By Mike Clausen
Published Jun 26, 2008

Welcome to another edition of Diakadi Fitness Tips, a new series of weekly features and interviews with Billy Polson and Mike Clausen, founders of the award-winning Diakadi Body personal training gym and creators of RealJock's 12-week Workout Programs. Have burning questions about your fitness that you want them to answer? Send an email to billyandmike@realjock.com.

Like any responsible trainer, when I walk through the gym, I can't help but notice when people are doing things wrong. They don't mean to—but some of their mistakes can be dangerous, or just go against gym etiquette. Whether it is an improper movement or something that is just disruptive, there are a few things I see repeatedly in the gym that I'd love to change. Here are the top five things at the gym that make me cringe, plus some better alternatives to help you make the most of your training time.

1. Neck Tweakers: Behind the Neck Lat Pull-downs
This may be the most incorrectly performed exercise on the planet. When you pull the lat bar behind your neck, you are taking your spine out of the neutral position, thus allowing other muscles to be involved in pulling the weight down. As your neck goes forward, your posture becomes compromised, and you must recruit other muscle groups to do most of the work, giving your lats a very minimal workout. What's more, the other muscles recruited in this position often aren't up to the workload and the angle—you risk injury to your neck and rotators. On the other hand, when your spine is in a neutral position (a straight line), the other muscle groups will work synergistically with your back muscles, allowing your lats to perform the pull-down without being blocked by your rounded back. The problem isn't you, it's the exercise. Unless you are extremely flexible, you cannot do this exercise without pushing your head forward. So, do a different exercise instead of trying to fix this one. The more effective way to do a lat pull down is to bring the bar to your chest, allowing for full range of motion that will not injure your neck or rotators, and will help build your lats (see a video demo of a front wide-grip lat pull-down).

2. Heavyweight Hulks: Using Too Heavy Weights
I really hate when I see people using weights that are obviously too heavy to be making any kind of positive impact. You know the guys who are using 40-pound dumbbells for their lateral shoulder raise? The guy who throws up the weight, using his legs, abs, arms—basically everything but the deltoids he is trying to work? Your workouts will be much more effective if you use weights that allow you to use proper form, so that you can isolate each muscle group you are working. It's also dangerous to use weights that are too heavy for you. When working out you want to make your body stronger while avoiding injuries. You are still going to build muscle while using a lighter weight—precisely because being able to keep proper form will allow you to keep your lifting within the targeted muscle. When you start swinging around because your weights are too heavy, you both take your lifting outside the muscle you want to work, and you dump that lifting onto your joints, your back, and your supporting muscles—all of which are easily injured. Just remember: Proper form is more important than lifting a heavy weight.

3. Floor Denters: Dropping Weights at the End of a Set
Let's talk etiquette for a moment. Dropping weights has to be the biggest no-no in a gym, and you see everyone doing it. Even some trainers allow their clients to do this. That really aggravates responsible trainers, because a good trainer will teach clients how to put down your weights without throwing them and possibly wrenching a shoulder. It doesn't prove a guy is tough if he throws down those 60-pound dumbbells after an incline press. It's both distracting and dangerous. If you're in the habit of doing this, you'll attract attention, true—but all of it bad. You also put yourself and others at risk of serious injury. The one exception is Olympic lifts on a platform—otherwise you should never throw down weights. Be honest, weight-dropping guy—your muscles are not so fatigued that you just can't hold the weights anymore. Instead of dropping, always bring the weights to a level where you can set them on the floor, or bring them back to the rack. If you really can't grasp the weights long enough to do this, return to number two. Time to lift less weight.

4. Page Turners: Reading Magazines while Using Cardio Equipment
You are at the gym for one reason—to get in shape. Reading books and magazines puts the focus elsewhere and is counter-productive. Trust me, you cannot effectively burn calories on the treadmill or stair master while trying to read. First, because your focus should be on your workout. Also, odds are that if you're reading something, you're also holding on for balance. This cuts the legs out from under your cardio workout—literally. You should always use cardio equipment hands free, therefore allowing your body to use its own balance ability to keep you upright. This gives you much more intensity—and recruiting more muscles to push you through your workout means more muscles being built and more calories burned. Reading encourages looking down and slumping, and you never want to be slumped over the machines while doing your cardio. For a better cardio workout, leave the US Weekly at home and plug in your iPod. Music provides amazing motivation—and it lets you stand upright!

5. Money Wasters: Paying an Inattentive Trainer
We have all seen it, but this is still something that makes me grit my teeth. The trainer on his phone, the one who is chatting with his buddies while you're struggling to lift the bar off your chest, the one constantly checking out the other clients…. A trainer should have 100 percent of his focus on his client for every moment during that hour. Look around your gym—you can quickly tell the good trainers from the bad by watching where they put their attention. If it's not entirely on the client, there's a problem. Inattention is, of course, dangerous. Your trainer is there to spot you, and catch those momentary lapses of form that can lead to injury. But it goes beyond that—if a trainer is inattentive, why should you think he or she has your best interests in mind? Good trainers aren't just working toward a paycheck—they believe in what they do, and in their clients. Your trainer needs to be 100 percent dedicated to you and your goals. If what I've said is making you rethink your trainer, help is at hand. See our piece on find a great personal trainer for tips on where to look.

