Peak Technique

Walk into any gym, and you''ll find guys who don''t know what they''re doing. This, at least, is the impression of Barney Groves, Ph.D., who would know. He is associate professor of physical education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, has taught weight training for more than 30 years and is still active in competition."I like coaching or teaching people who are walking into the weight room for the first time," he says. "Regular lifters usually have bad habits I have to break them of first."

He''s talking about matters of form and technique, the art of executing exercises properly. Practicing proper technique is important with weight lifting as well as with every form of exercise, for two reasons. First, it reduces your risk of injury by placing stress only on muscles, bones and tendons that can take the punishment. Second, it cuts down on inefficient movement that can undermine your strength gains, reduce your endurance or slow your speed.

Rules for Resistance

One of the most important elements of resistance training is its ability to target specific muscles—which isn''t going to do you much good if those muscles are targeted poorly. Throughout this book and in The Core Routine on page 121, we offer pointers and correct common errors of form on the most basic weight-lifting exercises. No matter what you''re lifting, though, there are three principles you should follow, says Dr. Groves.

Don''t lock up the joint. Locking elbows or knees during pushing movements such as shoulder presses and leg presses takes some of the weight off muscles and puts it on bones. That gives muscles a rest, which reduces the stress necessary for maximum results. Beyond that, the bone-against-bone contact may irritate or damage the joint, especially if it locks abruptly. Always keep movement slow and controlled. If your joints tend to hyperextend (bend beyond a straight line), be especially careful not to lock out.

Control your breathing. Ever notice how some guys tighten their lips, hold their breath and make veins pop out of their faces while they lift? Don''t do it. Lack of oxygen during exertion can make you black out. As a rule, breathe out when lifting a weight and breathe in when returning to your starting position. If you feel that the internal pressure of holding your breath helps you through your lift, hold briefly through the hardest part of the repetition, then exhale.

Get a grip. Correct grip technique is important in resistance training. Your thumb should wrap around the bar; it should never be on the same side of the bar as your fingers. (See "Proper Grip Technique.")

Aerobic Retraining

We know what you''re thinking: Of course I have to be careful about proper technique when lifting bars of solid iron over my head. But I''ve been running, riding a bike and climbing stairs for, oh, a few centuries now. Is there really anything more I need to learn about these?

Think of it this way: You learned how to read, write and do arithmetic a long time ago. Then along came books on tape, word processors, calculators. Technology created a new wrinkle on old skills, and you had to adapt to make the most of it.

So it is with the exercise equipment we often use to mimic common aerobic activities—treadmills, stationary bicycles, stair-climbers, rowing machines. Technology has given us a way to exercise without getting wet, stepping in dog poop or getting thrown by a pothole.

Again, this book is filled with tips on proper technique, so if you turn to the Bicycling or Running chapters, for example, you''ll learn the winning form for each of those pursuits. But to make the most of the indoor machine equivalents, you have to learn how to use them first. And just as you spent a few frustrating hours learning to use your new computer so you could balance your checkbook or print your résumé, so you have to learn the subtle nuances of working out on exercise machines. The following, then, is a review of what experts observe to be common errors in exercise-machine use.

Peak Technique

Correct: Thumb wraps around bar

Incorrect: Thumb on same side of bar as fingers

Proper Grip Technique

Get a grip. Grab a bar by wrapping your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other, the way you might hold a beer can. This will provide stability and control, unlike "the death grip," as Dr. Groves calls it, in which thumb and fingers are both placed on one side of the bar. "It''s very dangerous because if the bar slips, it will fall," he says. Also make sure your hands are evenly spaced on the bar, so that weights are balanced and muscle-stress is evenly distributed.

Treadmill Running

Look straight ahead. Unlike solid ground, which is all around you when you run, a treadmill is relatively narrow. "I tell people not to look to the left or right when they''re on a treadmill," says Budd Coates, marathon runner, trainer, exercise physiologist and special consultant to Runner''s World magazine. "You''ll start to drift in whatever direction you''re looking. Outside, that''s fine. Indoors, you could run right off the treadmill and take a spill."

Know your place. While you run, your speed and tempo are bound to alter slightly. "That''s a problem on treadmills. Slow down a little, and you could fall off the back. Go a little too fast, and you could catch your foot on the front of the treadmill belt," says Coates. Make a mental note to check your positioning every so often. "Just reach out occasionally to touch the front panel of the treadmill," says Coates. "If you can barely touch it, you''re drifting too far back. If your hand is brushing against the panel while you run, then you''re too close."

Stationary Biking

Set the seat. It''s a common mistake to hop on an exercise bike and just start pedaling at whatever height the seat is already set. But it''s worth taking the three seconds required to custom-adjust your seat, says Michael Schreiber, D.O., staff physician at HealthFitness America at The Sports Club/L.A. in Los Angeles. Proper seat height gives you a more efficient stroke. Further, consistently keeping the saddle too low can put pressure on the knee, which can cause irritation, swelling and pain. When your seat is properly positioned, your knee should be only slightly bent at the bottom of your stroke.

Get straight. Maybe it''s boredom, maybe it''s tiredness, maybe it''s a desire to get a better view of the aerobics class, but something usually compels us to lean over on the bike, rounding our back and shoulders and resting our arms on the bar or display board. It may seem like a more relaxed position, but it''s not: "I see a lot of problems from the stress this position places on the lower back and neck, especially in people who are also raising their heads to watch TV," says Dr. Schreiber. Ride in an upright position with your head in line with your spine, or, if your bike offers the option of double or adjustable handlebars, lean straight from the hips when grasping the lower position.

Stair-Climbing

Go deep. A lot of people take shallow, mincing steps on stair-climbers, thinking the speed of their movements makes them work harder, but think about it: Is this the way you''d climb a real set of stairs? In a study comparing two different rates of climb, researchers at Illinois State University in Normal found that taking deep, slower steps burns 5 percent more energy than taking shallow, fast ones. Longer steps work larger muscle groups, make the heart beat faster and spur delivery of more blood and oxygen. The ideal step depth? About the same as you''ll find on your front porch: eight to ten inches.

Stay off your toes. There''s room for your whole foot on the pedal, so take advantage of it: One survey of 212 stair-climber users in seven fitness clubs found that 39 percent experienced tingling in their feet. It''s a common problem that comes from stepping with the toes, which puts pressure on the nerves in the ball of the feet. Be sure to keep your feet flat on the pedals and wear shoes with shock-absorbent soles; try loosening the laces to increase blood circulation.

Don''t lean. Bending over creates the same kinds of problems on stair-climbers as it does on stationary cycles, says Dr. Schreiber: pain or stiffness in the lower back and neck. Even if you''re imagining yourself climbing the bell tower at Notre Dame, you''re not Quasimodo: Keep an upright stance on the stairs.

Rowing

Back off. A lot of men throw too much of their back into rowing—and therefore too little of their arms and legs, which are the parts a rower is designed to work. If you drive rearward with your back first, you also leave yourself vulnerable to muscle strain. One clue that you''re doing it wrong: You''ve pulled the cable back, but your arms are still extended in front of you. Proper form entails a fairly precise sequence of movements, says Dr. Schreiber. With your upper body pitched slightly forward, push back with your legs first. Then lean slightly back and pull the handle toward your gut with your arms. As you return to the starting position, extend your arms, bend your legs and lean slightly forward again.