{"id":3701,"date":"2020-11-19T01:00:30","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T01:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/?p=3701"},"modified":"2026-10-13T16:33:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:33:46","slug":"proper-exercise-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/proper-exercise-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Proper Exercise Form: What Mistakes Are You Making?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Working out is great, but without proper exercise form, your workouts can be nearly worthless \u2014 or even downright dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest keys to fitness is having a top-notch workout program in place.<\/p>\n<p>This includes exercises with strength training moves designed to build toned, strong muscles and to improve your overall health.<\/p>\n<p>While a lot of exercises seem simple, it is extremely important to make sure that you are doing strength moves with the proper exercise form.<\/p>\n<p>Keep reading to learn proper exercise form for all your workouts.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>New to working out? Here are the best <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/workout-routines\/?utm_source=blog-post&amp;utm_medium=text-link&amp;utm_term=proper-exercise-form&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_campaign=fm30x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">beginner workouts for women<\/a>!<\/em><\/h3>\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"11296\" class=\"elementor elementor-11296\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fb8f687 option-banner elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fb8f687\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9f91548\" data-id=\"9f91548\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ca855d elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget-tablet__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8ca855d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Join <em>Fit Mother For Life<\/em> \u2014 The #1 Fitness Community For Busy Moms 40+<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64266ae elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-mobile_extra elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"64266ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"192\" height=\"12\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/long-arrow.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-11293\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1387405 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1387405\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/join.fitmotherproject.com\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">JOIN NOW \u00bb<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<h2>Target the Right Muscles With Proper Exercise Form<\/h2>\n<p>Proper exercise form is essential to get the most out of your workouts.<\/p>\n<p>If you perform your workout moves with sloppy form, or are just throwing weights around, you won\u2019t be targeting the correct muscles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This means you will be wasting your workouts if you don\u2019t use the correct form.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The amount of time under tension, angle of joint movements, and range of motion, all play a role in each specific lift or movement.<\/p>\n<p>By using the proper form, you will get the full benefit from each and every workout.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to remember that the quality of how you perform each exercise is more important than how much weight you are lifting.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, it seems cool to be able to lift heavy weights in the gym.<\/p>\n<p>But in order to actually get any fitness benefit, your muscles need to be in the ideal position to generate force.<\/p>\n<p>When you lift with your joints and muscles at the wrong angles, or with uncontrolled movements, you decrease the effectiveness of the exercise.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, by starting with a lower weight with proper form, you will eventually be able to lift heavier weights with better results in a shorter period of time.<\/p>\n<p><em>Should women lift weights? Discover all of the benefits of weight lifting for women!<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-responsive\"><iframe src=\" https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/psS3Iv0Sovk?modestbranding=1&amp;autohide=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;controls=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Improve Breathing With Correct Posture<\/h2>\n<p>Using the correct form also allows you to focus on breathing techniques during each rep.<\/p>\n<p>This, in turn, allows you to generate more force throughout each lift.<\/p>\n<p>When you use the correct form, you will be able to breathe the air in easier, and you will be able to focus on the exercise.<\/p>\n<p>For the majority of exercises you do, you want to inhale just before the lift, and exhale as you lower the weight.<\/p>\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"11296\" class=\"elementor elementor-11296\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fb8f687 option-banner elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fb8f687\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9f91548\" data-id=\"9f91548\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ca855d elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget-tablet__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8ca855d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Join <em>Fit Mother For Life<\/em> \u2014 The #1 Fitness Community For Busy Moms 40+<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64266ae elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-mobile_extra elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"64266ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"192\" height=\"12\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/long-arrow.