MuchMoreThanMuscle wrote:

I pretty much agree with everything but I think it's okay to read while doing cardio machines like the elliptical and the recumbent bicycle. Especially for students with limited time and who need to study whenever possible.

Jul 15 4:19 AM

Starscream1 wrote:

Unfortunately, I see these things every day in the gym at my Marine base. It's tough to get my Marines to focus on form (using moderate weight) when all they want is to put up 25 pounds more than the next guy. I saw this "No-No" in Iraq as well as back here, as a result I saw a lot of Musculoskeletal injuries in my clinic. Old habbits die hard I suppose, but a great reminder about the Lat Pulldown Exercise. Suprisingly, I see my men doing this one properly, in front, bar to the chest. Now if I could only get them to stop throwing their weights down...

Great article though.

Jul 08 5:05 AM

FeenixRizen wrote:

For three weeks as a Gold's Gym employee, I've seen this way too often. The popular area that members like to trash is the stretching/abdominal station. Even with weight racks in plain sight, I stll see 10-45lb plates leaning against a bench or on top of mats. Not even five minutes goes by without being trashed after I organize.

At peak hours, I notice a lot of men try to "one-up" the other at free weights - which can be good motivation, but...sometimes it's counterproductive. I noticed these two random guys doing shoulder presses with free weights. Both started with 30 lbs, then one would upgrade to 35, the other would up to 37.5, then 40, 45...before he could figure out how stupid he was, he ends up straining his back and fails his lift. When he left to the lockers, I could see the pain in his eyes - you can't hide sensations like that.

Jul 02 2:43 AM

speedobuff wrote:

I totally agree with ruck_us about putting weights away. Why is it that the guys who use all the 45lb plates seem to be the guys who leave them lying all over the gym?!

To me, putting away the weights you use is Gym Etiquette rule #1, and so few guys do it. I always wonder how these guys would feel if someone visited their home and tossed stuff around.

And thanks for making the note about Olympic lifting being OK for dropping the weights. It is actually part of the Olympic rules. I compete in that sport, and I have to practice proper dropping for the meets. You can't just let it fall - you have to control it. Otherwise you get disqualified.

Jun 30 9:08 PM

misterduck wrote:

If I couldn't read while riding the bike or doing the elliptical machine I would never do cardio. Most of the time when I work out during my lunch hour it seems like all the str8 boys are in there and the TVs are always on ESPN. I loathe having to watch sports. The iPod things could work, but I've had my stolen from the gym, so alas, I'm back to books which makes my cardio much more bearable!

Jun 30 3:23 PM

DocJock9 wrote:

I think Diakadi needs to do some major clarification on what he's talking about when he's talking about cardio. If he's talking about cardio in the sense of running only, then I would have to agree. The comments he makes about balance are right on. However, there are many forms of cardio for which this doesn't hold true. The stationary bike and recumbent bike are two. As long as you keep your intensity and heart rate at the level of your intentions, there is absolutely nothing wrong with reading while you're doing it, especially since there is very little balance involved. Additionally, reading can actually improve the benefit of your cardio in these situations if it will take your mind off the boredom and discomfort you are feeling, and make you go the extra distance.

As for the behind the back pull downs -- yeah, those are real bad. I see more people doing squats and lunges incorrectly though. Not only does incorrect biomechanics and technique add stress to the knees, it's a killer for the low back as well.

My main pet peeve is the guys who fill up their 1 gal. water troughs at the drinking fountain when there are people waiting. urgh!

Jun 30 2:56 PM

This2shallpass wrote:

I would like to add to the 4th pet peeve. I have been downloading Audiobooks and Podcasts into my iPod for the longest time and to tell you the truth they really do make cardio bearable. Some prefer the magazines, but if you're really serious about enriching a humdrum activity with some valuable knowledge you'll take your time to download or copy Audiobooks from the net or disks respectively.

At first I used to buy the Audiobooks from Borders or B&N but they are quite expensive (nothing below $30), but then I got smart and started just checking them out of my local library at no charge. Most libraries have this wonderful program called Inter-Library Loan (ILL) through which one can request any item from any library nationwide (i.e. any that share within the same program). One can literally obtain ANY book on tape. Regardless of the author's opinion that one should be focusing on the workout, really guys, how does one focus on revolving a pedal or going up some steps?

I highly recomend the comedy of David Sedaris or Augusten Burroughs, but a work of nonfiction with a subject that interests me (say Freakonomics or The World is Flat), is guaranteed to keep me doing cardio much longer than prescribed.

Jun 29 11:00 PM

LauderdaleTop wrote:

And if you're like me and go to a mostly-gay gym...

