If you are a beginner, you need to understand that learning how to properly lift weights is crucial not only to your success, but also your safety. Consider this: improper movements can result in instant serious injury, or gradual serious injury putting you out of the iron game altogether forever. You don’t want this, there’s simply no need.
I know you are excited and dying to get in the gym and start pumping iron, and, I admire you enthusiasm – keep it and you’ll go far. But, before you do anything, you need to learn how to lift properly.
Without doubt, the best way to learn this is to get coaching from either a qualified instructor, or, somebody who is very knowledgeable and has been training a long while. Such people know how lifts should be done, and, can give you pointers so you can improve and stay safe.
If this isn’t an option for you, you’re on your own – but, you can still get there. I highly advise picking up a good book, or getting a good guide which shows in detail the correct form for each exercise. In fact, you may even wish to try YouTube. A tip here is to pay particular attention to the comments; YouTuber’s are particularly savage and critical, so when you see many comments of praise, you can bet the form was correct.
Then, to try and replicate the correct form you can use a video camera to film yourself from different angles on each set. When you play it back, you’ll be able to compare it to the videos on YouTube and see just how far off your form was, what you need to adjust and so forth. In fact, I highly recommend this method, and also recommend you do this and practice form for at least a week or two (or however long it takes) until you’ve gotten the form down pat. Don’t rush into fully-blown training if you are unsure of your form.
Avoid using mirrors, also. Yes, they are fine in some instances, but, don’t sacrifice form or start twisting your neck around to check your form out, that will only put you off balance, make you lose focus and form, and that is how injuries happen.
Bare this in mind: much of bodybuilding is opinion based. Read as much as possible and form your own opinions, and most importantly – listen to your body. What’s perfectly fine for one, may result in injury for another. If it hurts (and not in a good way), then you are either doing it wrong, or, that particular exercise is not for you.