I’ll never forget how intimidated I was when I started lifting weights back in 2011. Although I received some strength training education in high school, it had been years since I spent much time in the weight room. I was a shy, overweight young woman cautiously wandering into a campus gym filled with loud, sweaty college bros. I stuck out like a sore thumb and felt like everyone was watching me, silently judging me for not knowing what I was doing.

Over time, I learned a few things about spending time in a weight room:

1. Many people in the weight room don’t really know what they’re doing, even if they act like they do. Lots of people are just making it up as they go.
2. Everyone in the weight room is totally preoccupied with themselves. They are rarely paying attention to you or what you’re doing.

These days, I feel completely at home in the weight room. It’s even become a sanctuary of sorts where I can get in the zone, de-stress, and push my mental and physical limits. I’ve helped dozens of clients build their own confidence in the weight room, no matter how scary or overwhelming it was at first.

Keep reading to learn the skills you’ll need in order to walk confidently into any weight room, even if you don’t have any prior lifting experience.

Weight Room Etiquette 101

Before we go over what to do during your workouts, a few notes about polite gym behavior:

• If someone is using the piece of equipment you need, you can ask to work in with them. This means you will trade off sets (take turns) rather than standing around waiting. If the person says no, you can either wait for them to finish or choose a different exercise.
• If the gym is busy, it’s impolite to occupy multiple pieces of equipment at once. Modify your workouts as necessary by choosing different exercises or breaking up supersets. You can also work in with others to share equipment if possible.
• My biggest gym pet peeve is when people stand directly in front of the dumbbell racks so other people can’t access them. Please, please, grab whatever weights you need and get out of the way to perform your sets. Don’t crowd people who are in the middle of a set or block major walkways.
• Always clean up after yourself. This means re-rack weights, unload bars, put away mats and smaller equipment, and wipe off benches.

How do I know what equipment to use?

When you walk into a weight room, you’ll see dozens of different tools, machines, and implements. How do you know which ones to use?

I recommend starting with bodyweight exercises. If you can’t move well or control your own body in space, you’ll have a hard time lifting additional weight safely.

Next, progress to dumbbells and kettlebells. Dumbbells are my favorite gym tool because they’re incredibly versatile and easily scalable for different ability levels. Most gyms have a set of dumbbells even if they have little other equipment.

Read more: Awesome gym tool you should use – dumbbells

Kettlebells are also great, but they aren’t available at every gym and require a bit more practice to master form. You can build impressive strength and a great body using only dumbbells and/or kettlebells.

I also love using the TRX or cable pulley systems. These are especially great for performing pulling and core exercises.

Read more: Awesome gym tool you should use – TRX

Some trainers villainize weight machines, but I use them often with my clients. If you’re a beginner lifter working out on your own, machines can be safer and less confusing than free weights. Never  use a machine that causes pain or feels especially uncomfortable.

Read more about machines: Three things I’ve changed my mind about – training

If you’re a beginner, stay away from barbells for a while. Barbells are fantastic tools for lifting lots of weight, but the technical demands of barbell lifts make them a poor choice if you’re just starting out. Focus on mastering your bodyweight, dumbbells, and kettlebells before you consider progressing to barbells.

How do I know which exercises to do?

I use a few basic exercises with all my clients. If you can master the form and add weight to the exercises on this list, I guarantee you’ll start to move better, feel stronger, and look better.

Lower body push

Bodyweight squat

Goblet Squat:

Goblet box squat

Lower body pull

Hip hinge drills:

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Pull-through:

Kettlebell deadlift

Swiss ball leg curl

Upper body push

Elevated pushup

Dumbbell floor press:

Dumbbell bench press

Upper body pull

Inverted row

Seated low row

Half-kneeling cable row:

Core

Plank:

Dead bug:

Bird dog

Pallof press

Loaded carries:

Putting it all together

Now that you know which tools to use and which exercises to perform, it’s time to put everything together into a training session.

Always start your workouts with a short dynamic warm-up, such as this one:

I like to perform core exercise right after the warm-up. Choose 1-2 core exercises and perform 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps. If you’re performing a timed core exercise such as a plank, start with 10-15 seconds.

Next, include two supersets of compound exercises. A superset is a pair of opposing exercises performed back-to-back. For example, you can perform a set of goblet squats followed by a set of seated low rows. I always pair lower body pushes with upper body pulls, and lower body pulls with upper body pushes. You can pick one exercise from each of the categories I listed above.

Perform 2-4 sets of each superset with anywhere from 6-12 reps of each exercise. Fewer reps = heavier weights, more reps = lighter weights. If you’re short on time, you can combine all four compound movements into one giant circuit.

