At Geelong Fitness, great coaching is not about yelling at you to go harder. It is about teaching you how to move better. Most people walk into a gym with years of movement habits that need refining. They are not lazy or broken. They have simply never been coached properly. And that is where we step in.
Whether it is your first time squatting with a barbell or your hundredth time doing push-ups, even small faults can add up over time. Poor form limits your results. Worse, it increases your risk of injury. But when movement improves, everything else follows. Strength goes up. Confidence builds. Results show. Here is a look at the most common movement faults we see and how our coaching team fixes them in real time.
1. Squats: Knee Cave, Chest Drop, and Depth Issues
Fault: One of the most common things we see in squats is knees collapsing inward. It usually happens when the glutes are not engaging or the stance is too narrow. We also see chests dropping forward or people struggling to get to depth.
How We Fix It: Our coaches cue “knees out” or “push the floor apart” while adjusting the stance to improve balance. We teach you how to engage the right muscles before the first rep using warm-up drills like banded lateral steps or tempo goblet squats. If you are struggling with depth, we coach you into box squats or supported squats using a TRX until your mobility improves.
2. Deadlifts: Rounded Backs and Pulling With the Arms
Fault: Many new lifters round their upper back during deadlifts or yank the bar off the ground using their arms instead of their legs and hips.
How We Fix It: We teach you how to brace your core and lock in your back position before lifting. Our go-to cue is “chest proud and lats on” or “break the bar.” We also scale with Romanian deadlifts or elevated starts to dial in the hinge pattern safely. Our coaches walk you through the setup every time until it becomes second nature.
3. Push-Ups: Elbows Flaring and Sagging Hips
Fault: Push-ups are often rushed. We see elbows flaring out too wide, hips dropping low, or heads leading instead of the chest.
How We Fix It: We coach the push-up from the ground up. Our cues are simple and effective. “Squeeze your ribs to your hips” or “pretend you are a board.” If someone cannot hold proper position, we elevate the hands or use bands for support. We train the right shape first before adding reps or speed.
4. Pull-Ups and Rows: Shrugging and Lack of Control
Fault: When doing pull-ups or rows, it is common to see shoulders shrugged up near the ears or people rushing through reps without full control.
How We Fix It: We coach shoulder positioning first with “pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets.” We slow things down to build control and tension. For those working toward their first pull-up, we use assisted progressions that keep the movement pattern strict and teach proper engagement.
Why Coaching Matters
You cannot fix what you cannot feel. Our role is to help you feel it. Every coach on our floor is trained to spot movement faults quickly and give you real-time feedback. That might be a tactile cue, a demo, or a quick switch to a scaled version of the movement that reinforces the right pattern.
This kind of coaching is the difference between training hard and training smart. It is also why our members see real results. We are not here to babysit or bark. We are here to coach. And that means helping you move better every single session.
If you have been training without progress or if you are unsure whether your technique is solid, come in for a FREE consult. We will take the time to assess where you are at and what you need next.
Book your FREE Consult now at
https://geelongfit.com.au/free-intro-social/
