What's the best way to film yourself in the gym with your smartphone?

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Hoe kun je jezelf het beste filmen in de sportschool met je smartphone?

It is becoming increasingly popular to film yourself during your workout. You have probably seen it in your own gym. People who put their phone against a water bottle to film themselves. Other people choose to take a small tripod with them. It can sometimes be difficult to capture yourself well in the gym. That is why we give you 5 tips to best film yourself in the gym. With these tips we ensure that you make the best images of your workout with your smartphone.

1. Vary the angles

When filming yourself, it is important to vary between different angles. It is important to be able to analyze your technique and posture from multiple angles. It also provides a more dynamic video, which is more fun for the viewer to watch. Switch between a wide angle, medium angle and a close-up. You can change this by manually moving your phone, but also by using the zoom function of your smartphone.

Please note: zooming in too far will affect the image quality. You obviously want to avoid that. Many smartphones have an optical zoom, which allows you to zoom in without losing quality. For example, the Samsung S24 has 3x, while the digital zoom, which does cause loss of quality, can zoom in up to 10x.

2. Place your smartphone in a tripod

With a tripod you can make more stable images than with your phone. When you put your phone against a water bottle or dumbbell, it often happens that it falls over or that someone walks into it. When you use a tripod, you don't have this problem. In addition, with a tripod you can easily switch between height and angles. A tripod is easy to pick up and move and it prevents you from fiddling with a water bottle for a minute. A tripod doesn't have to be very big either. There are mini tripods that are only 15 cm high and therefore easy to carry in your sports bag.

3. Use your smartphone's rear camera

The rear camera of your phone is usually much better than your selfie camera. The selfie camera, or the front camera, is mainly designed for taking simple selfies or video calling. For example, the front camera of the Samsung S24 only has 12MP (MegaPixel), while the rear camera has 50MP. The rear camera also films in 4K at 30fps (frames per second) and with the front camera at 2K at 60fps. In addition, the rear camera also has advanced functions that make your recordings even better, such as better image stabilization or optical zoom.

Looking for a tripod?

4. Be considerate of others

One of the most important parts of filming at the gym is that you don’t bother other people. Not everyone wants to be filmed. You also have to take into account that you are filming in a public space, so it is possible that someone will walk through your frame. If you don’t want this, film at a private gym. To ensure that you are least bothered by others and vice versa, it is best to film your workout when the gym is quieter. Avoid peak hours between 5pm and 8pm and try to go before or after that.

Also always make sure you ask permission from the gym first. In some gyms, such as BasicFit, you are not allowed to film.

5. Lighting is key

In the gym, not every spot is equally well lit. This can cause your video to be underexposed in certain places. This is not pleasant to watch, because a lot of details are lost. Therefore, make sure you film in well-lit places. You can also choose to take a video light with you to manually light your video. A video light can give off bright light, so make sure you do not disturb others. Most lights can be attached to a phone holder that you place on a tripod. See some examples below:

Why should you record your workouts?

Technique and posture

When you film yourself, it is easier to see whether you are using the correct technique and posture. With exercises such as squats or deadlifts, it is very important that you use the correct technique. If you do not, you increase the chance of injuries. In addition, with good technique you ensure that you train the correct muscles for the exercise. By watching your own workout, it is much easier to see what you are doing wrong or right. You can adjust this in your next workout to train more efficiently and safely.

Tracking your own progress

When you film yourself, you can track your progress much better. This way you can compare your technique and body with a month or half a year ago. Clear results have a motivating effect. This makes it easier to stay motivated and go to the gym regularly.

Share via social media

Many athletes like to post their workouts on social media. Receiving compliments can make you feel extra proud. Someone might give you feedback or tips to improve your workout, but you can also inspire other people with your videos.

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