If you want to complete any isolation work like curls, tricep pressdowns, or shoulder raises, save it for the end. I also recommend saving cardio or high intensity interval training for the end of your sessions.

Read more: All about cardio

For best results, you should be lifting weights twice per week at minimum. Your sessions can be as short as 20 minutes if you’re crunched for time. Over time, you can work up to 3-4 lifting sessions per week. You can also increase your weekly training commitment by performing additional lower-intensity cardio sessions on your off days.

Read more: I only have two days to train. What should I do?

Venturing into the weight room doesn’t have to be scary. With a bit of knowledge and a plan, even the shyest person can start weight training, build confidence, and make progress toward their goals.

It’s tough to get the ball rolling with exercise, but I have tips that can help. Join my email list here and I’ll send you my FREE 5 day course on how to become a more consistent exerciser. 

My gym background is steeped in heavy strength training. After a few months of stumbling around the weight room, I was exposed to powerlifting and fell in love with the sport. For years, I chased personal records in “the big three” lifts – the back squat, bench press, and deadlift. I loved heavy barbell training and was singularly focused on getting strong. I encouraged my partner to get involved and we trained for our first meet together. In short, I became an unapologetic meathead.

When I started working with clients, I wrote programs and coached through this powerlifting lens. I wanted everyone else to get strong and lift heavy weights. Even more so, I wanted them to feel the same way about this style of training as I did.

However, I quickly learned powerlifting wasn’t a good fit for everyone. Some people couldn’t master the form on “the big three” lifts no matter what we tried. Others didn’t seem as excited about heavy squatting, benching, and deadlifting as they did about other gym activities.

After thousands of hours working with many different types of clients, my training philosophy has grown and evolved. There are many ideas I felt strongly about in the past that I’ve partially or completely changed my mind about now. These days, although I’m still always learning, I take a more nuanced and open-minded approach.

This article is the first in a two-part series about things I’ve changed my mind about since I started my training career. In this first part, I take a look at my training style and philosophy. Next week, I will examine how I’ve changed my approach to nutrition.

Everyone should work toward barbell back squatting, benching, and deadlifting.

It’s easy to understand why I loved the back squat, bench press, and deadlift as a competitive powerlifter. I personally saw the most gains from these exercises and (thankfully) didn’t have any injuries or restrictions which prevented me from performing them safely.

These days, it’s rare I meet with a new client who is totally free from pain or injures. Many clients aren’t moving well when they come to me due to many hours of sitting each day and bad habits in their current exercise routine (sometimes even from forcing themselves to complete barbell lifts).

The reality is not everyone is cut out to train with a barbell. Barbells lock us into a single path, which doesn’t work for all bodies. It requires a great deal of mobility to safely perform the standard barbell lifts. People with cranky shoulders may not be able to comfortably hold a barbell on their backs to squat or complete a full bench press; people with bad backs and poor hip mobility will likely struggle to deadlift a loaded barbell from the floor.

I help my clients find exercises and implements that fit with their individual bodies. We then work to master those choices so we can eventually load them up with heavier weights. For example, one of my clients has a history of severe back problems. We will likely never be able to do any squatting with a bar, but have had success doing heavy squats loaded in the goblet and double front rack positions. I’ve had many clients complain that barbell benching bothers their shoulders, but they don’t experience any discomfort benching with dumbbells and a neutral grip.

I still think the barbell is a fantastic tool and one of the best, most efficient ways to move tons of weight. You just may need to use it more sparingly. Maybe you can bench with a barbell but need to use a trap bar to deadlift and kettlebells to squat. Maybe you can’t do any of “the big three” with a barbell, but you can perform heavy barbell hip thrusts, glute bridges, single-leg exercises, or Romanian deadlifts.

Takeaway: Get creative and find alternative ways to load the major movement patterns that feel more comfortable. You don’t need to use a barbell to build a strong and resilient body.

Isolation training is a waste of time.

I used to think people who performed curls, lateral raises, and the like were silly. Why would you waste your precious time with these exercises when squatting, pressing, rowing, and deadlifting gave you a much better training effect? Once again, I was viewing training though my meathead lens. I failed to understand people had goals in the weight room beyond getting strong, and that only training compound movements wasn’t necessarily the best way to achieve those goals.

I changed my tune on this topic when my own personal goals changed. I’ve previously written about my experience working with a trainer to build a leaner, more muscular physique. One of the lessons I mentioned in this post was that I didn’t see the changes I wanted in my arms and shoulders until I started training them more regularly. In the past, I had done a few cursory sets of arms and shoulders when the mood struck me. When I worked with my coach Bryan, I trained arms and shoulders multiple times per week. This big increase in volume allowed me to finally see noticeable, lasting changes.

