{"id":287748,"date":"2026-02-08T19:49:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T19:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/287748\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T19:49:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T19:49:16","slug":"5-best-strength-training-workout-form-cues-from-a-trainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/287748\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Strength Training Workout Form Cues, From A Trainer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated5 min read<\/p>\n

My name is Cori Ritchey, and I am an exercise physiology nerd turned fitness journalist, and the fitness editor at Women\u2019s Health. When I\u2019m not writing, editing, and researching fitness, I\u2019m teaching it to my personal training and group fitness clients. In my new column, Between Sets, I\u2019m pulling back the curtain on the same advice, tips, and \u2018aha!\u2019 moments I share with my clients while they\u2019re catching their breath. Stick around for the strategic, science-backed nuggets that\u2019ll help you move better, train smarter, and actually enjoy the process.<\/p>\n

Trainers wear a million hats. I\u2019m a teacher, a coach, a therapist, a motivational speaker, and an equipment manager. But ask any worthwhile trainer what the job really is, and the answer is simple: watching and correcting exercise technique.<\/p>\n

Proper form in exercise is non-negotiable. Make a mistake, and you\u2019ll set yourself up for injury at worst, or train inefficiently at best. <\/p>\n

But here\u2019s what took me several years in the industry to realize: Proper form is largely dependent on body structure. Bodies are different. We all have different limb lengths, strength differentials, and mobility. What makes sense for my 5\u20196\u201d, short-legged body won\u2019t make sense for a 6′ 6\u201d, long-legged person. Yet, there are so many cues that you\u2019ll hear from trainers and group fitness instructors<\/a> that have solid intentions but might not fully apply to you depending on your physiology. These are five training cues that may not actually work for everybody\u2014and what to think about instead. <\/p>\n

Old rule: \u201cDon\u2019t let your knees go past your toes.\u201d \"animated Instead, think: \u201cSquat as deep as you can with your feet remaining flat on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Move: Squat <\/p>\n

Remember being in your college workout class and your instructor told you you should still be able to see your toes at the bottom of your squat? Just me? <\/p>\n

The classic cue had roots in older research<\/a>. Sports medicine doctor Karl Klein studied knees in the 1950s, and when looking at competitive lifters compared to subjects with no lifting experience, he concluded that deep squats\u2014especially when the knee traveled past the toes\u2014 damaged knee ligaments. Later research didn\u2019t support the same conclusion, and some findings<\/a> suggest that limiting knee travel can shift more stress to the hips and low back.<\/p>\n

So, if your knees go over your toes in squats, that\u2019s okay. And if they don\u2019t, that\u2019s okay too. The bigger goal is a strong, controlled squat with your whole foot staying planted. If your heels lift, reduce depth to prevent instability. <\/p>\n

Old rule: \u201cKeep your weight in your heels.\u201d \"animatedInstead, think: \u201cPut your weight through your whole foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Move: Squat, deadlift, lunge<\/p>\n

Speaking of: A common mistake novice lifters make is shifting their weight into the front of the foot and letting the heels pop up. This usually happens when someone lacks the ankle mobility needed to reach depth in a squat.<\/p>\n

Trainers often try to fix this by instructing you to \u201ckeep your weight in your heels.\u201d And the cue isn\u2019t necessarily bad\u2014especially if you\u2019re prone to lifting your heels\u2014but focusing too hard on the heels can tip you backwards, or change the way your joints are angled\u2014meaning your muscles might not be set up to power as constructively. If you don\u2019t press through your full foot, you can also lose strength from your quads and put your low back in a less supported position. <\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

During moves like squats, deadlifts, and lunges, think about driving up through the whole foot\u2014find connection through the heel, big toe, and pinky toe. It will keep you in a more stable position, and ensure you\u2019re engaging all the muscles involved. <\/p>\n

Old rule: \u201cPinch shoulder blades together\u201d or \u201cKeep a proud chest.\u201d \"animatedInstead, think: \u201cStand tall, but don\u2019t flare your ribcage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Move: Squat, deadlift, bent-over row <\/p>\n

You want your back to stay neutral on moves like squats and deadlifts. Losing that position can really put your low back through the wringer. To help, trainers often cue \u201cpinch your shoulder blades together.\u201d <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a half-truth here: You do want to get out of the hunched posture many of us default to. But to truly pinch your shoulder blades together, most people need to over-arch their back and flare their ribs\u2014which can make it harder to brace and, in turn, actually irritate your low back. <\/p>\n

The fix: Stand tall, and keep your ribs stacked over your hips without flaring them outward. Aim for your best posture that feels strong\u2014not forced.<\/p>\n

Old rule: \u201cKeep your elbows in line with your shoulders.\u201d \"animatedInstead, think: \u201cLower your elbows at a 45 degree angle relative to the torso.\u201d<\/p>\n

Move: Chest press <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever taken a group fitness class that involves lifting, you might have heard this cue. It\u2019s a natural assumption that you are supposed to flare out to the sides on a chest press. But lowering your elbows directly out wide often puts the shoulder at risk by placing excessive pressure on it, and doesn\u2019t always challenge the pectoral muscles as well. <\/p>\n

Instead, release the elbows slightly forward as you lower the weight. I like to tell my clients to create a 45 degree angle through their armpit\u2014the elbow isn\u2019t glued to the ribs, but it\u2019s not flared straight out either. This tends to hit the chest more evenly and feels better on the shoulders. <\/p>\n

Build serious strength with our 4-week Build & Burn Plan<\/a><\/p>\n

Old rule: \u201cSqueeze your core as hard as you can.\u201d \"animatedInstead, think: \u201cBrace like you\u2019re being poked in the stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Move: Plank, squat, deadlift, bent-over row <\/p>\n

You likely hear \u201cengage your core\u201d all the time\u2014and yes, your core helps protect your spine during planks, squats, deadlifts, rows, and more. But bracing isn\u2019t the same as sucking in or squeezing as hard as possible. When people try to \u201cmax squeeze,\u201d they often hold their breath, round forward, or get shaky and tired fast. You don\u2019t need to squeeze as hard as you can\u2014you need to brace. Here\u2019s what that actually means.<\/p>\n

My trick: place two fingers into your sides, just under your rib cage, like you\u2019re being poked. Then, take a deep breath in, and try to expand that breath out against your fingers. You should feel your sides push lightly outward into your fingers\u2014not your belly pulling sharply inward. Keep that gentle but firm tension as you keep breathing.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a strong, sustainable brace that supports your spine without turning you into a breathless statute. <\/p>\n

Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for You\"Chevron\"Chevron \"Headshot<\/p>\n

Cori Ritchey, C.S.C.S., is the fitness editor at Women’s Health, as well as a certified strength and condition coach and group fitness instructor. She\u2019s reported on topics regarding health, nutrition, mental health, fitness, sex, and relationships for several years. You can find more of her work in Men\u2019s Health, HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 min read My name is Cori Ritchey, and I am an exercise physiology nerd turned fitness journalist,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4959,138127,1107,499,103,61,60,1106,138126],"class_list":["post-287748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-8361f283-64be-4564-ba7d-559ded697da8","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-locale-us","tag-shorttitle-5-form-hacks-to-help-you-gain-serious-strength"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}