How do I know if my technique is correct?

Reliable signs are simple: You can control the weight through the full intended range, the bar or body path looks consistent from the first rep to the last, nothing hurts, and the muscles you are trying to train are the ones doing the work. Film a set from the side, compare it with a good reference, and get coaching where possible.

Four checks that catch most problems

• Control: Can you pause briefly at any point in the lift? If the weight is moving you rather than the reverse, it is too heavy.
• Consistency: Rep one and rep eight should look like the same movement. Drift is the earliest warning sign of fatigue or a technical fault.
• Absence of pain: Effort and burn are expected; sharp, pinching, or joint-line pain is not.
• Correct effort location: If a row is felt entirely in the forearms, or a squat only in the lower back, the load distribution is off.

Filming yourself properly

Set the camera at roughly hip height, about three metres away, angled 45 degrees to the front or directly side-on. Film one full set rather than a single rep, because faults usually appear as the set progresses. Watch it at normal speed first to judge rhythm, then frame by frame for specific positions.

What to compare against

Use a reference from someone with similar limb proportions where possible. Technique is not one universal shape; a lifter with long femurs will show more forward lean in a squat than a short-femur lifter, and that is normal rather than a fault. Understanding why is easier with a grounding in Biomechanics of Human Movement and Human Anatomy for Athletes.

Use load as a diagnostic

Drop to roughly 60 percent of your usual working weight and perform the movement slowly. Most technical faults disappear at light loads, which tells you the issue is strength or fatigue rather than motor control. Faults that persist even when light are genuine technique problems and need coaching or a different variation.

When to get help

Book a session with a qualified coach if a movement consistently hurts, if a fault does not change after several weeks of deliberate work, or if you are preparing to train near maximal loads. An hour of good coaching usually saves months of guesswork.