The Right Way to Video Your Gym Workouts
I used to feel awkward and self-conscious pointing a camera at myself at the gym. My thoughts went something like, “I’m not a selfie-obsessed influencer. What do people think of me?” But I’ve changed my tune: I now pull out my pocket tripod to film myself at least once a week, and my results have improved.
If you work out at the gym, you’ve probably noticed that people are increasingly filming their workouts. While some of them may be abhorrent TikTokers (and we’ll discuss the etiquette below), there are plenty of compelling reasons to document your workouts. You can evaluate your effort and technique, share the videos with a trainer, or use them to show off your workouts to friends and online gym buddies.
The Benefits of Filming Your Lifts
Before we get into how to do it , let’s talk about the reasons . There are good reasons to film yourself lifting weights.
Checking your form
If I’m training alone, I videotape it because I need the feedback I’d otherwise get from a trainer. But even when a trainer is nearby , I still videotape my hardest or most important exercises of the day. I can compare their feedback (positive or negative) with what I see in the video. I also have a recording of the day’s exercises that I can refer back to later.
Better feedback than a mirror
It’s also helpful to learn how to use a video to correct your technique, rather than looking in a mirror. While a mirror is perfectly fine for, say, bicep curls or lateral raises, you should learn to lift weights without one if you’re interested in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, or CrossFit (and these gyms almost never have mirrors ). Turning your head to look at yourself can distort your body position, and focusing on how you look in the mirror can be distracting. Not to mention, your perspective in the mirror changes as your body moves. A mirror won’t give you an accurate idea of your squat depth, but a good video will tell you the truth.
Effort measurement
Video also helps you assess your true feelings. Time slows down when you’re struggling: if a pull-up takes more than a split second, it feels like hours. I’m pulling, struggling, moving just a millimeter. Sometimes I give up, or almost give up, because it seems like I simply can’t complete the movement. But then I watch the video and realize that those hours, which I perceived as hours of struggle, were just a fleeting slowdown in a repetition that ultimately turned out just fine.
Even for something as subjective as RPE (your “perceived effort”) , videos help. I remember years ago, my online coaches would tell me that my deadlift at an RPE of 8 looked too easy. So I watched other people deadlift at the same RPE of 8 and noticed a clear difference in effort. Comparing my videos with theirs helped me determine the right effort level.
How to Make a Good Weightlifting Video
Whether the videos are for you, your coach, or just to show on Instagram, they’ll be most helpful if you can get a good look at yourself.
Use a tripod
In a pinch, you can prop the phone up against something on the floor, but it’s difficult to see much in a heavily distorted aerial video. (If you have a bench or chair, place a water bottle on it and prop the phone up against it.) I’ll cover the equipment in more detail below, but a selfie stick tripod like this one is a simple option. It extends to about waist level and can be placed on the gym floor. It also folds down to a compact size, fitting in a gym bag or even a sweatshirt pocket.
And yes, you really should prop your phone up on something (a tripod or something similar) rather than letting a friend hold it. Handheld videos are usually harder to watch. If someone is walking around you or adjusting the zoom while you’re holding the phone up, it’s very distracting and often cuts off important information. Even if they’re just standing still, the movement is still enough to be a problem.
Shoot at a 3/4 angle
It’s tempting to film from the side or straight ahead, but you’ll miss important information. A side view during squats might show whether your thighs are parallel to the floor, but it won’t show whether your knees are caving in. For most exercises, a three-quarter view—not strictly from the side or front, but somewhere in the middle—will provide the most useful information.
For the same reasons, you’ll want to get your entire body in the frame. This is especially true if you’re showing the video to a trainer or friend to check your technique: they’ll want to see everything that could affect your lift, including, for example, your foot position.
Check lighting and position before starting work.
I use the front-facing camera so that as soon as I’m in frame, I can immediately look back and make sure everything is set up correctly. If there’s a window behind you and you’re backlit, or if you’re halfway out of frame, correct that before you start climbing.
But once you start, ignore the camera. Perform the lift as usual—looking in the mirror only if you always do—and don’t look at the camera until you’ve completed the lift.
Trim your damn videos
No one wants to watch 30 seconds of you setting up your camera and getting ready to take off. Even if the video was filmed just for you, you probably wouldn’t want to watch it either.
In any case, you’ll need to rest for a few minutes between sessions, so use this time to trim the video. On iPhone, simply start watching the video, pause it, and then tap “Edit.” You can trim the beginning and end of the video right on this screen, then choose whether to overwrite the original file or save the trimmed version as a separate copy. (Select the new file if you want to revisit the settings later; otherwise, trim the original.)
My favorite tripods and equipment
As I mentioned, a selfie stick tripod is incredibly convenient for the gym. It fits in a bag or pocket and is easy to fold when not in use. The tripod at this link is the one I’ve used most often over the years. I usually use it for a year or two before something breaks, usually the phone mounting mechanism.
That’s why I recently switched to tripods with a MagSafe mount, like this one . If your phone has a magnet on the back, life becomes much easier. Just snap your phone onto the magnet, and it’s securely in place—no need to adjust its width or thickness.
I haven’t used a magnetic water bottle mount , although every time I see them advertised, I think, “Oh, how clever.” If I have a water bottle, I can rest my phone against it; no special equipment is required. The water bottle still needs to be elevated to the correct height (like a chair or bench), so it’s not a replacement for a floor tripod.
I have a phone holder that magnetically attaches to a nearby machine or squat rack , but I have mixed feelings about it. If you can find a squat rack that’s the perfect distance from where you’re working out and no one else is using it, great. (Make sure the phone holder can be angled toward you, not just a flat magnet.) But usually, nothing’s in the right place, and the angle is worse than the bench and water bottle trick. I use mine in my home gym, where I have a metal rack conveniently located. I haven’t found it useful in commercial gyms.
Gym etiquette when filming video
To answer the questions I know you have: yes, it’s okay to film your workouts at the gym (unless, of course, the gym itself has rules that specifically prohibit it). And no, people won’t think you’re weird if you do it politely and respectfully. Here’s how.
Don’t let others into the frame
If possible, position the camera so that other people (or at least their faces) are not in the frame. Of course, you shouldn’t post videos of other people, but even if the video is intended for private use, people might notice they’re being filmed and feel uncomfortable.
Don’t disturb me
Don’t set up your tripod on a busy path or anywhere else where it might get in someone’s way. If you want to use an empty bench to set up your phone, that’s fine— for a moment . Don’t leave it there for the entire workout. And think twice about using a tripod: a phone lying on the ground is much easier to miss and accidentally trip over than a tripod that’s clearly in someone’s way.
Use of the gym takes priority over filming
We’ve all seen those TikToks where someone gets mad at a passerby who got caught on camera. I’m convinced most of those videos are fake (outrage is what gets people talking), but obviously, you don’t want to be that person. Working out indoors is more important than using a camera. However, if there are a lot of people there, just interact like normal people. I work out in a gym where people usually film themselves, and everyone is very friendly and willing to give up their space. Some might even offer to share their tripod.