# Worst exercise for form



## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

After being in the gym a good few years I think the worst form people use for an exercise has to be lateral raises! There's so many different ways people do it! It's amazing!

What do you think?


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## stoatman (Sep 13, 2012)

Bicep curls or barbell curls. Horrific , an 8 stone boy manhandling a 35 kg barbell is a sight to behold !


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## gearchange (Mar 19, 2010)

I agree.Most of it comes from trying to lift weights that are to heavy .


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

gearchange said:


> I agree.Most of it comes from trying to lift weights that are to heavy .


But it's also how they lift it. You'll see them lift and then turn their arms up so they end up hitting their rear delts, or they'll just swing like fcuk!


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Like this is supposed to be a vid of how to do them on a bench and IMO he's going to high and taking the emphasis off the medial delt


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## sneeky_dave (Apr 2, 2013)

gearchange said:


> I agree.Most of it comes from trying to lift weights that are to heavy .


Very true, similar when I try squat slightly heavier than I can comfortably manage and my form starts to slip, only these lads desperately try swinging huge weights up and down under some impression they have actually lifted it.


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

sneeky_dave said:


> Very true, similar when I try squat slightly heavier than I can comfortably manage and my form starts to slip, only these lads desperately try swinging huge weights up and down under some impression they have actually lifted it.


Yep and like you mentioned squat is another. Lads will load a tonne of weight and then only squat about 6inches!


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## sneeky_dave (Apr 2, 2013)

I see some terrible attempts at deadlifts everyday I train. How people don't injury themselves daily I'll never know


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## DutchTony (Sep 25, 2011)

I always see people squating too heavy and not even getting parallel.


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## Captain lats (Mar 25, 2014)

Front lat pulldown. Not because its lats but because i see guys going to heavy. When they pulldown it looks as though there trying to yank the bar off and fall off the seat.


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Captain lats said:


> Front lat pulldown. Not because its lats but because i see guys going to heavy. When they pulldown it looks as though there trying to yank the bar off and fall off the seat.


Haha always gotta be lats with you!


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

liam0810 said:


> After being in the gym a good few years I think the worst form people use for an exercise has to be lateral raises! There's so many different ways people do it! It's amazing!
> 
> What do you think?


I've noticed this recently, I use 12kg DB's for side laterals and see 12 stone guys swinging about with 20's. They have their elbows at right angles and I'm not sure what muscles they're trying to hit!


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## Old n fat (Feb 1, 2014)

liam0810 said:


> Like this is supposed to be a vid of how to do them on a bench and IMO he's going to high and taking the emphasis off the medial delt


I would agree with that , no higher than your ear with a pause at the top nice and controlled , do that and you can't lift more than a baby weight 

I'm schizophrenic when lifting I bollock myself for bad form all the time , if iv got head phones on I must look Like I have Tourette's "sort it out you fat cont" is the sort of thing I find I say to myself ha ha

Loads of bad form in gyms it's hard to say which is worst , I'm often amazed at how people bench press , light weight fast as **** jump of the bench than growl in the mirrors, allways wanna say try putting some plate on the bar next set but never do .


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## Captain lats (Mar 25, 2014)

Smitch said:


> I've noticed this recently, I use 12kg DB's for side laterals and see 12 stone guys swinging about with 20's. They have their elbows at right angles and I'm not sure what muscles they're trying to hit!


i've seen this and also guys doing front raises swinging forward. I called one of the guys superman cause it looked as though he was trying to take off lol.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

I think a lot of people must watch videos of pro's swinging stuff about and think "if it works for them it'll work for me".

Some of the funniest stuff I see in the cross fit section though, some of their attempts at very technical Olympic lifts are hilarious, saw some guy injure his shoulder doing clean and press the other week and had to chuckle.


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

i`d go with side laterals and BB row


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## Pancake' (Aug 30, 2012)

Upright Rows spring to mind.


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

To be honest I see every exercise performed incorrectly at some point and probably do a few things wrong myself.


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## StuOwen86 (Apr 13, 2014)

I struggle with bent over tricep extension or think I do even with a light weight from what I can tell in the mirror, and keeping my elbows tucked in on the cable pull down and skull crushers so just keep it pretty light until I learn to keep up with good form. Easier now I have a training partner as he will correct me and just say elbows and stuff to keep me more focused on form over weight.


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## graham58 (Apr 7, 2013)

liam0810 said:


> Like this is supposed to be a vid of how to do them on a bench and IMO he's going to high and taking the emphasis off the medial delt


yes but he is hardly a sight to behold


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

I completely agree with @liam0810.

The question I get asked the most in the gym is..."How do you get shoulders like that?"

