Who learned their technique from reading and mirrors alone?

[wrenchhands]

By that I mean, didn't post a vid on this site and didn't have a knowledgeable coach?

I'm in this boat for the time being, just curious how others like me are doing.

[lovestolift]

I learned from reading and watching other peoples videos. Mirrors are useless as they only give you one view (the front, because any other angle requires you to move your neck, which then renders your technique improper). And that is arguably the least important view.

I shudder to think about how bad my technique was before finding this site. I read a bit in Men's Health, but nothing as in depth as the material covered here and in Starting Strength.

I think you can do pretty well if you really make a concerted effort to educate yourself. That being said, I'd still like to attend one of Coach Rip's Barbell Certifications just to really work out the kinks.

[drecar]

I found mirrors very deceiving. I thought that my squat form was good and it wasnt. Video showed exactly what was going on.

[sgtrock]

I haven't used video, and mirrors don't exist at my gym. I go by feel. I'm probably horrible then. Need to video though, because I'm worried about knees tracking forward during squats now.

[Mehdi]

Learned it from reading alone. And there was no starting strength back then, you guys have it a lot easier now.

[FilthyMcNasty]

Learned from reading alone, used a belt on a 150kilo deadlift, towards the end of the set my back rounded without me realising as I was getting tired, thought the subsequent pain was muscular soreness until my leg cut out when I was tying my shoe and I fell on my ass, I'd sustained a sacro-illiac joint dysfunction type injury. Couldnt train properly, gained wait to over 105 kilos, lots of physio etc, nothing helped for longer than a day or 2.
Now back to 89 kilos, squatting with proper form gives me a "stretch" that feels good and lasts longer than massage, plus kettlebell snatches and swings being ballistic in nature stretch the low back, glutes, hams during the bottom part of the swing.
Not pain free or perfect but grateful to be better than I was...I still wake up sometimes with ball-ache (yes ball-ache) If I sleep at the wrong angle, best I can figure is that all the internal pelvic connective ligaments come under strain if I'm not aligned properly.

The moral - search for decent instructional material, and I mean guys who can technically break down each portion of any lift and explain physiology, body position, leverage in an informed and intelligent way (switch on your BS detector and exercise common sense, if any tutorial is less than ten minutes for a deadlift or squat, forget it, theres a lot to learn and many ways to get hurt.)

Just my opinion but I feel that aching testicles should be a warning to anybody

[Wellhairedbeast]

I learned from reading and watching videos, then i found the articles on this site and starting strength for the finer tuning of technique.

[holvoetn]

Same here: reading and watching videos, mostly on this site and what I could find from Mark Rippetoe.

[NotNowChief]

Reading, watching videos. Specifically finding almost every "common mistake" applied to my squat and having to totally rebuild it some time ago.

[FiveByFive]

Learned it from reading alone. And there was no starting strength back then, you guys have it a lot easier now.

And there was no stronglifts either, which is another leg up for those of us starting out today.

I also have learned from reading and watching videos alone. I also ask my fellow newbies who I drag to the gym to watch my form.

[Mehdi]

Learned it from reading alone. And there was no starting strength back then, you guys have it a lot easier now.

And there was no stronglifts either, which is another leg up for those of us starting out today.

I also have learned from reading and watching videos alone. I also ask my fellow newbies who I drag to the gym to watch my form.

and there was no youtube.

[awwwwfuq]

i learned from numerous injuries lol

well, what doesn't kill you make you (slightly weaker, and then once you fully recover, makes you..) stronger.

people tend to not read between the parentheses lol

[kidsoftheblackhole]

reading, stronglifts, watching videos. but i'm still unsure of my technique, though i believe it's getting better as i keep training.

[mjh]

and there was no youtube.

Careful guys, you might start to sound like my Dad. "Back in my day, I had to walk 10,000 miles to school in bare feet across broken glass..."

[Sam277]

Learnt all of the technique from everything mehdi posted up on here, (read a bit of TMuscle and ripptoes later), but really it's this site that got me going.

Mehdi, you're a hero!