The Language of Lifting

Did you ever read an exercise description and say, huh? These six cues shine new light on old form pointers to sharpen results.

- Lee Boyce

There are more than 6,500 languages in the world today, and within each one are phrases, words and explanations that make complete sense to one person and sound like Greek to the next. And so it goes with exercise cues — a standard direction that is clear to most people might be hazy or vague at best to others.

For those of you who go hmmm, we’ve taken some common cues and associated moves and, like an Instagram filter, have sharpened their focus, bringing out the detail of the direction and a few new highlights, as well. As a bonus, there’s also an advanced directive to make your lifting experience that much more effective.

THE STANDARD CUE: “Stand with your feet hip-width apart."

USED FOR: Squats, cleans, deadlifts

THE NEW CUE: “Play with your foot placement to find what works for you.”

If standing with your feet hip-width apart is uncomfortable or inhibiting for you, chuck it out the window. Hip anatomy differs from person to person, affecting squat depth and ease of movement, so find your own personal sweet spot by adjusting your feet wider or narrower and turning your toes outward by degrees until you find a position that allows you to squat the deepest while maintaining a neutral spine.

ADVANCED DIRECTIVE: Do dynamic stretching for depth. 

Performing a series of dynamic stretches preworkout mobilizes your hips and gets the muscle fibers firing and ready to work. Leg swings, Frankenstein walks, standing knee hugs and dynamic bridges are great ways to warm up and get loose.