Some lucky people can build awesome-looking arms, shoulders, legs, and butts from heavy compound training alone. Most of us, however, will need to add in extra work at some point if we want to see those muscles grow.

These days, I program some isolation training for a majority of my clients. I’m working with normal people and not pro athletes, and almost everyone who comes to me wants to look better and feel more confident in their skin. Most of our training time focuses on bigger, compound movements, but I add in curls, pressdowns, calf raises, shoulder raises, and similar exercises.

Takeaway: If your goal is to look jacked/ripped/toned/etc., you’ll likely need to do some isolation exercises. As long as these don’t make up the majority of your training time, you’ll get good results.

Machines are bad.

When I first started lifting, I had no idea what I was doing. A lot of the exercises I performed used machines because I was certain I could perform those correctly. Eventually, when I discovered free weights and powerlifting, my thoughts on machines swung to the totally opposite side. I hated machines and thought they were always a bad choice for everyone.

As with much of my approach to training, I now take a more middle-of-the-road approach. I believe machines can play a role in a well-rounded program for many people.

There are a few situations when someone may benefit from using a machine over a free-weight exercise. If someone is new to exercise and just making their way into the weight room, machines can be a good way to learn about the various muscles and use a challenging load without huge demands on their balance or posture. If new clients have a hard time getting up and down from a floor or bench, machines provide greater exercise variety.

People whose primary goal is to build muscle will likely use machines in their training. Machines can provide unique training angles or allow you to overload certain muscles more than you could with free weights. Machines also allow more advanced trainees to safely and easily use intensity techniques like drop sets, partial reps, and forced reps.

Finally, lots of my clients travel for work and frequently find themselves training in hotel gyms. Many times machines are the only weights available in these settings.

Takeaway: I still recommend everyone engage in plenty of free-weight training focused on the major movement patterns. But don’t be afraid to incorporate weight machines into your training when appropriate.

Always Be Open

Depending on your background, some of you may believe the same training dogmas I once did. Perhaps you have a few different ones of your own. I encourage you to think deeply about these ideas and question your assumptions. You will likely become a better coach to yourself in the process.

Check back next week to learn how I’ve changed my mind about the way I eat and the way I help clients manage their nutrition.

If you like what you’ve read and want to receive more exclusive tips, tools, and strategies to help you make fitness a part of your busy life, please subscribe to my newsletter here.

 

Every gym bro and broette knows Mondays are “International Chest Day.”

It’s super common to roll up to the gym for your Monday workout and see every bench press station occupied. For some people, this is one of the only workouts they do consistently. I’d venture to say the barbell bench press is the most beloved and popular exercise in many gyms across America.

Unfortunately, the barbell bench press is also one of the most frequently butchered exercises at the gym. I’m always impressed when I see a strong, stable, and well-executed bench press at a commercial gym. Most people use poor form, too much weight, and receive too much assistance from spotters.

Poor bench press technique combined with too much weight is a recipe for pain, injuries, and frustration. If you want to avoid these setbacks, or you simply want to fine-tune your bench press to see better results, keep reading for my solutions to the 6 most common bench press mistakes.

Mistake #1: Forcing yourself to use a barbell when it’s the wrong fit for your body

Not everyone is cut out to use a barbell on every exercise. Although barbells help you lift more weight than any other tool in the gym, they also lock your body into one position. If your limb lengths and leverages don’t line up perfectly with the barbell, using it can be awkward, uncomfortable, and put you at risk for injury.

If you have a history of shoulder or elbow pain, the standard barbell bench press may not be the best choice for you. Instead, you should use alternative variations to build horizontal pressing strength. I love the floor press and board press to train restricted range of motion chest presses for those with cranky shoulders. Dumbbell pressing is also a great option. Because you hold a weight in each hand, dumbbells allow for freer movement of your arms. You can twist your hands into different positions at different portions of the lift, which often alleviates shoulder pain. Dumbbells are also self-limiting, making it much less likely you will load up more weight than you can manage.

Mistake #2: Haphazard set-up

Anytime you’re attempting a heavy lift, it’s crucial to set up your body in the most stable position possible. I often see people lie on the bench, unrack the bar, and start pressing without any regard for what’s going on with the rest of their bodies. If this sounds like you, you’re leaving tons of strength on the table and setting yourself up for injury.

You should set up the same way no matter how much weight is on the bar. If you’re lazy with your setup during your warm up sets, you’ll struggle to maintain a tight and stable position when the load is heavy. Ultimately, your setup should become so well ingrained you don’t have to think about it.

