I am sure you’ve heard the saying “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” at some point. Well, it also applies to what you do, and to go further, the way you execute your exercises when training your body.

This becomes even more critical when lifting weights. Even though the weights you lift and how much you lift will affect your results, how you do your lifting will also affect these results. At the very least, it will affect how long you are able to continue doing it, because improper lifting techniques is one of the surest ways to damage your body – damage which is sometimes irreparable.

Ladies, you may be saying to yourself, “But I’m not lifting anything heavy enough to really hurt me” – not true. Though it is true that the damage that can occur from improper lifting can be compounded by extremely heavy weights that we men sometimes lift, it does not mean that the lighter weights that women use cannot affect you, over time, if you used incorrectly.

Proper techniques and body positioning for lifting

One of the primary injuries that can result from improper lifting is back injury. Most of the techniques we will discuss will be in the context of lifting in the gym with weights on bars and so on, but some are applicable to every day lifting around your house.

Position body properly

Ensure that your feet are far enough apart (approximately shoulder width apart), so that you are balanced and have a substantive base from which to initiate lift. This applies both to lifting a bar from the floor in a gym or lifting a large bucket of water in your kitchen or bathroom.

Your pelvis should be neutrally positioned and then you press your hips backward and stay low, to start the lift. You should also have your feet and knees pointing in the same direction.

Grip the bar properly

Specific to lifting in the gym, you must employ a proper grip on the bar. This should be a close grip where your thumb is wrapped around the bar. You may choose to use an underhand grip with one hand on the bar, and overhanded with the other, or with both overhanded or both hands underhanded. The distance between hands on the bar can be wide, narrow or shoulder width, depending on comfort and the exercise being performed.

Closeness of bar

Keep the bar close to you instead of far away. This will allow you to fully extend your knees and hips, and lift by driving through your leg muscles, instead of using your back muscles to power the lift.

Tighten abs

Tighten your abs, because core stability aids greatly in an effective lift and lessens the possibility of injury to your back. Your abdominal and back muscles do counter support each other.

Avoid sudden, jerky lifting

Except in the case of a clean-and-jerk, avoid sudden, jerky lifting movements. Keep it smooth and controlled.

With these in mind, you should be able to lift safely with minimal injury and discomfort. Good luck.

Marlon Ebanks is a personal fitness instructor who has been certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America since 2009.