PREFACE: Your cellamafone camera can work great for this. However, don’t be one of those douchebags at the gym that sit and text and talk on their phone. Turn your freakin cellamafone off when you’re at the gym!
Ideally I recommend going crazy and getting yourself a tripod to eliminate shakiness. Plus it’ll let you see which angle/height is ideal for properly analyzing everything. (If using an iPhone, check out the iPhone mount). Don’t just have some schmo at the gym record you because typically what happens is…. for example on squats, they stand up straight, hold the camera right in front of their big stupid face and then angle the lense down. That is obviously NOT what you want. If you really want to go crazy, you should get two cameras and shoot from two angles.
In no particular order
1. Proof: (This really isn’t super important, but it’s fun to have the archive). Ever run into those people at the gym that talk a big game about how much they lifted way back when, or before they had that mishap or or or…
I’m always leery when someone “tells” me unsolicited what they used to be able to do with no proof. Stop telling me, and show me! (Even if it’s an old video. At least it’s proof).
2. Form Refinement: This is why it’s so important to have the height and angle correct when you shoot because you’ll see those areas that you need to concentrate on when training.
3. Teaching Tool: For yourself and others. I’ve used a lot of my videos in the past for teaching others either the proper way to do things or the way to NOT do something. See that? Do that! See that? Don’t do that!
4. Discover Your Weaknesses: Similar sorta to ‘Form Refinement’, but hear you’re looking for areas that you need to get stronger in. For example, years ago I used to shake when my deadlifts got heavy. At that time I wasn’t quite as knowledgeable as I am now so I asked my mate Warren over at PowerHose gym in Wellington, NZ. He pointed out after watching the videos that my posterior chain was my week point. I fixed that and BOOM… no more shaking and I started pulling even more.
5. Slow Motion: Use high definition when shooting and then play it back in SLOW MOTION. Enough said!
6. The Background Peeps: I never really noticed all the people in the background of my videos before because I was to busy watching my form and everything and then one day someone pointed it out and about died. So funny sometimes what people are doing. it’s worth recording just to see this. Trust me! Bahahaha
7. BONUS REASON: Hotties in the Background. haha… What??? YOU CREEPER!!