I always say to these guys, stop trying to f*cking lateral raise 28's then. People go so heavy on laterals that they have no technique at all when executing them and get zero to minimal delt stimulation. In addition to this, they look like right tw4ts doing this.

I don't even have a shoulder day as I do push, pull, legs and do laterals with 10's or 12's.

Now... Check out the boulder shoulders :whistling:


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## Kazza61 (Jun 14, 2008)

liam0810 said:


> Like this is supposed to be a vid of how to do them on a bench and IMO he's going to high and taking the emphasis off the medial delt


You're right - but more importantly, your link led to this!!:






Some absolutely perfect form going on here!!


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## leedw (Feb 12, 2013)

liam0810 said:


> But it's also how they lift it. You'll see them lift and then turn their arms up so they end up hitting their rear delts, or they'll just swing like fcuk!


Can you post a vid that would help us out ?


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Contest said:


> I completely agree with @liam0810.
> 
> The question I get asked the most in the gym is..."How do you get shoulders like that?"
> 
> ...


See now I disagree a little on going heavy on later raises as I love heavy lat raises but just partials for a lot of reps. @Bad Alan does then as well and they've made my delts grow well


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

liam0810 said:


> See now I disagree a little on going heavy on later raises as I love heavy lat raises but just partials for a lot of reps. @Bad Alan does then as well and they've made my delts grow well


How many reps do you hit when doing partials mate?

I guess it also comes down to muscle fibres. My shoulders grow great using a high rep range with very short rest periods.

When I was doing heavy laterals, I just weren't getting much results.


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Smitch said:


> I think a lot of people must watch videos of pro's swinging stuff about and think "if it works for them it'll work for me".
> 
> Some of the funniest stuff I see in the cross fit section though, some of their attempts at very technical Olympic lifts are hilarious, saw some guy injure his shoulder doing clean and press the other week and had to chuckle.


You get so many injuries doing cross fit coz it's full retards most of the time


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## PosterBoy (Mar 11, 2011)

leedw said:


> Can you post a vid that would help us out ?


Ben Pakulski's MI40 program is worth buying for the videos on form and working the muscle rather than just lifting weight


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## Blinkey (May 14, 2012)

Its got to be barbell curls, so many in the gym are limbo dancing not barbell curling.


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

Curls, the amount of people swinging to get the weight up baffles me. Lower the weight you fools!


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## naturalun (Mar 21, 2014)

Curls, Arnold press (seen some crazy versions), dips (believe it or not), lat raises that look more like front raises.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

liam0810 said:


> But it's also how they lift it. You'll see them lift and then turn their arms up so they end up hitting their rear delts, or they'll just swing like fcuk!


I think these people inadvertently invented the reverse-grip hang clean :lol:


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Contest said:


> How many reps do you hit when doing partials mate?
> 
> I guess it also comes down to muscle fibres. My shoulders grow great using a high rep range with very short rest periods.
> 
> When I was doing heavy laterals, I just weren't getting much results.


I change it about like a couple weeks ago I was doing 4 x 25 but I've also done 3 x 15 rest pause sets. I love partials


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

leedw said:


> Can you post a vid that would help us out ?


I'll try to get one of myself doing it mate but have a look on YouTube. Like this


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## andyhuggins (Nov 21, 2008)

PaulB said:


> To be honest I see every exercise performed incorrectly at some point and probably do a few things wrong myself.


My thoughts exactly.


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## NorthernSoul (Nov 7, 2011)

Contest said:


> I completely agree with @liam0810.
> 
> The question I get asked the most in the gym is..."How do you get shoulders like that?"
> 
> ...


Dude your beard, its awesome!


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Juic3Up said:


> Dude your beard, its awesome!


LMAO, that's a messy beard for me mate.

Check out a perfected beard...


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Contest said:


> LMAO, that's a messy beard for me mate.
> 
> Check out a perfected beard...
> 
> View attachment 150336


I can't grow a bear properly! Tried in Thailand but I just looked weird


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

liam0810 said:


> I can't grow a bear properly! Tried in Thailand but I just looked weird


It's a double edged sword mate. Having such a thick and full beard means I've got a hairy chest and back which I have to wax frequently :crying:

My younger brother can't grow a beard but has a clean chest and back also.


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## pea head (May 28, 2008)

Side Laterals

Seated Rows

Tricep pushdowns

Squats

One arm rows.......well more like trying start a fcuking Chainsaw. :lol:


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Contest said:


> It's a double edged sword mate. Having such a thick and full beard means I've got a hairy chest and back which I have to wax frequently :crying:
> 
> My younger brother can't grow a beard but has a clean chest and back also.


I have to shave my chest and back. Can't wax it as it hurts and I don't like pain


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

pea head said:


> Side Laterals
> 
> Seated Rows
> 
> ...


