Exercise Technique and Movement Analysis
This domain tests exercise technique through a biomechanical lens: bar path, joint stacking, base of support, moment arms, bracing, and force transmission. Items ask you to identify the fault and explain the mechanical consequence.
Core rules
- Place the system's center of mass over the base of support; a vertical bar path reduces unnecessary torque.
- Keep joints stacked and neutral where possible; excessive shear increases passive tissue load.
- Brace the trunk with intra-abdominal pressure and coordinated co-contraction before the load moves.
- Use the largest stable base and the shortest safe moment arm for the demand.
- Match stance and grip to the target movement: a narrow grip changes line of pull and range.
- Spot or set safeties for exercises where failure positions the load over the head or face.
Worked example
In a conventional deadlift, the bar starts over the midfoot, shoulders slightly ahead of the bar, hips between shoulder and knee height. The bar should travel close to the body because a bar drifting forward increases the horizontal moment arm at the hip and lumbar spine, raising extensor torque demand. If the hips shoot up first, the torso becomes more horizontal and the moment arm grows; the lifter may complete the rep but with greater shear and a higher risk of technique breakdown. The reasoning: reduce horizontal distance, keep the bar close, and share the load across hip and knee extensors.
Traps
- Cueing "straight back" without addressing bar distance.
- Letting knees collapse inward during a squat or landing.
- Starting with hips too low or too high in a deadlift.
- Using a load that changes the technique you intended to train.