I hate the guys who're there only to CHAT...they tie up a piece of equipment like a ticeps machine for 20 minutes (and 20 pounds is all the more wieght they're pushing too)...

and if you ask them to share, they get all PISSY....

Jun 29 4:56 PM

bilybobob wrote:

for the #5 reason that is the one thing i see so often, when someone is doing a work out they talk to each other or look away. i just think to myself what if that person started doing the work out wrong and injured themselves, it would be on their head.

Jun 29 4:52 PM

shinji082 wrote:

its so frustrating No. 5!!! it happens to me all the time, the sad thing is that the trainers at the gym are all like that, focusing on the guys well built and laughing and spending all the time with them, i'm not saying they should be serious all the time... but give me a break i pay too!!
Ugh! anyhow... it has been like that since i singed up, but is the closest gym i could find..
I did like the whole article, was very interesting, specially give more importance to form than weight

Jun 29 3:24 PM

Triggerman wrote:

I read on the recumbent bike all the time. I can last three times longer. I wouldn't on the stairmaster, ect. I think you need to qualify the "no reading during cardio" comment a bit.

For the bench pressers that use heavy dumbbells. I have used 180's and this works for me: After the last rep, bring the dumbells down and onto your thighs on end as you do a sit-up. The momentum will pop you right up into a seated position. Very simple.

I agree with the lat-pulldown to the back of the neck being a no-no. Maybe not for all but for most. I am not a big fan of barbell shoulder presses behind the head either.

My pet peeve: Guys who load ten 45lb. plates on each side of the leg press, spend 5 minutes wrapping their knees, then move the weight platform 6 inches up and down. Then get off, unwrap the knees, and wait 5 minutes between sets. Twenty 45lb. plates get tied up for 40 minutes while you do 4 useless sets. Cut the weight in half or more and do a full leg press and leave the wraps to powerlifters.

Jun 28 8:09 PM

seapower wrote:

I can only agree with (3) up to a point. After I perform a set of flat bench presses with dumbbells, I can return to an upright position with weights up to around 105 lbs (in each hand, mind you). Beyond that, I need to let the weights down to the floor while still lying on the bench. I don't *throw* the weights--they end up on the floor with the bar vertical and the flat of the weight against the floor. I'm currently maxing out at 125-lb dumbbells for this movement. Sitting back up with those wieghts still in my hands would amount to performing a sit-up with 250 lbs added. That's not going to happen after a grueling set of presses.

Jun 27 4:46 PM

redheadguy wrote:

Reading magazines while on cardio machines is a real no-no. Usually it's women who do this and probably think they're getting great cardio workout.

Jun 27 6:52 AM

ruck_us wrote:

I would rank all of these below:

1. Hogging the smith rack or cable cross machines
2. Not re-racking your damn weights
3. Leaving dumbbells and plates all over the gym (see #2)
4. Working out as a boisterous but underachieving pack (extra credit for foreign languages)
5. Farting out loud

Jun 27 3:57 AM

groundcombat wrote:

Yeah I know, but that would've made it much too long of a post to try and do on my iPhone.

Behind-the-neck pulldowns. I'd say you'll find 50/50 who will tell you it's either bad or good. The explanation provided really doesn't make any sense to me. If done properly, you spine is equally out of line when you do your lat pull downs to the front. Based on the explanation provided, you can make front pulldowns equally as "useless" as you can behind-the-neck pulldowns.

Reading while doing cardio. Sure it's annoying in principal, but I tend to be an advocate of "take it anyway you can get it" when it comes to exercise. Not everyone has 100% dedication to working out. Quite frankly it's boring at times to me and I love fitness. Surely it's an uphill battle for someone who hates the gym or finds it hard to find the time to workout. It's like saying listening to music is while working out is distracting. Yeah, that's kind of the point..

Using too heavy of weights. This is very true 99% of the time. However, the perception of using weights that are "too heavy" really depend on your goals. This article assumes everyone who is working out is doing muscle isolation workouts (ie, working individual muscle groups). This is great for building that body for the upcoming Pride festivals, but not so great when your friend wants you to help them move. Practical strength, as I like to call it, comes from being able to use several different muscle groups either at once or syncronized. With heavy weight there's always an issue of using weight that is safe, but you can appear to be using "too much weight" but be having a productive workout.

Jun 27 2:48 AM

ikaros wrote:

These are the kind of articles that made me love Realjock :)
I love the "Pulldown behind your head" one, that's a classic

Jun 27 12:38 AM

MisterT wrote:

All good points, and it's good to see people that will point out what they see wrong, and why they are wrong, plus say what can be done to correct it.

If you disagree with these, in part or fully, you should say what you disagree with, and why. Just saying you disagree doesn't mean anything without some reasons, and you won't be taken seriously.

Jun 26 8:50 PM

groundcombat wrote:

I disagree, at least in part, with several of these..

Jun 26 8:39 PM