Skinny no more?

October 18, 2010 11:31 PM

BostonGymFilter: Where can I learn proper form for Starting Strength in the Boston area?

My winter goal is to get off my lazy ass and do some strength training. The vast wisdom of the internet has put Starting Strength at the top of my list.

With that being said, I'm no fool, and I'm not going to presume that I can squat, deadlift, etc with proper form after watching a few youtube videos.

So, Boston MeFites, where should I go/who should I call about getting some coaching/guidance in proper form?

posted by weaponsgradecarp to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

I totally agree with you that squats and deadlifts are probably the most dangerous exercises in the gym if done wrong. I hired a trainer for one hour to go over exactly those two exercises (and lunges) with me. Even after he explained them, it's hard to get the form right. Having him watch and correct me was really helpful at building the right habits.

I know you're not asking for directions, but just in case you want to compare with what your trainer tells you, the main things I remember about squats are
• The lowest point of your squat should be where a balance of forces in your knee equalize. Almost no one goes down far enough, which over time ruins the cartilage in knee.
• Back straight. That includes the upper spine, so your head should be facing the ground in front of you even though it's tempting to look into the mirror.
• Make sure you're not falling forward onto your toes or back onto your ankles. One trick is to lift your toes off the ground, which ensures that you can't use them.
• Make sure your knees extend straight over your toes as you come down.
• The angle of your feet is a matter of personal preference, but your feet need to be far enough apart that your torso has space to descend.
• I'm pretty sure I remember him pointing out two ways to hold the bar, but I only remember the common one: bar on traps, thumbs behind bar.

About deadlifts all I remember is to keep your back straight and make sure that the bar rises and descends in a straight line rather than being swung around your knees.

I would definitely start with exceptionally low weight and work up. For deadlifts, if you start with 25s or 10s on the bar, you can prop up the bar with some weights so that the bar is not too low to pick up without sacrificing form.
posted by esprit de l'escalier at 12:34 AM on October 19, 2010

The ideal solution would be a Starting Strength Seminar - 2-1/2 days of instruction on exactly the lifts you want. There's nothing in Boston but one coming up soon in New Jersey if you can travel.

If you can't travel, you're probably going to have an easier time finding a Starting Strength style coach at a local CrossFit affiliate than your typical fitness center. Check the qualifications of the coaches at CrossFit Boston, for example.
posted by zanni at 2:00 AM on October 19, 2010

I can't suggest a coach, but I got into those kind of compound lifts by just starting with very little weight, trying to match the form from the YouTube videos and exrx animations, and adding weight fairly slowly. That way you get your form down before you're lifting anything that could potentially hurt you.
posted by Aizkolari at 4:57 AM on October 19, 2010

Almost no one goes down far enough, which over time ruins the cartilage in knee.

esprit de l'escalier - I've never heard this. Do you have a citation for "ruins of the cartilage in the knee" or is just a statement made by your trainer?

weaponsgradecarp - Buy Rippetoe's Starting Strength book. Its full of specifics for form and is the next best thing to a session with Rippetoe. For instance, there are fifty two pages devoted to the squat alone.

Rippetoe's book and his training videos on Youtube should be enough to get you started. The most important thing is to get started!
posted by cinemafiend at 6:26 AM on October 19, 2010

If you're in the Cambridge/Somerville area, you can try the folks at Mountain Strength Fitness. (Not official CrossFit affiliate, but workouts are CF-like and both trainers are CF certified.) I take a class that recently has access to a barbell and so have been learning to do front/back squats and deadlifts. Before the barbell, we practiced deadlifts with dumbbells and kettlebells.

In class, we go over form using a pvc pipe, then with a weighted 45lb bar, and then start throwing weight onto it. But that's the class - I'm sure you can schedule some one-on-one time with them.

Good luck! I'm new at it, but lifting is weirdly fun and exciting!
posted by zix at 6:40 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I MeMailed you with a recommendation of a specific person.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:55 AM on October 19, 2010

esprit de l'escalier - I've never heard this. Do you have a citation for "ruins of the cartilage in the knee" or is just a statement made by your trainer?

When you begin to squat down shearing forces are placed on your kneecap. These forces are relieved by use of your hamstrings and glutes, which intensifies as you approach and descend below parallel in the squat. Constantly squatting above parallel will never provide relief for these forces, and result in overdevloped quadriceps muscles in relation your hamstrings and glutes, thus intensifying these forces even more.

This can result in long term damage to the tendons and ligaments around the knee as well as cartilage degeneration.
posted by Anonymous at 8:04 AM on October 19, 2010

Almost no one goes down far enough, which over time ruins the cartilage in knee.

esprit de l'escalier - I've never heard this. Do you have a citation for "ruins of the cartilage in the knee" or is just a statement made by your trainer?

Some quick searches for "squat depth" and "cartilage" give lots of results, e.g., 1, 2.
posted by esprit de l'escalier at 1:24 PM on October 19, 2010

Thanks for the links esprit de l'escalier - I thought your statement sounded like something a trainer would say to get people to dig deeper in squatting.

(I always try to squat below parallel - with the emphasis on try.)
posted by cinemafiend at 2:22 PM on October 19, 2010

Thanks for the links esprit de l'esca - I thought your statement sounded like something a trainer would say to get people to dig deeper in squatting.

(I always try to squat below parallel - with the emphasis on try.)

I'm actually just starting out with squats — I never used to do them because I was too scared of getting permanently hurt. One thing about deep squats is that I think I can actually feel the point at which the stress on my knees is minimal, so I know exactly when to start coming up again.

About trainers, I'm just as suspicious as you are. I actually chose this guy after listening to all the trainers in the gym for years and figuring out which ones were knowledgable, and which were trying to sound knowledgable.

I actually wish they had covered the theory back in high school. It would have made weight-lifting much more engaging, and would have stopped my bad habits and ineffective routines earlier.
posted by esprit de l'escalier at 3:44 PM on October 19, 2010

I actually wish they had covered the theory back in high school. It would have made weight-lifting much more engaging, and would have stopped my bad habits and ineffective routines earlier.

I've heard this before and always surpised when it comes up as if SS is distributing some kind of esoteric knowledge. I guess my high school was at least a decent enough to institute a program like the Bigger Faster Stronger Program. I also played football so I got extra coaching in the basics.

My suggestion is to maybe do just that. Go check out the local schools and see if you can talk to the coaches. If not than go down to the local college and talk to someone. I would bet you could find someone who will spend a bit of time to go over the these things for you and it would be a hell of lot cheaper than trying to go to a seminar.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:42 PM on October 20, 2010