Workout recording and self-filming

These notes combine advice from 15 reviewed passages across 12 workouts.

Overview

Recording your own workouts gives you a view of the movement that direct observation can miss. A side-view recording shows whole-body alignment, and a roughly 45-degree view may add depth perception and make the legs easier to see. When the environment blocks a direct view, a video still lets the form be reviewed. [2] [6] [8]

How useful a recording is depends on camera placement and lighting. Put the camera on the ground at a diagonal, choose the height for the movement, and use vertical light that does not shine directly from the front. [1] [5] [9]

Camera placement and angle

Put the camera on the ground and at a diagonal. Ground-level views are always better for seeing the movement. [1]

Use a side-view recording to assess whole-body alignment. The arms can look normal on their own, but the alignment needs to be seen on the whole body. [2]

A roughly 45-degree view may be the best angle for video-based movement assessment. It may add depth perception, show the legs more clearly, and let the program measure the movement better. [6]

A direct front view or a roughly 45-degree diagonal view may give a better view of the movement; either of the two can work. [7]

Choose the camera height by movement. Hip level probably suits bar fix and Acrobas, while a low angle from below shows how Power rises more clearly. [5]

A camera held low on the floor can mislead the assessment of a movement. Stand fully to the side or diagonally so the knees and arms can be seen clearly. [15]

A different camera angle can reveal different things and can make the body’s angle easier to assess. [14]

Filming yourself

For self-recorded workouts, leaving the phone on the ground is preferable to having someone else film. [4]

A tripod draws people’s attention and makes them tense, even a small one. Place the phone on the ground instead; the movement is visible from that angle anyway, and it causes no problem. [3]

Lighting

Vertical light from any direction is sufficient for filming. [9]

Do not let the light hit directly from the front, because the muscle shading disappears. Light angled slightly forward from above makes all the lines look better. [9]

A single light source that spreads light broadly is a problem for filming. [10]

Place a light slightly below the body to make the body’s lines show more clearly. [11]

A single spotlight is not necessary. A less intense light can be enough when you move back from it. [12]

Recording specific movements

Film yourself doing the deadlift from about a 45-degree angle so the angles of your knees, back, head, and hips can be reviewed. [13]

When the environment blocks a direct view of a movement, record it so the form can still be reviewed on video. A wall can block the view of a back lever, so the movement is filmed for review. [8]

Coach’s experience

In his own practice, the coach films himself and declines offers to have someone else film, leaving the phone on the ground. [4]

In his own filming, the coach adjusts the camera height by movement, filming Power from below and using hip-level or foot-level angles at other points. [5]

In his home in Baku, the coach has a chandelier with three light types, one of which lights from a lower point. [10]

Sources

1. 2024-04-25, 1984.5-2017.0s

Workout: workout:2024-04-25

Passage: passage:2024-04-25:000634-000641

2. 2024-05-10, 2384.9-2398.4s

Workout: workout:2024-05-10

Passage: passage:2024-05-10:000778-000783

3. 2024-07-06, 4040.7-4070.4s

Workout: workout:2024-07-06

Passage: passage:2024-07-06:001391-001405

4. 2024-09-19, 41.7-56.0s

Workout: workout:2024-09-19

Passage: passage:2024-09-19:000013-000017

5. 2024-09-19, 61.1-86.6s

Workout: workout:2024-09-19

Passage: passage:2024-09-19:000020-000026

6. 2024-12-10, 428.2-452.4s

Workout: workout:2024-12-10

Passage: passage:2024-12-10:000139-000149

7. 2024-12-31, 1273.6-1277.8s

Workout: workout:2024-12-31

Passage: passage:2024-12-31:000410-000412

8. 2025-01-02, 4233.8-4254.8s

Workout: workout:2025-01-02

Passage: passage:2025-01-02:001307-001314

9. 2025-02-22, 3451.3-3484.9s

Workout: workout:2025-02-22

Passage: passage:2025-02-22:001294-001305

10. 2025-02-22, 3529.4-3544.7s

Workout: workout:2025-02-22

Passage: passage:2025-02-22:001323-001327

11. 2025-02-27, 4827.3-4833.9s

Workout: workout:2025-02-27

Passage: passage:2025-02-27:001518-001520

12. 2025-02-27, 4846.5-4857.4s

Workout: workout:2025-02-27

Passage: passage:2025-02-27:001524-001527

13. 2025-03-13, 2706.1-2725.6s

Workout: workout:2025-03-13

Passage: passage:2025-03-13:001052-001059

14. 2025-12-31, 2532.1-2538.0s

Workout: workout:2025-12-31

Passage: passage:2025-12-31:000732-000733

15. 2026-07-22, 2637.9-2651.3s

Workout: workout:2026-07-22

Passage: passage:2026-07-22:000780-000787