Expert QA

How can I tell if I’m doing strength-training exercises correctly?

By Michael Castleman for Live Right Live Well

“The best way is to work with a trainer certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association [NSCA]” says Gregory G. Haff, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology and is an assistant professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

Friends and gym denizens may assure you that you’re doing strength-training exercises correctly if you feel the workout in the target muscle group, if that muscle group feels fatigued at the end of a reasonable workout, or if you experience mild soreness a day or two after increasing the weight or number of repetitions. But this is a myth. These results can occur even if you do strength-training exercises incorrectly, explains Haff.

So if you really want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your strength-training workout, consider a few sessions with an NSCA-certified trainer. You can find one using the personal trainer locator on the NSCA’s website -- or check out one of their free online videos, which demonstrate the correct way to perform a variety of different strength-training exercises.

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	<h2>Expert QA</h2>
<h1>How can I tell if I’m doing strength-training exercises correctly?</h1>
<p>

<p>By Michael Castleman for <em><a href="http://www.liverightlivewell.com">Live Right Live Well</a></em></p>
</p>

<img src="http://www.liverightlivewell.com/partner/content/worldnow-ftp/archive/2011-08-08/expertqa/strength_training/images/large.jpg" width="181" height="212" alt="How can I tell if I’m doing strength-training exercises correctly?"/>
	<p>“The best way is to work with a trainer certified by the National
Strength and Conditioning Association [NSCA]” says Gregory G. Haff, who
holds a doctorate in exercise physiology and is an assistant professor
at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.</p>
<p>Friends and gym denizens may assure you that you’re doing
strength-training exercises correctly if you feel the workout in the
target muscle group, if that muscle group feels fatigued at the end of
a reasonable workout, or if you experience mild soreness a day or two
after increasing the weight or number of repetitions. But this is a
myth. These results can occur even if you do strength-training
exercises incorrectly, explains Haff.</p>

<p>So if you really want
to make sure you’re getting the most out of your strength-training workout,
consider a few sessions with an NSCA-certified trainer. You can find one using
the personal trainer locator on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nsca-lift.org/">NSCA’s website</a> -- or check out one of
their free online videos, which demonstrate the correct way to perform a
variety of different strength-training exercises.</p>
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