10 Hard and Fast Guidelines to Great Lifting

Use the following 10 guidelines as an acid test to the efficacy of your workouts. Score one point for each one you already do:

· Do a general (cardio) warm-up before lifting.
· Perform at least one specific light warm-up set.
· Execute exercises through a full range of motion.
· Use light weight with new exercises.
· Do not ignore pain in or around the joints.
· Design programs to enhance muscular balance.
· Avoid bouncing at the bottom of each lift.
· When squatting; keep your knees over your shoelaces.
· Train multiple exercises for each muscle group.
· Emphasize correct technique and mental concentration.

Score:
(10/10): You are good to go lift on your own, and people like you.

8/10: Learn more about muscular balance and program design.

6/10: You ain’t as strong as you think you are tuff guy.

4/10: Step away… carefully… from the bench press. It’s not how much you bench, but how much you know that matters. Your next lift should be a good book on lifting (hint: two great sources are mentioned in italics below).

Derived and adapted from The National Strength and Conditioning Association, The National Academy of Sports Medicine, and fourteen years of banging weights.