Your Guide to the Weight Room: Form

[The FULL "form" portion of this series is going to be split up because I want to be thorough and give you enough examples and information. My husband is also ghostwriting each post for me and he has a full-time job, so it may take a little longer than I expected. (Does it count as ghostwriting if I tell you he's doing it?) Anyway, here is the intro and some links to great sites for female lifters.] 

Instead of wasting your time with "butt boosters" and "slimming swirls" (true story, those are actual "moves" published by Fitness Magazine. EYE. ROLL.) or doing 100 reps of bicep curls with 3lb. weights, there are THREE moves you can do that will activate all major muscle groups, and you don't need to be a professional choreographer to figure them out.

Cut your time at the gym while getting a full-body workout with squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Each exercise activates most (if not all) of your major muscle groups. This is something you will not get from machines. The reason there are 1000 machines at the gym is because they all focus on ONE muscle. What a waste of time. As long as you use proper form, the "big three" are all you need to get started in the weight room.

Some of my favorite "Motivation Inspiration" sites:
The Petite Athleat
Real Girls Lift Heavy
Elite FTS training logs (I <3 their pics/videos!)
     Jennifer Petrosino
     Molly Edwards
     Hannah Johnson
     Julia Ladewski

These girls all lift competitively, they are all strong, and they are all real. Everyone starts somewhere, and these chicks inspire me to keep getting stronger so I can end up far far away from where I started.

What gets you motivated to work out? Videos? Pictures? Quotes? Music?

Obligatory disclaimers:

*If you are working with free weights for the first time, practice in the mirror with no weight at first, then start the lift with just the bar. And PLEASE use a spotter!

*Yes, some of the videos in the links are of girls lifting really heavy weights. PLEASE don't let that intimidate you. The idea is to watch their form. Good form should be the same regardless of your height, weight, age, or gender, and whether you are warming up with an empty bar or going for a max.

*I am not a fitness professional. I just play one on the Internet. 

*I am not a doctor. I cannot diagnose or fix your aches and pains.  

*The information presented in this blog is for your entertainment and should not be used in place of medical advice. Use your common sense when making choices regarding your health and safety. Please and thank you. ;)