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-11293\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1387405 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1387405\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/join.fitmotherproject.com\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">JOIN NOW \u00bb<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<h2>Avoid Injury With Proper Exercise Form<\/h2>\n<p>Performing workouts without proper exercise form can lead to unnecessary injuries.<\/p>\n<p>Research shows that when trainers coach participants on their form and guide them through their workouts, <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/2325967114531177\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this decreases the injury rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But not everyone has the time to work with a personal trainer that can demonstrate all of the different exercises that you should be doing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is especially true if you are a busy mom juggling work, kids, family, and your own personal life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, by following some simple rules you can perform a number of common exercises with proper form.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at some common exercises and the best form to use to get the most out of each and every workout.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bench Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For a regular bench press grip, proper joint alignment is key.<\/p>\n<p>It is a good idea to have a spotter whenever you do traditional bench press to ensure proper form and help with the weight if you can\u2019t fully raise it to the bar.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To start, grasp the bar with your wrists above your elbows.<\/li>\n<li>You can start with just the bar without any added weight to really nail the form first.<\/li>\n<li>Lower the towards your chest.<\/li>\n<li>Bring the bar down until your elbows are at the same level as your shoulders, parallel to the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Then push the weight back up to the top to complete one rep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hand position and range of motion is key in this exercise.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you hold your hands closer together this will place more tension on your triceps.<\/p>\n<p>This is fine if you are aiming to target your triceps. But if you are trying to isolate your chest, this will change the exercise from a chest workout to more of a triceps and inner chest workout.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dumbbell Curls<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The dumbbell curl is one of the simplest, yet one of the most improperly done weight lifting moves.<\/p>\n<p>You will see a lot of women (and guys) swinging their whole body up and down and without any thought of the correct arm motion.<\/p>\n<p>Performing dumbbell curls is relatively simple.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward, and keep your back straight and chest up.<\/li>\n<li>Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders.<\/li>\n<li>Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position, straightening your arms completely.<\/li>\n<li>You want to be sure your arms are in the correct position when doing this move.<\/li>\n<li>Be sure to keep your elbows pulled back and aligned below your shoulders so that your biceps perform the majority of work.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your elbows close to your sides and grasp the dumbbells at the same width.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your elbows are in front of your shoulders, then the anterior part of your shoulders will be doing the work instead of your biceps.<\/p>\n<p>This will turn your biceps exercise into a shoulder exercise, and you won\u2019t be targeting the correct muscles.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, if you move your hands closer together, you will be targeting the inside of your biceps.<\/p>\n<p>By using a wider grip, you will again shift the tension of the weight and work different areas of the arm muscles.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing!<\/p>\n<p>It is actually important to mix up your grips so that you can target all areas of your arms.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is important to understand that when you change the angle of the weights, you will also change the muscles that you are targeting.<\/p>\n<p><em>Try incorporating these free weight exercises for women into your workouts!<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-responsive\"><iframe src=\" https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F6y_HS3pSQk?modestbranding=1&amp;autohide=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;controls=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Side Shoulder Raises<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Side raises are a great way to work the shoulders.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you aren\u2019t doing these correctly you may not be getting all of the benefits of a pure shoulder exercise.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stand with two dumbbells with your palms facing in and your arms straight down at your sides.<\/li>\n<li>You actually want to hold the dumbbells with more of a limp wrist and allow the weights to hang down from your hands.<\/li>\n<li>Raise the dumbbells out to your sides, keeping your arms straight until they are parallel to the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Pause for a second at the top and then lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position to complete one rep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you perform a side raise with a rigid, straight wrist, your forearms actually assist your shoulders.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you perform a side raise so that the wrist is bent slightly at the top of the movement, the wrist no longer performs work, and tension is shifted to the shoulder joint.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Squats<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Squats are the ultimate quad, hamstring, and glute exercise.<\/p>\n<p>There are numerous variations and they can be done with or without weight.