Poor Form Equals Painful Results by Casey Johns

[Casey is an Exercise Science student at ECU and is an Athletic Development Intern for Athletic Lab]

The human body adapts to the different levels of stress it is put under. Placing external loads on the body requires the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to work together to overcome the resistance force. The purpose of resistance training is to strengthen the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to overcome these external forces, thus causing an adaptation. For those interested in improving their general fitness, increased strength from resistance training makes activities of daily living much easier to perform, while also decreasing the risk of injury when performing these activities. For an athlete, resistance training is used to improve sport performance through increased strength, endurance, and power. Whether it is improving your overall fitness or dominating your sport, it is hard to accomplish when you are injured due to using improper lifting form. This article will focus on two vital functional exercises, the squat and the deadlift, which are often done incorrectly in the weight room and can result in serious injury, particularly to the low back.

The Squat

The squat is the key to strength and conditioning. It is the sin qua non of barbell exercises. (2) As one of the most important exercises, if not THE most important, proper form is an absolute necessity. However, there are a variety of errors committed when performing this lift. Some common errors include allowing the heels to rise when descending or ascending, excessive forward flexion of the torso, and/or rounding of the back. These mistakes cause the weight to shift forward, placing a tremendous amount of shearing and compressive forces on the lumbar spine. Muscles of the low back are not meant to withstand such heavy loads and cannot protect the spine in this position.

Taking these common errors into consideration, understanding what the proper form should be is key in performing the squat correctly. “The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) illustrates this through the following techniques”. The heels should remain on the platform at all positions of the lift and the weight should be driven through the heels. Hips and shoulders should descend and ascend at the same rate with the back at a 35 to 45 degree angle, keeping the chest up to prevent an excessive forward lean at the torso. “Ideally, the weight should travel in a straight vertical line”. To help prevent the rounding of the back, the core should be actively engaged. The core can be activated/tightened by inhaling at the top position to create intra-thoracic pressure and then holding it until the repetition is complete. Also, retracting the shoulder blades will assist in keeping the back straight and chest up. (1)

The Deadlift

When executed correctly, the deadlift has countless practical benefits. As Mark Rippetoe says, “The deadlift teaches function, because there is no more functional a movement than picking up something heavy.”It’s one of those things our bodies are built to do, and when we do it as an exercise, we get better at using our bodies the way they were built to be used. (2) Unfortunately, if you are performing the deadlift wrong, chances are you performing any activity that involves picking something up (kids, boxes, etc.) wrong as well, thus putting yourself at risk.

Like the squat, there are several common mistakes when performing the deadlift. Unlike the squat, however, the deadlift allows for much more cheat room to “accomplish” the lift. The initial set up is often overlooked and is detrimental in properly completing the rest of the lift. Starting with hips too high, chest facing down, and a relaxed back will turn the deadlift into a full lower back pull rather than a drive from the legs and hips like it is intended to be. This position causes the hips to shoot up, the back to round, and the bar to travel away from the body when beginning the pull, thus completely eliminating the legs. The only way to lift the heavy load from here is by relying solely on the lower back muscles and, as mentioned above, these small muscles are not made to endure such forces. The deadlift already exerts large amounts of shear force to the lumbar spine. Accompanying it with this poor form will quickly result in injury.

The NSCA recommends the following methods to properly perform the deadlift. From starting position, the feet should be placed about hip-width apart with the shins in contact with the bar. Grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width with straight arms and the bar directly under the scapulae. The hips will be slightly higher than the knees and the weight shifted to the heels. The back should be tight through retraction of the shoulder blades, as well as straight, at approximately a 45-degree angle. Before beginning the pull, create slight tension on the bar and engage the core by inhaling to create intra-thoracic pressure. Again, hold this inhale through the completion of repetition. To begin the initial pull, smoothly lift the bar off of the platform by extending at the knees, keeping the shins in contact with the bar. As the bar crosses the knees, the hips should also extend. The bar, knees, hips, and shoulders should rise as one unit while maintaining a tight back and slight angle. When the knees are fully extended, the hips must fully extend, thus erecting the back and completing the lift. When returning the bar to the platform, either release the bar or slowly lower it just as it was lifted, keeping it close to the body. Do not arch the back to return to starting position. (1)

Using poor form on these functional lifts can result in painful results. However, when done correctly, the squat and deadlift are two of the most valuable exercises used in resistance training for both general fitness and sport performance. Put ego aside and take the time to learn and practice proper form before loading the bar with unmanageable weight. The higher weights will come much faster than you think. Two weeks of taking it slow is much faster than two months of not being able move.

References

1. Sands, William PhD; Wurth, Jacob; & Hewit, Jennifer PhD (2012). NSCA’s Basics of Strength and Conditioning Manual. (pp. 48-50). Colorado Springs, CO: National Strength and Conditioning Association.
2. Rippetoe, Mark. (2007). Strong Enough?: Thoughts from Thirty Years of Barbell Training. (pp. 11 and 28). Wichita Falls, TX: The Aasgaard Company.