I see it day in and day out when I’m training on my own or with a client, people walk into the building and there ego starts to take over.
It's more common now than ever, you're in the gym pumping iron, and some part-time "bodybuilder" stands next to you in front of the mirror and is swinging the heaviest dumbbells around in an attempt to train their biceps, or they're lying on the bench press and bouncing the bar up of their chest and arching their back just to get momentum, you know the kind of people who are usually speaking or texting on their phone between sets? This type of training is fine for those who don't have a clue about weight training and are happy to lift the biggest weights they can and get NOWHERE, the reality however is that the heaviest weight is no substitute for proper form and technique!
This type of ego lifting offers no real benefit except to satisfy that “idiot” part of the brain that convinces you the guy next to you cares about how much you can bench press or how much you can bicep curl.
So, how can I be sure I am training correctly you may be thinking?
The answer is so simple yet for the vast majority of people training too hard to implement because the ego gets in the way.
The key to training correctly is to simply make sure the muscle you're training is the only muscle working!
If you are training your biceps, don't swing the dumbbell up using your hips, your back and rise up on to your tip-toes just to get a rep. Pick up a lighter, more realistic weight, and ensure the arm is only part of your body moving, plant the elbows into your ribs and keep them there, this will give you much greater results than swinging a heavier weight which will take all the stress of the muscle you want to improve.
It’s always better to start at a light weight and work up to a point you cannot manage a single rep without losing form on the lift. If your Dead lifting start light and work your way up paying particular attention to your back and ensuring that if you start t round your back during the lift you go down a little weight. Don’t let your Ego get in the way of your muscle growth.
So, the next time you're in the gym and you reach for the weight with the biggest number printed on its side, think, how is my form? How hard am I really training the muscle I’m working on? Is it being targeted in a strict manor? Or are there too many passive muscle groups doing the work?
Training correctly will ALWAYS give you the best results, And ensure your training safely and less likely to pick up an injury that can set your training back months train properly and the weight WILL increase that is a guarantee.
