Noobie question, but I’m asking because in none of the gyms I frequent do I see anyone do a proper form rep for many of the fundamental exercises - yet these gyms have as many huge guys and sculpted guys as anywhere else, so how much can it really matter?
I am yet to see a single person do a squat where they get anywhere near the 90 degree mark. Not one.single.person. Leg press even less so - most people lower the weights less than 12 inches. Some people fill up the leg press with over 500lbs+ and lower the weight less than 6 inches.
Same deal on the chest press - people load it up with tons of weight and restrict their ROM to less than 6 inches.
Bicep curls are interesting. Some guys curl all the way up, but stop half way down. Some guys start all the way down and only curl half way up. Some guys lift the weights as they lower their torso so they meet in the middle. And some guys grab huge dumbbell weights and use their whole bodies to swing them up - more of a display of physics than strength.
Similar deal on the pull-downs. Guys take huge swings with their backs to get their momentum going and pull with their arms towards the end.
On top of that there’s all the people with buddies “spotting” them. By “spotting” I mean lifting most of the weight. Assisted reps has its place at the gym, but a lot of people take the concept too far, and do it in every single workout.
Not that I care too much about what other people are doing at the gym, but a lot of these guys are much bigger than I am. Am I making things too hard on myself by trying to stick to proper form? I can see the benefit of getting a big high and feeling mighty from “lifting” very heavy weights. Maybe there’s also some physiological advantage to handling huge weights in general, even if you’re cheating?
“Proper form”, or how you are specifically performing the exercises, has an affect on what your physique will actually look like in the long-term, in my opinion.
If your pectorals can bench press 405lbs, then they will be the size they need to be to bench press 405lbs (unless you’re cheating badly or using certain powerlifting techniques). However, if you were only doing the top half of the movement and focusing on the contraction, or only doing the bottom half of the movement and overloading the stretch, the muscle will appear different. Doing the entire exercise with a full range of motion and without bouncing will reap the benefits of both.
On the topic of cheating, you need to realize that sometimes the best way to break through to a new weight is to just go heavy and rep it out however you can. That doesn’t mean that these big guys who you see cheating can’t take 20lbs off the bar and then do that strictly.
Leave your ego at the door, and lift with proper form. It is going to help you in the long run way more than heavy weight and ugly form will, especially as a noob. Get the basics down and practice the right motor patterns.
IMO you should learn and master proper form with weights you’re comfy with. However form should not impede your progression as long as it is not injury-risking.
If you need to cheat a bit to finish that last rep, then do it…
[quote]Vince_fr wrote:
If you need to cheat a bit to finish that last rep, then do it…
[/quote]
Personally, I disagree. Especially considering he is a self-proclaimed noob. Although I do agree that he should master the movements with comfortable weights. But if you have to grind to get that last rep, you shouldn’t even try for it. Each rep needs to be perfect, otherwise you run the risk of practicing bad motor skills.
In my opinion, each rep should be solid, clean, and explosive.
EDIT: I guess I will say this depends on your goals, etc. If you are maxing something out, then that is a bit different than a regular training day, IMO.
[quote]Vince_fr wrote:
If you need to cheat a bit to finish that last rep, then do it…
[/quote]
Personally, I disagree. Especially considering he is a self-proclaimed noob. Although I do agree that he should master the movements with comfortable weights. But if you have to grind to get that last rep, you shouldn’t even try for it. Each rep needs to be perfect, otherwise you run the risk of practicing bad motor skills.
In my opinion, each rep should be solid, clean, and explosive.
EDIT: I guess I will say this depends on your goals, etc. If you are maxing something out, then that is a bit different than a regular training day, IMO.
[/quote]
Well I agree however I was wanting to point out that some ppl at the gym use form as an excuse to train low. Good form is really important but it should not be an excuse to stay at comfortable weight.
Always use proper form, When you are maxing out your form will probably break. Then you use assistance to fix your weaknesses. Although you might not always use proper form, you should strive to. Or you could goof around like most people and develop injuries that stick for life.
Cheating is necessary to really increase strength drastically.
It is not necessary if your idea of “built” involves a Bowflex.
Guys who got really big cheated some of that weight up. It was likely usually the last few sets and the cheating was controlled. if your target muscle group is getting worked the least, you are doing it wrong.
My goal is to lift that heaviest weight with better and better form…and then to go up and do the same again.
I did biceps last night. years back the weight I was using would have needed some cheating. I can do it with great form now. That is usually the goal.
If you expect to ALWAYS lift with textbook form, then I would expect you to not create any outstandingly big muscles.
You see alot of bodybuilders doing partial ROM with really heavy weights. Theres probably a reason for it.
Im not a scientist, but most literature indicates high time under tension to be the most important thing for hypertrophy. Why did Dan John write “Mass Made Simple” where a big part of the program was doing barbell complexes?
The real goal is just to perform movements in a way where you are not encouraging chronic injuries to happen.
As a bber, I dont care at all about form, only feel. The best form to me is whatever allows me to feel the target muscles doing the most work, provided that form doesnt hurt.
[quote]qsar wrote:
Am I making things too hard on myself by trying to stick to proper form? I can see the benefit of getting a big high and feeling mighty from “lifting” very heavy weights. Maybe there’s also some physiological advantage to handling huge weights in general, even if you’re cheating?[/quote]
“Cheating” or let’s say “using less than textbook-perfect form” is one way to increase the intensity of a training session.
Cheating intentionally, when you decide to perform an exercise in a certain way, can be an effective method for increasing strength and size by allowing you to use heavier-than-normal weights and/or get additional reps per set.
Cheating unintentionally, when your technique changes without you noticing or, worse, when you think your form is solid from the start when it isn’t, can slow down progress and lead to injury.
It should go without saying, though, that in order to decide when to use loose form, you need to know what perfect form is in the first place. This is why beginners need to learn solid technique and have it down 100%, so that down the road they can decide to use loose technique if/when necessary.
[quote]qsar wrote:
Cheating intentionally, when you decide to perform an exercise in a certain way, can be an effective method for increasing strength and size by allowing you to use heavier-than-normal weights and/or get additional reps per set.
Cheating unintentionally, when your technique changes without you noticing or, worse, when you think your form is solid from the start when it isn’t, can slow down progress and lead to injury.
It should go without saying, though, that in order to decide when to use loose form, you need to know what perfect form is in the first place. This is why beginners need to learn solid technique and have it down 100%, so that down the road they can decide to use loose technique if/when necessary.[/quote]