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, many people perform squats incorrectly, which increases the risk of injury and makes the exercise less efficient at building leg strength.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest questions when it comes to squats is: \u201cHow far do I need to come down?\u201d The answer is: It depends!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The back is key for proper squat form.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every individual may have a different depth of squat depending on their goals, range of motion, and joint health.<\/p>\n<p>Many argue that you should squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, while others insist that you should squat down until your hamstrings touch your calves.<\/p>\n<p>In reality, both may be right. But to avoid injury, when doing a squat the most important thing to pay attention to is your back.<\/p>\n<p>The spinal column is very prone to injury and proper back alignment is crucial for injury prevention and to properly perform each lift.<\/p>\n<p>During squats, and really most exercises in general, the lower back should remain flat or slightly concave. This is the natural curve of your lower back.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, you should squat no lower than the point where your hip begins to tuck under and you lose the natural arch in your lower back.<\/p>\n<p>To keep that natural arch in your back, push your chest up and out and pull your shoulder blades together prior to performing a squat.<\/p>\n<p>This will allow you to have the appropriate back alignment.<\/p>\n<p>You can also tilt the pelvis forward slightly to straighten the lower back. This decreases stress on the spine, and will place some tension on your lower back muscles.<\/p>\n<p>This will actually help strengthen those muscles to protect your low back.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Parallel squats will still build muscle!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some people can&#8217;t maintain a neutral spine if they squat any lower than parallel to the floor.<\/p>\n<p>That is perfectly fine! This means this is the depth that you should aim for.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/acsm-msse\/Fulltext\/2001\/01000\/Knee_biomechanics_of_the_dynamic_squat_exercise.20.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Studies<\/a> have even found that bending your knees to around 90 degrees, or squatting to parallel, is enough to achieve very high levels of muscular activity in your quadriceps.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, one small <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.humankinetics.com\/view\/journals\/jab\/32\/1\/article-p16.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a> in women showed that there was similar muscle activity for both parallel, front squats, and full squats.<\/p>\n<p>So you don\u2019t have to touch your butt to the ground to build great looking legs!<\/p>\n<p><em>Find out how you can make squats harder with Tempo Squats!<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-responsive\"><iframe src=\" https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I5CmIUg9QKg?modestbranding=1&amp;autohide=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;controls=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Use Proper Exercise Form to Tone Muscles and Avoid Injury<\/h2>\n<p>There are obviously many things to consider when trying to practice proper exercise form.<\/p>\n<p>You need to determine the goal of the workout, and specifically what muscles you want to target.<\/p>\n<p>Use joint alignment as a reference, and then vary your grips and ranges of motion based on your goals.<\/p>\n<p>When you focus on form first, you will get the most benefit out of each and every workout you perform.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n  <div class=\"author-box-wrap auth9\">\n    <div class=\"thumb-wrap\">\n      <div class=\"author-img\"><img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Holly-bio-pic.jpg' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-250 photo ' height='250' width='250'\/><\/div>\n      <div class=\"author-details\"><div class=\"author-name\">Holly Smith, M.D.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"author-job\">B.S. Dietetics, <span>NASM-PES Certified Trainer<\/span><\/div>\n          <div class=\"author-title\"><p>Writer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fit Mother Project<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.<\/p>\n<p>She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.<\/p>\n<p>Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.<\/p>\n<p>Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.<\/p>\n<p>She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n\n  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*Please know that weight loss results &amp;amp; health changes\/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice &#8211; simply very well-researched info on proper exercise form.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div style=\"display:none;\" class=\"postcatlist\"><a href='https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/tag\/exercise\/'><span>exercise<\/span><\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/tag\/tutorials\/'><span>tutorials<\/span><\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/tag\/workouts\/'><span>workouts<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>Working out is great, but without proper exercise form, your workouts can be nearly worthless \u2014 or even downright dangerous. Here&#8217;s how to exercise safely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,29,3259],"tags":[3660,3777,3275],"class_list":["post-3701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-exercise","category-womens-health","tag-exercise","tag-tutorials","tag-workouts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.8 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Proper Exercise Form: What Mistakes Are You Making? | Fit Mother Project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Working out is great, but without proper exercise form, your workouts can be nearly worthless \u2014 or even downright dangerous. 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