentum from your whole body when it’s not needed.
Instead, move the weight in a slow and controlled manner. Don’t cheat yourself out of big gains by trying to lift more than you can handle.
6. Remember to breathe
Okay, you know how to breathe—you’ve probably been doing it pretty successfully for years now. But there’s a right way to breathe when you’re lifting weights to help you maintain rhythm and control.
Aim to exhale during the exertion phase of the lift (e.g. when pushing or pulling the weight) and inhale during the lowering or releasing phase (returning the weight to the starting point) to help keep your core stabilised and your form on point.
7. Rest between sets
Allow yourself adequate rest between sets to give your muscles time to rest and recover to prepare for the next set—but not too much time.
Some people can be tempted to rush through their sets with barely any recovery in between, whereas others dawdle and take an absolute age between sets (hogging the weights or machines while doing so).
But there’s a sweet spot you should be aiming for. If, like many people in the gym, your focus is to increase muscle hypertrophy to gain size, then around 30 to 90 between each set is ideal.
You only really need to take longer than this if you’re working with higher weights and low reps to improve power and strength (like a powerlifter). And any less than 30 seconds should be reserved for muscular endurance training (using lighter weights but for higher rep counts).
If 30 to 90 seconds seems like either too much time to rest or not enough, you may need to adjust the load.
How do you know if that’s the case? By following our next tip…
8. Listen to your body
Your body is pretty smart. It’s good at judging when things aren’t quite right—and, boy, will it let you know about it.
Aches, pains, discomfort, or any other slightly irregular physical feelings during a resistance training session is a sign that something is amiss—and therefore needs changing.
So stop lifting and pay attention to what your body is trying to tell if you feel any unusual strain. Then evaluate whether it’s an issue of posture, technique, load, or anything else that could be causing the issue.
If you’re not sure, then you can always…
9. Get an objective opinion
A solid way to double check what you might be doing wrong (as well as what your form is like in general) is to ask somebody to watch you perform a set and see if they have any advice.
While there will likely be plenty of mirrors around the gym for you to assess your own form, an outside opinion is sometimes needed to really spot what’s going on.
A personal trainer or staff member at the gym will always be happy to help out. After all, they don’t want anybody getting injured or having an accident with the weights on their watch—or you could ask a friend who knows what they’re looking for if they’ll weigh in.
10. Cool down and stretch
Finally, once you’ve completed all of your reps and sets for your workout, you should end the session with a proper cool down.
Some static stretching (particularly for the muscle groups that you focused on that day) will aid muscle recovery and reduce stiffness afterwards.
Cooling down like this allows your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature to all slowly return to normal levels after being raised and pumped up for the previous hour or so.
It’s also a great way to keep your blood circulating and will prevent you from becoming dizzy or lightheaded after smashing your gym session.
Bonus tips to build muscle and boost your gym performance
So, you now know how to lift with perfect form, but there’s more to just building muscle than that.
Here are some extra tips to help you make the most out of every gym session, and to ensure you’re doing everything right outside of the gym, too.
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Do compound exercises: Big compound lifts that work multiple major muscle groups should form the core of your workouts. Get into the big lifts like bench press, squats, pull ups, and deadlifts at the start of a session, while you’ve still got your full reserves of energy and strength, then throw in some isolated movements towards the end for the muscle group you want to focus on that day.
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It’s all about progressive overload: The more you go to the gym, the stronger you’ll get. So you’ll need to gradually increase the weight over time to ensure you don’t stagnate or hit a plateau. Once you begin to find it too easy to lift for three sets of 12 reps, for example, you’ll know you can add a bit more weight the next time you perform that lift. That’s how you keep making progress and getting those gains.
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Rest up: We’ve already mentioned rest between sets, but rest between sessions is also important for proper recovery and optimal muscle growth. Make sure to take a couple of rest days each week away from the heavy weights—especially when you’re first starting out. You don’t want to try doing too much too soon, as this can lead to you burning out or hurting yourself.
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Sort your diet out: Diet and exercise should go hand in hand. If they don’t complement each other, you won’t see the gains you’re looking for. So calculate your macros, eat mostly whole foods (particularly complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats), and make sure you’re getting enough protein to repair and grow your muscles after a workout.
- Supplement your diet: Quality supplements are the secret sauce that separate okay results from incredible ones. If you’re not supplying your body with what it needs to perform and then grow, then your gym sessions will only take you so far. Protein powder can help you hit your daily macro count, creatine can supercharge your performances, mass gainers will have you packing on extra muscle mass, and pre-workouts can get you fired up and energied before you hit the gym.
When you start incorporating all of this information into your life, the gains will come thick and fast.
While we can’t physically be there with you in the gym or in your kitchen, we do have plenty more information to keep you on top of your game in our blog.
If you’re ever stuck for ideas or motivation, check out some of our workout suggestions, recipes, and inspirational articles to get back to your best.
And as for the supplement side of things, we’ve absolutely got you covered there. The Crazy Nutrition range has been designed to give your body exactly what it needs for you to gain muscle and get the best possible results in the gym.
Grab yours here, then go get those gains.
