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We have all been in that situation. Whether its in the squat cage or lying down to bench, or even standing and doing bicep curls, weve all reached the point where the exercise has become too hard to do right. Sweat popping on your brow, teeth gritted, you have to suddenly make a decision. Do you muscle through, force out those last three reps, even if your form suffers, and complete the set, or do you set down the weights, take a breath, and admit that you were trying for too much? Next time youre in the gym, take a look around. Odds are youll see most people taking the first choice, wobbling as they squat or swinging their free weights up during bicep curls. Sure theyre completing their sets. But is this the right way to go?
The answer is no. Its not. There are a whole host of reasons why sacrificing form for greater reps at a higher weight is an incredibly bad idea. The first and most important is that by sacrificing good form, you open yourself up to a host of injuries. As you lift increasingly heavier loads of weight, you place your body under greater and greater stress and tension. If everything is locked correctly in place, your body will be prepared to handle the load. If not? Muscles, tendons, and joints will suffer, resulting in potential strains or tears. Are you willing to lose months of working out for a quick moment of pride?
Health aside, youre messing up the very routine youre trying to perform. One of the key reasons people allow their form to slip is because the targeted muscles have become exhausted, and the person is trying to harness the strength of ancillary muscles to compensate. But are you supposed to rely on muscles that should only indirectly be involved? Does it make any sense to exercise those side muscles instead of the main group youre supposed to be hitting? Of course not. If youre jacking up your military press by thrusting with your hips, then quit pretending to work out your shoulders and go squat.
Conversely, if youre doing the exercise right, you can lift more weight. If everything is aligned, if youre hitting the right muscles, and youre breathing correctly, youll be able to do more. More reps, more weights. Because youll be engaging the muscles in the purest, most direct manner, allowing for the greatest output. By observing correct form, youll be increasing their functional capability, which will translate into greater results in a shorter period of time.
Notice I mentioned breathing in the last paragraph. Breathing is essential to good form. If youre exercising correctly, your breathing will be synched to your reps, exhaling and inhaling with each extension and contraction. Breathing correctly helps you generate more force and reduces the risks of heart problems and high blood pressure. Youll avoid getting dizzy and light headed, will maintain smooth, rhythmic control of the weights, and feel much better at the end of your workout. And the best way to ensure this will happen? Observe correct form.
So what are some of the classic mistakes to watch out for? Youve seen them a million times. The guy who uses momentum to hike up his weights during bicep curls, swinging them like mad pendulums. Dont! If you have to sit down on a bench, or press your back against the wall. Another one: arching your back during military press. Dont do it! Lock in your core, tuck your tail bone under and squeeze those glutes. By maintaining a straight alignment youll be able to breath better and generate more force. Final tip: align your knees over your toes while squatting! Failing to do this can cause serious knee injuries, limit the amount of weight you can squat, and make you look wobblier than a man made of jello. Watch your toes in a mirror if you have to, and only go as far down as youre comfortable going.
So remember, like any good coach such as Tony Horton always says, if you have to take a break, stand down, catch your breath, relax. Dont push so hard that you become light headed, risk injury, or sacrifice form. Even in such challenging workouts as the P90X youre encouraged to always, always observe good form, because when you lose that, your health is mostly likely the next thing to go.
The answer is no. Its not. There are a whole host of reasons why sacrificing form for greater reps at a higher weight is an incredibly bad idea. The first and most important is that by sacrificing good form, you open yourself up to a host of injuries. As you lift increasingly heavier loads of weight, you place your body under greater and greater stress and tension. If everything is locked correctly in place, your body will be prepared to handle the load. If not? Muscles, tendons, and joints will suffer, resulting in potential strains or tears. Are you willing to lose months of working out for a quick moment of pride?
Health aside, youre messing up the very routine youre trying to perform. One of the key reasons people allow their form to slip is because the targeted muscles have become exhausted, and the person is trying to harness the strength of ancillary muscles to compensate. But are you supposed to rely on muscles that should only indirectly be involved? Does it make any sense to exercise those side muscles instead of the main group youre supposed to be hitting? Of course not. If youre jacking up your military press by thrusting with your hips, then quit pretending to work out your shoulders and go squat.
Conversely, if youre doing the exercise right, you can lift more weight. If everything is aligned, if youre hitting the right muscles, and youre breathing correctly, youll be able to do more. More reps, more weights. Because youll be engaging the muscles in the purest, most direct manner, allowing for the greatest output. By observing correct form, youll be increasing their functional capability, which will translate into greater results in a shorter period of time.
Notice I mentioned breathing in the last paragraph. Breathing is essential to good form. If youre exercising correctly, your breathing will be synched to your reps, exhaling and inhaling with each extension and contraction. Breathing correctly helps you generate more force and reduces the risks of heart problems and high blood pressure. Youll avoid getting dizzy and light headed, will maintain smooth, rhythmic control of the weights, and feel much better at the end of your workout. And the best way to ensure this will happen? Observe correct form.
So what are some of the classic mistakes to watch out for? Youve seen them a million times. The guy who uses momentum to hike up his weights during bicep curls, swinging them like mad pendulums. Dont! If you have to sit down on a bench, or press your back against the wall. Another one: arching your back during military press. Dont do it! Lock in your core, tuck your tail bone under and squeeze those glutes. By maintaining a straight alignment youll be able to breath better and generate more force. Final tip: align your knees over your toes while squatting! Failing to do this can cause serious knee injuries, limit the amount of weight you can squat, and make you look wobblier than a man made of jello. Watch your toes in a mirror if you have to, and only go as far down as youre comfortable going.
So remember, like any good coach such as Tony Horton always says, if you have to take a break, stand down, catch your breath, relax. Dont push so hard that you become light headed, risk injury, or sacrifice form. Even in such challenging workouts as the P90X youre encouraged to always, always observe good form, because when you lose that, your health is mostly likely the next thing to go.
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