[Senip]

Originally Posted by Reach

I'll take a shot at some of these

I'll cover only the biggest beginner mistakes.

Squat:

Don't use a grip that is too wide. Bring your hands together as close as they'll go, elbows back, and squeeze your trapezius. Trust be on this one. As a beginner, you have almost no muscular padding on your back for the bar. If you don't do this you'll complain that the bar is having a field day with your cervical spinous process and it will hurt for days. Make sure it's comfortable, because if it isn't, you aren't doing it right.

Feet about shoulder width apart, and most importantly, toes pointed out at about an angle of 45 degrees from straight ahead.

Now - practice squatting with just the bar for awhile in this position. Sit back as you go down, go down until your quads are parallel with the floor for starters, keep everything tight (abs, back, butt), and push with your heels, not your toes.

Don't put any damn weight on the bar until you're really comfortable with the technique, and when you do add weight, start light. Don't go too heavy until you're comfortable.


Bench:

Olympic bars have little notches laterally; put your pinkys on them. This is a fairly standard grip width. If you find it's slightly too far apart for you, move your hands in slightly, but a big beginner mistake is a narrow grip, which will work primarily your triceps.

Pin your shoulders back and push your chest out. Bring the bar down in a controlled manner and touch your chest. This is a must. The top portion of the movement is mostly triceps; you have to go deep if you want to work your chest.

Use the safeties if they have them. You can set the safety to where you can comfortably touch your chest with the bar, but so that you can let go of the bar if needed and it won't crush your neck, allowing you to slide out. Now you never have to worry about getting stuck and can always push yourself to failure.


Calf raise:

The gastrocnemius muscle is what makes your calf appear large, and in order to work it, flexion and extension are required with a *straight* leg. Bent leg raises work your soleus, which is underneath the gastrocnemius. It doesn't hurt to do both (as Senip pointed out), but do NOT do only bent leg raises.

So basically, just keep your legs straight, full flexion and extension of the foot, feel free to hold on the extension.

Barbell curls:

Keep your back straight and don't swing it, at least not until you know what you're doing.

Go through the full range of motion, at least until you know more; all the way up and all the way down. Don't pause though to take the tension off the muscle; keep it going. Squeeze at the top. Don't lift more than you can do with good form.



I suggest watching videos on youtube after your first session so you can see more directly how things are done, after familiarizing yourself with the equipment.


Also, I'm 5'11.

Squats: Push your knees out when you go down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ME8gEN54Ao

Bench: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw
Make sure, since you're tall like me, (over 6 feet) that instead of putting your pinky fingers on the first etch, put your thumb on it then stretch out. Some bars have two etches, you want your pinkys on the second bar etch. If you go wider hand width, you'll work the power in your chest/back at the bottom, go narrow one hand width and you'll hit tris like Reach said.

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Deadlifts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp8Sx9dX9LM

I like to do a narrow stance (feet closer than shoulder width), and split my feet with the bar. Reach down and hold the bar by your legs, then squat down...like a squat, and pull it to your feet. Drive with the heels.

Barbell Curls: Hold your elbows tight so you dont swing your arms, thatll cause shoulder use. You can also use barbell drags, where you pull it up your body instead of curling it. Some people think it's more mechanically suited for biceps, all I know is I get a huge pump.

Calf Raises: let it fully stretch at the bottom, dont ****in bounce.

Barbell Rows: Bend so that you have a 45 degree angle between your stomach and legs, then grip the bar a llittle bit more than shoulder width apart. pull the bar into your lower stomach, you wont have to pull very far to squeeze the lats. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together for every back exercise.

Military Press: Seated will let you work more weight, while standing will do full body. But if you ever get really heavy in MP, you'll thicken your waist out. Do high reps with your shoulders, because we all use our shoulders a lot. high reps of 12-15.

Stiff Legged Deads: Push your ass out while keeping your chest up, drag the bar down your legs to your knees. Do higher reps, 8-10ish.