Seated rows as well! Fcuk me you see some sights trying to do them!


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

I'll chime in on one more... Fly's.

People once again go way to heavy and end up pressing the weight, and then right at the end of the movement, clap the dumbbells and call it a fly.

When people do this, I call them Ply's (A movement when an individual presses and "tries to" fly dumbbells).


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

BENCH.

it seems 90% of people press from their nipple line and are using more delt that chest


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

liam0810 said:


> I have to shave my chest and back. Can't wax it as it hurts and I don't like pain


Yeh but how bad is your growth? My chest and back if left un-groomed looks like a carpet. I'm sure yours is no where near that bad lol.


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

Squats are the exercise where I see the most variation in form, usually down to a lack of flexibility, or too much weight being shifted. On the right day you could probably also make a case for most every other exercise tbh...

Beard growth is another area where form goes right out the window. If you can't plait you beard then it's stubble


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## George-Bean (Sep 8, 2010)

I train mainly at home, I decided to video myself and see "how great I was doing". Actually I wasn't so great, my form had become appalling, so I went back to the basics, got my laptop set up in the garage and concentrated on form. I think there could be more danger of getting into bad habits when your training at home as there is no-one to say "Are you the new mayor of snap city?"

My numbers went straight down esp on all compound movements, slowly they are coming back up.

I had a reoccurring injury to my shoulder, in just a few weeks this has gone off and it feels much stronger.

Good thread, good topic.


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## Muscle Supermkt (Nov 28, 2012)

You're right that lateral raises always seem to be performed incorrectly!

I'd say the big three are also lifts which people fail to nail form on. Squats where the depth is a few inches and all the load is on the knees. Deadlifts with a severely rounded back and no leg drive. Bench press again with a tiny bit of depth and over cautious spotters!


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## Dark sim (May 18, 2013)

liam0810 said:


> See now I disagree a little on going heavy on later raises as I love heavy lat raises but just partials for a lot of reps. @Bad Alan does then as well and they've made my delts grow well


Doesn't this contradict everyone commenting about ppl using too much weight and not doing a full rep (aka bad form). Although you are purposefully doing this they are in essence and unbeknown to them doing the same thing.

I have used partials on squat to progress.

I'm sure we are all guilty of bad form, and tbh most still are just aren't aware.


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

Dark sim said:


> Doesn't this contradict everyone commenting about ppl using too much weight and not doing a full rep (aka bad form). Although you are purposefully doing this they are in essence and unbeknown to them doing the same thing.
> 
> I have used partials on squat to progress.
> 
> I'm sure we are all guilty of bad form, and tbh most still are just aren't aware.


no mate as these are partial reps, not full reps. I'm sure you do partials on certain exercises yourself so i'm not going to go into detail on them. also, i do FULL ROM on lateral raises but with a light weight but this is a different exercise


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

barbell rows.

too many people put far too much weight on these struggle to get it up, let alone pause and return the bar with any control.


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## Trev182 (Sep 24, 2013)

Deadlift.


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

Dumbbell front raises, mufafukas look like they're training for 10 pin bowling!


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

a.notherguy said:


> barbell rows.
> 
> too many people put far too much weight on these struggle to get it up, let alone pause and return the bar with any control.


This is true and i probably am one on my last set i go heavy and don't always pause. Plus i am more upright on these rows as in Yates rows as feel they hit the top of my lats better


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## DiggyV (May 6, 2011)

Smitch said:


> I've noticed this recently, I use 12kg DB's for side laterals and see 12 stone guys swinging about with 20's. They have their elbows at right angles and I'm not sure what muscles they're trying to hit!


^^^ This. I was maxing out on 12.5s, however now I am on 15 reps for all exercises I am down to 9Kg DBs. Elbows with ANYTHING more than a slight bend in them is asking for trouble. Also ideally should lift outwards with the DB starting on the outside of your thigh, not meeting in the middle (Unless you are doing Charles Glass Laterals) , this stops any initial momentum being built up with that little shrug you see people do as they start. :lol:

The force applied to your shoulder is directly proportional to the weight and how far it is away from the joint. As soon as your elbows are 90 degrees (like most do them) then you have halved the distance between your shoulder and the DB, and halved the effective force acting on the muscle (at least). Additionally when you get the weight to the top of the movement - forearm parallel to the ground, there is a massive rotational force acting on your shoulder - pulling your hand downwards, which you are battling against as well - straining your rotator cuff. Overloading yourself when using the 90 degree incorrect form and you run the risk of blowing your rotator cuff. Its a recipe for disaster.

