- If exercising alone or without a spotter,1 don’t go too heavy and stop before form breaks down; 2 poor reps means stop.
- Stop before form breaks down or you train poor movement patterns.
- If not using pre-made dumbbells or barbells, make sure the plates are properly attached so they can’t slide off the end.
- Check home gym equipment for wobbly bits. No loose screws. Cheap multi-gyms/benches can be death traps.
- Ensure the equipment states it is built to carry the weight you are going to load it with.
- Check your clothes fit so they don’t fall down, split or restrict free movement or you will look humorous and may find yourself starring on Youtube.
- Underpants are best worn under the clothes.
- If at home, keep pets and small children shut out of the room – unless using them as weights, of course.
- Move the weights with control.
- Concentrate.
- A spotter is the gym term for someone who watches you exercise and helps you get out if the weight gets too heavy. It can be a workout buddy, but you do need to trust each other. And if spotting someone, concentrate. This is not the time to eye up the totty. [↩]
Take a look at Adam Vickerman’s book, “Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution” for an entirely different approach to weight lifting. Less reps in slow motion to reach muscle failure within 4 to 8 reps once per week. Before rejecting it, check out the videos about it on YouTube.