ROOKIE ERRORS

Maximise time in the gym – and progress away from it – by steering well clear of these common mistakes

- Lucy Gornall

You’re always reminded what you should be doing in the gym... but what about the things you shouldn’t? Along with good form and some basic common sense, there are also some unwritten codes of conduct every man should be aware of.

Two personal trainers – Matt Morsia of @mattdoesfitness fame, and Liam Cavanagh (@liamcavanaghfitness) – are here to save your blushes…

1 Stop risking your spine

Although there are many body benefits to be reaped from deadlifts, this is one exercise that is oh-so easy to get wrong.

“Deadlifting with a rounded lower back is both common and dangerous,” says Morsia. “If you’re looking for a great way to destroy your spin, this is it – especially when under a heavy load. If you can’t deadlift with a neutral, flat lower back, the weight is simply too heavy.”

Another common deadlift issue is the hips shooting up.

“If you look side-on at a deadlift, your hips and chest should be rising up in tandem,” Morsia adds. “Often, people will load the bar up, get down into their set-up, and when they start trying to lift the weight their hips shoot up first, then their chest catches up.”

As before, if the weight is too heavy, drop it until you’ve nailed your form.

2 Don’t hog the weights

There are some unwritten rules when it comes to how much equipment is acceptable to be using at any one time – particularly in busy, commercial gyms.