Sit Up Straight! Training for Form and Posture
by Joe Hashey, CSCS author of Bull Strength Conditioning

Some of the athletes I work with are fairly new to organized training. Many of them come in with bad or no habits at all. Good habits are hard to come by, but it is our job to instill them.

One of the primary issues they have is body positioning during leg training. The People love to lean forward at the bottom and/or jerk back out of the motion at the top (lunges, reverse lunges, step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, squats, etc). I can’t blame them; they aren’t used to fighting pressure when they first start lifting. Their bodies naturally take the path of least resistance (or what they mentally perceive as the least resistance).

Over the last few months, I have been incorporating overhead holds while performing these muscle building lifts. By holding the weight overhead, as opposed to at the sides or on the back, the lifting posture drastically improves out of necessity. In other words, if you lean forward or swing back while holding something overhead, you will drop it. That’s what we call “self-correcting!”

Of course you should spot the lifter to protect them from dropping it straight down, even though the imbalance usually causes them to dump it forward (although I’ve never had the weight come straight down, better safe than sorry!)

The easiest and safest object to hold overhead is a light sandbag. Just in case the athlete drops the bag, it is soft enough and light enough that it does not present a large safety concern. A medicine ball also works well for the aforementioned reasons.

Next hardest is the barbell. If the lifter uses a military press or snatch grip, the weight will need to be kept over the center point of the body. Again, if the athlete tips off center, the weight will become difficult to hold and off balanced.

My personal favorite to use is a water filled or chain wrapped keg. The water presents a serious challenge to balance, but should not be attempted by first timers. Get your stability up before trying this variation! Chain wrapping an empty keg is also an easy way add weight. The keg is also good for forearm strength since it is larger and needs to be gripped tightly.

Strength Training Examples

Split Squat Set-up

Split Squat Execution

Front Lunge Set-up

Front Lunge Execution

Mix these variations in to work on posture and form. Really reach overhead and extend your torso. Use some days loaded heavy with the standard methods, and then use the overhead variation to work on form. Good luck and enjoy standing up straight!

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