Bench press setup starts with the feet. Although it seems counterintuitive, the legs are very important when pressing (more on this below). Create tension in the legs and hips by pulling your feet as far back as you can. Some people keep their whole foot on the ground, others lift up their heel and press into the balls of their feet. Unless you’re entering a competition with specific rules about foot placement, do what feels most secure to you.

Next, be sure to pack your shoulders. Unlike most other upper body exercises, bench pressing requires you to lock your shoulder blades in place throughout the movement. This keeps your shoulder joint safe and allows you to recruit the bigger muscles of your upper body – the pecs and lats. To pack your shoulders, pull your shoulder blades together toward your spine. You should feel like you have a tight shelf of muscle supporting your upper back on the bench. This will also create a small arch in your lower back, which is totally normal.

Finally, be strategic when taking the bar from the rack. If you push the bar out of the rack, you risk losing the tightness in your upper back and shoulders. Instead, think about pulling the bar out of the rack. Bring the bar out over your chest and pause for a moment before initiating the movement.

Mistake #3: Hands and elbows in the wrong position

Keeping your joints stacked on top of eachother helps you manage loads safely. In the bench press, this means placing your hands on the bar so that your elbows track directly beneath the bar and you can maintain a vertical forearm.

Unless you are specifically using different variations like the close-grip bench press, your strongest pressing position occurs with your hands placed directly above your elbows.

Another helpful cue to keep your joints stacked is to think about breaking the bar in half throughout the press. This prevents your elbows from flaring out to the sides and can help you keep your back engaged and your shoulders packed.

Mistake #4: Not using your legs

Barbell lifts are full body lifts. The bench press is no exception. If you aren’t taking advantage of leg drive as you press, you won’t be able to move as much weight.

Leg drive starts with properly setting your feet as discussed above. Next, think about driving your feet into the floor throughout each rep. This is especially helpful coming out of the bottom of the press. Just make sure you don’t use so much leg drive that your butt comes off the bench.

Mistake #5: Using incomplete range of motion

A true barbell bench press is lowered all the way to your chest, paused, and then pressed back up until you’ve locked out your elbows. This is not, however,  what I typically see people doing. Instead, people either fail to lower the bar all the way to their chest, they bounce the weight off their chest, or they re-rack the bar before they’ve fully locked their elbows. Unless you’re specifically training shortened range of motion (as with a board press or spoto press), always use as full of a range of motion as you can.  

The main reason people use incomplete range of motion is because they try to press more weight than they can manage. If you think you’ll miss the lift if you lower it all the way to your chest, check your ego and remove some weight.

Alternatively, if you are unable to use a full range of motion, it may indicate that the barbell isn’t a good fit for you. If lowering the bar to your chest isn’t possible or causes pain, consider switching to limited range of motion presses (such as board presses). I’ve had a few clients with injuries that prevent them from fully extending their elbows; barbell benching would be a poor fit for these clients.

Mistake #6: Uncontrolled bar path

The final mistake I frequently see with the barbell bench press is an uncontrolled bar path. This can take several forms:

• People lower the bar to their chest too quickly.
• The bar wobbles around throughout the rep.
• People press back toward their eyes too soon, lengthening the distance of the press.

As the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and more important to control the bar path. Even a slight wobble can throw you off enough to miss the lift.

To initiate the press, actively pull the bar down to your chest like in an inverted row. This helps you lower the bar in a straight line and recruits supporting muscles in your back and shoulders. After a brief pause in the bottom position, drive the bar straight up from your chest. There may be a slight J-shaped curve as you press the bar back toward your eyes, but keep this minimal. The less curve, the less distance you have to press the bar. Always aim to explode off your chest as powerfully as you can.

Smarter, Safer, Stronger

The barbell bench press is one of the most popular exercises at the gym. However, it’s crucial to use good form in order to stay safe and make better gains.

The six most common bench press mistakes are:

1. Using the barbell even when it’s a bad fit for your body. If traditional barbell benching is uncomfortable or causes pain, experiment with dumbbell presses, floor presses, and board presses.
2. Not paying attention to your setup. If you want a strong and stable press, create tension in your entire body before you unrack the bar.
3. Incorrect placement of hands and elbows. Position your hands where they will stay directly above your elbows. Think about breaking the bar in half as you press.
4. Ignoring leg drive. Always drive hard into your feet as you press to take full advantage of your legs.
5. Incomplete range of motion. A good bench press is lowered all the way to the chest, paused, and then pressed back to elbow lockout. If you can’t do this, use less weight or choose another exercise.
6. Uncontrolled bar path. A wobbly bar path adds distance to the press and makes it more likely you’ll miss the lift. Pull the bar to your chest and press it straight up.

If you like to bench, chances are good you also like to squat and deadlift. Do you want to get better at these lifts? Download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift School below.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.