Why You Should Videotape Your Exercises (and How to Do It Respectfully in the Gym)
I used to feel awkward and self-conscious pointing a camera at myself at the gym. My thoughts went something like this: I’m not a selfie-obsessed influencer. What do people think of me? But my opinion has changed: now I take out a pocket tripod and videotape myself at least once every workout, and my exercise has gotten better because of it.
If you work out at the gym, you’ve probably noticed that people are filming their exercise routines more often these days. While some may be terrible TikTokers (we’ll talk about etiquette below), there are many good reasons to want to document what you’re doing on video. You can evaluate your efforts and technique, share the video with a trainer, or use the video to share your workouts with friends and online gym buddies.
The benefits of filming your lifts
Before we get into the how , let’s talk about the why . There are very good reasons to film the climb.
Validating your form
If I’m training alone, I make a video because I want to get the feedback that I would otherwise get from a personal trainer. But even when my trainer is nearby , I still film my hardest and most important exercises of the day. I can match the feedback he gives me (good or bad) to what I see in the video. I also have a recording of the day’s exercises that I can review later.
Better feedback than a mirror
It’s also helpful to learn to use videos to adjust your technique rather than looking in the mirror. While a mirror is fine for, say, bicep curls or lateral raises, you’ll want to learn to lift weights without one if you’re interested in powerlifting, weightlifting, or CrossFit (and these gyms almost never have mirrors ). looking at yourself can ruin your body posture, and paying attention to how you look in the mirror can disrupt your concentration. Not to mention, the way you look in the mirror changes as your body moves. You won’t actually get an accurate idea of squat depth using a mirror, but a good video will tell you the truth.
Effort measurement
The video will also help you evaluate how you really feel. When you’re struggling, time slows down: if a pull-up takes more than a split second, it feels like hours. I pull, I struggle, I move barely a millimeter. Sometimes I give up or almost give up because I just can’t seem to complete the move. But then I’ll watch the video and see that the hours of struggle I perceived were just a momentary slowdown in repetition that ended up being completely lasting.
Even with subjective issues like RPE (measurement of “perceived effort”) , video helps. I remember years ago receiving feedback from my online trainers that my RPE 8 deadlift looked too easy. So, I looked at other people’s RPE 8 deadlifts and saw a clear difference in the efforts. Comparing my videos to theirs helped me achieve the level of effort I was really aiming for.
How to make a good lifting video
Whether the videos are for you, your coach, or just to show off on the ‘gram, they’ll be most useful if you can get a good look at yourself.
Use a tripod
In a pinch, you can rest your phone on a water bottle, but you won’t really be able to see much in a highly distorted bird’s eye view video. (If you have a bench or chair, place your phone and water bottle on it.) This selfie stick tripod is ideal: it extends to about waist height and can stand free on the gym floor. It also folds small enough to fit into a gym bag or even a sweatshirt pocket.
Shoot at a 3/4 angle.
It’s tempting to shoot video from the side or straight ahead, but this will leave out important information. A side view of the squat can show whether your thighs are parallel to the floor, but it will not show whether your knees are bowing. Most exercises require a 3/4 view – not exactly side or front, but somewhere in the middle – will provide the most useful information.
For the same reasons, you’ll want to put your entire body in the frame. Especially if you’re showing your video to a trainer or friend to check your form, they’ll want to see everything that can affect your lift, including your legs, for example.
Before you start, check the lighting and positioning.
I use the front camera so that as soon as I enter the frame I can take a look and make sure I have everything set up correctly. If there is a window behind you and you are backlit or you are halfway from the camera, correct this before you begin your climb.
But once you start, ignore the camera. Perform the lift as usual—look in the mirror only if that’s what you always do—and then don’t look at the camera again until you’ve completed the lift.
Trim your damn videos
Nobody wants to watch 30 seconds of you setting up your camera and getting ready to lift. Even if the video is just for you, you probably won’t want to watch it either.
Either way, you’ll need to rest for a few minutes between sets, so use that time to trim your videos. On iPhone, simply start watching a video, press Pause, and then tap Edit. You can trim the beginning and end of the video right from this screen, and then choose whether to overwrite the original file or save the trimmed version as a separate copy. (Choose a new file if you think you might need to come back to the setting later; otherwise, you can trim the original.)
Gym Etiquette When Shooting Videos
First, the big question: yes, you can film exercises at the gym (unless the gym has rules that specifically prohibit it, of course). And no, people won’t think you’re weird if you do it politely and respectfully. Here’s how.
Keep others out of frame
As much as possible, position the camera so that there are no other people (or at least their faces) in the video. You definitely shouldn’t post videos of other people, but even if the video is for your personal use, people may notice that they’re being filmed and feel weird about it.
Stay away
Do not place the tripod in a busy walkway or other area where you may disturb others. If you want to use the empty bench to prop up your phone, that’s fine— for a moment . Don’t leave it there throughout your workout. Again, consider using a tripod: a phone on the ground is much easier to miss and accidentally trip over than a tripod that is 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 for walking into frame. I’m convinced that most of these videos are fake (outrage generates interest), but obviously you don’t want to be that person. Training indoors takes precedence over using a camera there. However, if the place is busy, just interact like a normal person. I work out in a gym where people usually film themselves and everyone is very friendly trying to make room for each other. Some may even offer to share their tripod.