Hi Reader,

We train so we can look, feel, and perform better,

but so many of us end up the opposite—dealing with

nagging injuries that never seem to go away and

bring down not only our workouts but our whole

quality of life.

I hate to say it, but training is often to blame

(improper training, that is). We wouldn't have hurt

ourselves that bad doing anything else in our

daily lives, would we? You don't blow out your

back taking out the garbage.

Ego-lifting, choosing the wrong exercises,

and making other ignorant mistakes warps

strength training from a healthy hobby into our

own worst enemy.

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I've dealt with torn labrums, torn muscles, joint impingement,

tendinitis, and a host of other ailments...

all in the name of health and fitness :)

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So let me tell you how I've learned to train in order

to work around old injuries and prevent new ones,

so that I could make training an asset again,

rather than a liability.

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Follow these tips and NEVER get hurt in the gym again.

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TIP #1: CHOOSE THE RIGHT EXERCISES for YOU

Barbell bench press worked well for Arnold, and maybe

your favorite NFL linebacker, but it may not work well for you.

If you're over 40 and have shoulder pain, DO NOT DO IT.

Or put it at the end of your workout when you're really warmed up

and more than a little fatigued, so you can't go so heavy.

Dumbbell bench presses give you more range of motion,

which I would argue is better for pec growth anyway.

Machine presses isolate the pecs, which is also better for gains.

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This is just one example. The same applies to back squats,

deadlifts, and barbell curls. If you've been doing an exercise

for years because you heard a long time ago that it's the best one,

but it doesn't feel right to you, ditch it.

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I promise there's something else that will give you the same

results or better.

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And don't worry if it's "functional" or not. If you didn't see it,

I posted a good video on why functional training is a myth.​

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TIP #2: LEARN THE BASICS OF GOOD FORM

Technique on an exercise can be individual, and there are different

ways to do many exercises that are valid, but some things never change.

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– Whenever you're bending forward with weight on your back or in

your hands, think about pushing your butt backward, not flexing at

the waist. Keep your spine long and straight while you do it. This goes

for any kind of squat or deadlift, and any row where you're bent over.

Feel your weight move BACK into your hips and heels. This will help

keep your lower back from rounding.

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– Don't press with your elbows flared out. The shoulders are the most

unstable when your arm is raised 90 degrees. On any kind of chest press,

your default form should be to have your arms angled about 45 degrees

away from your torso. This is a stronger position to press in and it has

the added benefit of activating more UPPER CHEST too, which most of

us want anyway.

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TIP #3: STOP SHORT OF FAILURE

This is easier said than done. If you're like me, you like to push a

set until you can't anymore, and there's a time to do that. But most

of the time, stop when you know you have one good rep left in you.

The truth is, research is pointing to that being the best end point

anyway—there may not be ANY benefit to going to full failure.

So don't work so hard. You don't have to!

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Pushing to the brink leads to those times when you feel things

start to pop, you hear snapping sounds, and you get those sudden

spasms that make you think, "Now I've done it.

This is going to hurt the rest of the week."

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I'll probably make a video about this soon.

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There are a bunch more tips I can give but stay tuned to my

socials, or reach out to me directly at sean@fitnessdistilled.com

with any questions.

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Stay safe, my friend.

And check out that functional training post. I think you'll

enjoy it.

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– Sean

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