TAKE VIDEOS. If you're hesitant to bring a point and shoot to the gym, go later at night or before noon when the gym is relatively empty. Share your videos on any of the big lifting forums and ask for opinions. Sure, you can ask a trainer, but if you're lifting at any of the major chain gyms I wouldn't trust a lot of those guys to critique a squat as far as I can throw them.
If you're doing a lift with improper form, you might as well not do it at all. The point of maintaining proper form is to not only remain injury free, but to also point out any strength imbalances you might have (weak quads in a deadlift, weak lower lumbar in a squat, etc etc).
(example vid, i switched to sumo-stance for deadlifts and wanted to make sure i was doing it right before moving back up in weight -- http://www.imperial.org/~jd/deads275.wmv )
I can respect -anybody- that posts videos and asks for help on form. The amount of weight you're moving is trivial - the fact that you want to focus on your form and perform the lift correctly speaks volumes. I respect the guy squatting 95lbs correctly infinitely more than the guy squatting 405lbs to 25% depth any day of the week.
Great advice! The 2 angles you generally want for a video are the front or back and the direct side angle.
Luckily I haven't had to post and vids because I have a trainer friend who is very good at form and correction. He just adjusted a few things in my DLs and I'm closing in on 500lb DL again.
I've tried sumos off and on, but I don't they are right for my body type. I have long arms and legs and I just get so much more leverage with the traditional DL. I do sumo holds though as accessory work to keep my glutes firing properly.
And yea, the guy quarter squatting is generally a dumb ass. There are times to quarter squat, but for most people they should never need to.
TAKE VIDEOS. If you're hesitant to bring a point and shoot to the gym, go later at night or before noon when the gym is relatively empty. Share your videos on any of the big lifting forums and ask for opinions. Sure, you can ask a trainer, but if you're lifting at any of the major chain gyms I wouldn't trust a lot of those guys to critique a squat as far as I can throw them.
If you're doing a lift with improper form, you might as well not do it at all. The point of maintaining proper form is to not only remain injury free, but to also point out any strength imbalances you might have (weak quads in a deadlift, weak lower lumbar in a squat, etc etc).
(example vid, i switched to sumo-stance for deadlifts and wanted to make sure i was doing it right before moving back up in weight -- http://www.imperial.org/~jd/deads275.wmv )
I can respect -anybody- that posts videos and asks for help on form. The amount of weight you're moving is trivial - the fact that you want to focus on your form and perform the lift correctly speaks volumes. I respect the guy squatting 95lbs correctly infinitely more than the guy squatting 405lbs to 25% depth any day of the week.