Squats that move 3 inches down, bicep curls that dont even get down so the elbow is close to 90 degrees, lat pulldowns to the waist, weighted dips that dont dip - all give me hours of pleasure while at the gym. :lol:


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## The Sweeney (May 8, 2014)

simonthepieman said:


> BENCH.
> 
> it seems 90% of people press from their nipple line and are using more delt that chest


What is the best position to bench from?

I was pressing from above the nipple and read somewhere that the nipple line was ideal - is this not the case?


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

The Sweeney said:


> What is the best position to bench from?
> 
> I was pressing from above the nipple and read somewhere that the nipple line was ideal - is this not the case?


It will vary from person to person, but it's typically closer to the bottom of your sternum.

You are a boxer right? Get your body into a position where you are going to throw your knockout cross. This is your most powerful position right? Now adjust your arm so it's perpendicular to your body. That's a good starting point.


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## The Sweeney (May 8, 2014)

simonthepieman said:


> It will vary from person to person, but it's typically closer to the bottom of your sternum.
> 
> You are a boxer right? Get your body into a position where you are going to throw your knockout cross. This is your most powerful position right? Now adjust your arm so it's perpendicular to your body. That's a good starting point.


Hmm.... my cross tends to come from the shoulder.... Anyhoo... the sternum - beneath the nipple line then?

Whilst we're on the subject of form, it was quite apt this afternoon having read this thread. There were a couple of big boys doing lateral raises, one with 18's who looked like he was doing the birdy song with his elbows and the other with 14's swinging so badly I thought he was trying to shag himself in the mirror.

There was me sitting on my bench, arms almost straight, doing slow and controlled raises with my pathetic little 4kg DB's for 12 killer-burn reps. I must have looked a right nonce, but inside I knew I was the one doing it properly.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

The Sweeney said:


> Hmm.... my cross tends to come from the shoulder.... Anyhoo... the sternum - beneath the nipple line then?
> 
> Whilst we're on the subject of form, it was quite apt this afternoon having read this thread. There were a couple of big boys doing lateral raises, one with 18's who looked like he was doing the birdy song with his elbows and the other with 14's swinging so badly I thought he was trying to shag himself in the mirror.
> 
> There was me sitting on my bench, arms almost straight, doing slow and controlled raises with my pathetic little 4kg DB's for 12 killer-burn reps. I must have looked a right nonce, but inside I knew I was the one doing it properly.


Maybe nipple is right for you then. For me it's all delt at that angle.

I only do side raises with a cable and leaning. With a girly weight and high reps and it burns like hell from the inside out. I've also gone up a suit jacket size to fit my shoulders. I'm not ashamed of the weight.


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## saxondale (Nov 11, 2012)

DiggyV said:


> ^^^ This. I was maxing out on 12.5s, however now I am on 15 reps for all exercises I am down to 9Kg DBs. Elbows with ANYTHING more than a slight bend in them is asking for trouble. Also ideally should lift outwards with the DB starting on the outside of your thigh, not meeting in the middle (Unless you are doing Charles Glass Laterals) , this stops any initial momentum being built up with that little shrug you see people do as they start. :lol:
> 
> The force applied to your shoulder is directly proportional to the weight and how far it is away from the joint. As soon as your elbows are 90 degrees (like most do them) then you have halved the distance between your shoulder and the DB, and halved the effective force acting on the muscle (at least). Additionally when you get the weight to the top of the movement - forearm parallel to the ground, there is a massive rotational force acting on your shoulder - pulling your hand downwards, which you are battling against as well - straining your rotator cuff. Overloading yourself when using the 90 degree incorrect form and you run the risk of blowing your rotator cuff. Its a recipe for disaster.
> 
> Squats that move 3 inches down, bicep curls that dont even get down so the elbow is close to 90 degrees, *lat pulldowns to the waist,* weighted dips that dont dip - all give me hours of pleasure while at the gym. :lol:


That one - boils my pss, especially when the PT tells me thats the way to do em, I prefer not to fully extend either.


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## bigchickenlover (Jul 16, 2013)

I enjoy watching people half squat, two inch bench with a bent back, rear rows with no lat involvement and shoulder presses which are more of a arch spine erector malfunction. Like has been said its all to do with too much weight and the macho man effect when it aint about how you lift its all about crunching numbers.. I will never ever approach people to correct them they know there doing it wrong so what would be the point


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## harryalmighty (Nov 13, 2011)

squat


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## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

Some lad in the gym the other night was on the smith machine doing squats. Fail already. His form was ridiculous. Like one of the things you see on a gym failm compilation. Basically put his head on the floor, straightened his legs and then sort of straightened his back (which was arched like a rainbow).

Almost more like a good morning, but it was definitely intended to be a squat.

A single 10kg plate each side. It was beautiful.


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