T Nation

Refining Technique

Bodybuilding
#1

hi i’m been lifting for about a year now and just have a few questions on some exercises and small things that you should do while doing them cuase after reading around (other sites and stuff) some say modify your technique for the exercise and others say dont, so i would just like to clarify everything.

Sorry if some of these issues have been discussed but i tried to use search and came up with nothing

Bench Press
-do you put your feet up on the edge of the bench or down on the floor

Squatting and deadlifts
-should you have your feet parrel or facing outwards

When lifing something heavy like when doing shrugs
(i didnt read about this but i’ve been thinking…probaly naive thinking)
-should u keep your backs natural curve or try and make it straight by sort of clenching your bum and pushing out ur pelvis (hopefully u get wat i’m tryin to explain)

Anyway i’m only asking cause they seem to say if u do one or the other it’ll give u a bad back, bad knees, watever.

Should i even b worrying about these things, would they even make a difference if so wat should i do?
thanks

#2

[quote]Dilligaf wrote:
Bench Press
-do you put your feet up on the edge of the bench or down on the floor[/quote]
If you’re a 35-year old guy with an earring and gloves that match his weight belt, you put your feet up on the bench and hope the new 19-year old girl trainer will catch sight of your ‘little lifter’ flopping outta your short-shorts.

Otherwise, you plant your feet on the ground, don’t wiggle them around during the set, and bench from a solid base.

[quote]Squatting and deadlifts
-should you have your feet parrel or facing outwards[/quote]
Pretty solid advice from Dan John (and others): Jump up and down 3 times. The position your feet land after the third jump is pretty much where you want to squat/deadlift from. Most likely, this will have your toes pointed outwards just a bit.

[quote]When lifing something heavy like when doing shrugs
(i didnt read about this but i’ve been thinking…probaly naive thinking)
-should u keep your backs natural curve or try and make it straight by sort of clenching your bum and pushing out ur pelvis (hopefully u get wat i’m tryin to explain)[/quote]
I’d stand tall, definitely not slouched forward, but not exaggeratedly arching back either.

Worry about these nuisances like technique…yeah, that’s definitely worth checking up on, no problem.

#3

haha thx for the help minotaur i’ll remember your advice when i go to the gym