Did you ever notice how powerlifters and Olympic lifters compete without mirrors but just facing the public? Have you also spotted how everyone does the most popular gym exercise - the Bench Press - without looking at a mirror? Then what does this tell you about the necessity of mirrors when lifting weights?
I trained for 5 years in a public gym. Not a single time did I Squat or Deadlift without facing a mirror. But then I built a home gym and laziness kept me from buying mirrors. Since I quickly got used to lifting without them, I never got myself any. And after 7 years of Squatting, Deadlifting and Pressing while staring at a blank wall, I've concluded that mirrors are unnecessary for lifting.
But, how will you know if you're lifting correctly? Not using mirrors. They only gives you information about the front plane. So even if you do your Squats while facing a mirror, you never know what's really happening anyway.
As an example: you can't check if your hips are going lower than your knees on the Squat when you face a mirror. You'd have to stand with your side facing it and then look aside to check where your hips are going when Squatting. But this is a guaranteed way to twist your neck and suffer pain for a few days.
Mirrors can cause the same kind of neck injuries on Deadlifts. When you're in the starting position, the only way you can see yourself in the mirror is by tilting your head up. This can cause neck pain and will mess with your technique (your hips will usually end up too low, which is less effective for Deadlift strength).
So you only have 2 ways to find out if you're lifting with correct technique:
- Tape Yourself. Use a digital camera or a phone with video capabilities to take videos of your lifts. It's a well-known fact that elite lifters tape themselves to find errors with their technique and improve it.
- Ask Someone. This should be someone who is familiar with the lifts, and who knows the difference between good & bad technique. Watch out with personal trainers, many don't know how to Squat/Deadlift.
If you're going to build a home gym: don't waste your money on mirrors, just lift staring at a blank wall. It will feel weird, but you'll quickly develop a feeling for how your body moves through space (kinesthetic sense or proprioception). This skill is useful for all other sports that don't use mirrors either (rugby, soccer, ...).
If your gym has mirrors everywhere, turn your body away from them so you can't rely on visual input. If that's not possible, focus on 1 point in the mirror as if you were trying to look THROUGH it instead of at it. Just don't try to check your technique, and keep your head down on Deadlifts/Rows to prevent neck pain.
Frankly, mirrors only serve bodybuilders who like to check if their muscles are pumped between sets. But even if you want to track physical changes, weekly full body pictures of yourself are more objective than looking at the mirror.
Funny thing. In my 47 years of training I never ever recall ever using a mirror when squatting. In my first few years I had experiencd trainers checking my technique. It finally became an instinctive thing. I can always tell when I am low enough, that’s when I feel my hamstrings kick in. Some feel that squats only work quads. They are not going low enough. I once worked out in a darkened garage going totally by the feel of the weights. I could tell what the plates weighted by the feel, I had done it so many times. I benched, squatted, rowed etc. Had a great workout. (The next workout I did have a droplight)
My gym is wall-to-wall mirrors. I’m going to participate in a powerlifting meet next month where obviously I won’t be standing in front of a mirror. Should I try to practice with my eyes closed or something before? Covering the mirrors isn’t really an option. How weird is it to squat without a mirror for the first time?
What’s a mirror?
If you are concerned, get someone who knows what they are talking about to watch your form ro record yourself using your phone/camera etc.
I actually like having a mirror for motivation. I trained without one until I hit 225lb 5×5 on squat, now i’m at 300lbsx5 and it really helps me to look myself in the eyes when I squat. If I had a training partner i wouldnt need this motivation I get from it, but since I don’t have one it’s quite useful. As far as the hips going as low as they should, I know from the feeling, I never rely on the mirror.
I hope all those commercial gym owners out there are reading this article, they waste more money on mirrors and unnecessary equipment trying to attract the ‘fickle’ fitness trade, other than the serious lifters. I guess it boils down to numbers rather than quality training technique.
My gym is also all mirrors. I do like looking at myself during a heavy squat, though. I’m nice and smiling in almost every picture that was taken of me. In the gym mirror I see a face red and distorted with effort.
“Frankly, mirrors only serve bodybuilders who like to check if their muscles are pumped between sets. But even if you want to track physical changes, weekly full body pictures of yourself are more objective than looking at the mirror.*”
Should have included:
Unless you like to watch yourself pump and flex because you’re in love with yourself.
Yet another reason for not relying on the mirror image of oneself lifting: in the mirror, a 2.5 plate is indistinguishable from a 5 pound. I am speaking from personal experience. Felt super until I felt weak on one side and my eyes were telling my arms to keep pushing with equal force. What a boner.