Common Exercise Form Mistakes

Proper exercise form is something we focus on every day at Rise Personal Training. Whether you're new to strength training or have been working out for years, there are a few common mistakes we regularly correct.

In this episode of the Rise Personal Training Podcast, Coaches Wyatt and Sam discuss how positioning your feet, knees, back, and shoulders can affect your workouts and why paying attention to these details matters.

It Starts With Your Feet and Ankles

Your feet provide the foundation for most standing exercises. One of the most common issues we see is the arches collapsing inward during squats, deadlifts, and other movements.

When this happens, it can affect how your ankles and knees are positioned.

Sometimes the first adjustment we recommend is switching from heavily cushioned running shoes to flatter, more stable shoes for strength training. This can make it easier to feel your foot positioning and maintain a stable base.

Watch Your Knee Positioning

Another common mistake is allowing the knees to cave inward during squats and lunges.

We often remind members to keep their knees tracking in line with their feet. Sometimes we'll use a resistance band around the knees to help reinforce that positioning.

Improving control during these movements is especially important as you begin increasing weight or adding more challenging exercises.

Are You Overarching Your Lower Back?

We hear people talk about keeping their chest up and maintaining good posture all the time. However, sometimes trying too hard to stand tall causes people to excessively arch their lower back.

This is something we regularly see during squats, deadlifts, and even upper-body exercises.

Your spine naturally has some curvature, but forcing an exaggerated arch while lifting can create unnecessary strain.

That's why you'll frequently hear our coaches reminding members to engage their core and maintain a controlled spinal position.

Shoulder Pain During Pressing Exercises

Shoulder discomfort is another common issue we address, particularly during bench presses and overhead presses.

Sometimes people focus entirely on pushing the weight without properly stabilizing their shoulders.

For a bench press, we often work on setting the shoulder blades against the bench and using the upper-back muscles to create a more stable pressing position.

A small adjustment can sometimes make an exercise feel noticeably better. However, persistent or sharp pain should always be evaluated rather than pushed through.

Why We Keep Correcting Your Form

If you've trained at Rise, you've probably heard your coach repeat the same cues more than once.

There's a reason for that.

The more consistently you practice proper positioning, the more familiar those movements become. Eventually, you won't have to think as much about every adjustment.

We also look at how different parts of your body work together. An issue with foot stability can affect your knee positioning, while poor core control can change how you perform a lift.

Personal Training in Granada Hills

At Rise Personal Training in Granada Hills, our coaches pay attention to how members move throughout their workouts. We make adjustments to exercise technique, positioning, and programming based on individual needs.

If something doesn't feel right during an exercise, let your coach know. Sometimes a small correction is enough to improve the movement. Other times, we may need to modify the exercise or recommend further evaluation.

Listen to the full Rise Personal Training Podcast episode to hear Coaches Wyatt and Sam discuss the form mistakes we see most often and how we address them during training.