Do You Even Lift?

By Ken Newlon

Many people think that weight lifting is a stupid hobby that requires zero brains and all bronze. That’s is not the case. Weight lifting requires constant concentration and technique. If you mess up for one second it can cause permanent damage to your body. On the squat rack, I am carrying upwards of 325lbs. on my shoulders and if I mess up, I could possibly become paralyzed. I have to focus on what I’m doing and use good technique so that I get stronger and walk out of there alive.

I have been lifting for 2 years and I have realized that technique is one of the most important aspects of what I do. On the bench press there are many different grip and weights I can use to strengthen different muscles. Typically I use the standard grip which strengthens the pectoralis major and deltoids. “Grasp bar using an overhand grip, with hands 3 to 5 inches wider than shoulder width apart, and lift the bar from the standards” (Bompa 168) Using this technique, this exercise maximizes pectoral strength. So do you even lift?

Bompa, Tudor, Mauro Di Pasquale, and Lorenzo Cornacchia. Serious Strength Training. 3rd ed. N.p.: Human Kinetics, 2013. Print.