Throughout my years of running a gym I’ve seen “the good the bad and the ugly” of exercise technique. Without proper technique there are a few things that are likely to happen. One of the obvious being that you will not work the muscles you are aiming to hit through their full range of motion, which in turn means, at best, shortchanging your results. A more hazardous effect however…and high in the probability stakes is that you’ll do damage, maybe not on your first set, or even first week, but at some stage down the line there’ll be a cost to pay. Add to this that most people are loading more weight than they really ought to be using and it’s a recipe for potential injury.
Let’s get one thing clear, without proper technique/form you are wasting your time and energy. Forget your ego and the amount of weight you’re using and concentrate on using the joints and muscles that are meant to be producing the movement.
I’ve seen so many people firing themselves up with music, energy drinks, pre-workouts and shouting, only to use a partial movement or ‘half rep’ of an exercise, but to what result? There are plenty of studies to suggest that a full range of movement is far more effective at both building size and strength along with keeping your joints healthier. Just think about that before your next workout, full range will help you grow, full range will make you stronger, full range will most likely keep you injury free, provided the weight you are lifting is in within your capability and you leave your ego at the door.
Train smart and you’ll get better result, if you’re unsure of your technique, just ask or invest in a couple of coaching sessions, it may just cost you less than a series of trips to the physio. If your technique is sound and the weight you are lifting is challenging enough then that’s the ultimate aim. In most cases going lighter, performing the exercise properly will serve you well and create a solid foundation from which to build.
As with nutrition, consistency is key, so keeping healthy and making slow steady progress is the most important factor in seeing results. Train hard with correct form, eat well, get enough sleep to recharge your batteries, recover and enjoy indulgences in moderation.
Let’s get one thing clear, without proper technique/form you are wasting your time and energy. Forget your ego and the amount of weight you’re using and concentrate on using the joints and muscles that are meant to be producing the movement.
I’ve seen so many people firing themselves up with music, energy drinks, pre-workouts and shouting, only to use a partial movement or ‘half rep’ of an exercise, but to what result? There are plenty of studies to suggest that a full range of movement is far more effective at both building size and strength along with keeping your joints healthier. Just think about that before your next workout, full range will help you grow, full range will make you stronger, full range will most likely keep you injury free, provided the weight you are lifting is in within your capability and you leave your ego at the door.
Train smart and you’ll get better result, if you’re unsure of your technique, just ask or invest in a couple of coaching sessions, it may just cost you less than a series of trips to the physio. If your technique is sound and the weight you are lifting is challenging enough then that’s the ultimate aim. In most cases going lighter, performing the exercise properly will serve you well and create a solid foundation from which to build.
As with nutrition, consistency is key, so keeping healthy and making slow steady progress is the most important factor in seeing results. Train hard with correct form, eat well, get enough sleep to recharge your batteries, recover and enjoy indulgences in moderation.
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