On an average day of work at Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs I see a handful of people doing exercises with improper form. Sometimes they just need a small tweak or two in the way they execute the exercise and sometime their form is so grossly off that I wonder what they are trying to accomplish. I absolutely understand that not everyone knows the proper mechanics and it is this very fact that often deters people [especially women] from doing any strength/resistance training. It is only normal to start out as a novice and then, with the tutelage of a certified professional, become more knowledgeable. Eventually you can make your way around the weight room with an understanding of which exercises work which muscles, and the proper form for lifting. I commend and respect those folks who take the time and make the effort to learn to train properly. It makes a world of difference: results come quicker and last longer, injury is avoided, and with it all comes the satisfaction of knowing things are being done properly!
But what drives me nuts more than anything else is when people exercise with improper form and then say “wow I’m so sore today, that was a GREAT workout yesterday!” At the risk of sounding crass and a little harsh, here’s a little newsflash: just because it hurts doesn’t mean it works!!!! Yes it is absolutely true that the day(or two) following resistance/strength training, the muscles worked will feel sore [and should have at least a day of rest before they are used in this capacity again]. This is due to muscle hypertrophy, or the growth and increase in size of the muscle cells. This is a good, healthy thing and is indicative of gains in strength. However, there are PLENTY of other reasons why muscles may be sore the day after a workout. Lifting weights in a way that makes your muscles hurt/ache/feel sore during the exercise itself or after does NOT necessarily mean you’re doing things the right way. Bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and other important parts of the body can be severely injured doing exercises improperly.
Don’t put yourself at risk for injury, don’t be an inefficient exerciser, and don’t be your body’s own greatest risk. Take the time and make the effort to work with a trainer and learn how to do things properly. Your body will thank you!
Ready to do it to it?!?! Email me and lets WORK IT OUTTT!!!!! lucky13fitness@gmail.com
lucky13fitness 
Agreed! So often people come to the Health and Performance Centre (check us out- http://inmotionforlife.wordpress.com/) where I work for chiropractic and physiotherapy simply because they have improperly exercised- these injuries can be avoided with professional guidance.
Unfortunately, a personal trainer can be too costly for many people- any suggestions on where to get reputable and inexpensive advice?
Thank you for your comment. you make a good point…. Personal Training can be costly and is not an affordable reality for everyone. There are SO many sources out there that claim to give surefire, quick results with their workouts. You can often find workouts in magazines, on tv, the itnernet, etc. However, these workouts are not always safe, reliable, and put together by a certified professional. A great resource to use is the American Council on Exercise’s GetFit page. It offers the general public free exercises, healthy recipes, videos, etc. And it is all put together by a team of certified trainers, so you can trust the content on the site. Check it out: http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/default.aspx and let me know what you think!