Steve6385
06-10-2004, 08:08 PM
This is the paper I had to whip out in one night for Strength and Conditioning Class. It has some real relevence to it, so enjoy:
To look and feel good are the two most common reasons that people start to weight lift. There are also different techniques and styles that you can use to achieve your goal. You can lift heavy for size, you can do many repetitions for look, or you can combine both for an overall body improvement. However, no matter how much you can bench, or how many times you can curl 100 pounds, if you cheat to do so, you are only cheating yourself.
What is considered cheating? Well, there's no real "cheating" involved, just things that you can do that might make you look better in the gym. True, it's impressive to be able to bench press 250, but when your grip is so close that your chest is barely part of the excersise (and your not purposely doing it to work your triceps), you've defeated the purpose. If you don't go down all the way, you're not working all the muscle there. Most people who you see really doing each exercise right may not be doing the same amount of weight as others, but are receiving more benefits.
The most widely spread way of "cheating" is the excessive use of momentum and excessive body movement. This is responsible for multiple injuries and little muscle growth. When you allow your momentum to raise and lower the bar, your muscle is barely working. Also, when you allow you body to move, (usually associated with speedy lifting), not only is the target muscle un-worked, you run a high risk of serious injury. However, doing this type of "cheating" can be used occasionally to shock the muscle, by using more weight than accustomed too. The shock will help stimulate the muscle into growth. Of course, this technique must only be used occasionally to reap any benefit.
There are a few things that you can do to help stop yourself from "cheating". These include: Getting rid of all extra movement and momentum, squeezing and stretching the target muscles, using slower positive and negative motions, keeping tension on the muscle, and the most important of which, drop your ego off before lifting.
Squeezing and stretching your muscles is simply achieving a full range of motion. When you're muscle contracts, squeeze that muscle as tight as you can. When you extend the muscle, stretch it out like you are reaching with that particular muscle. These motions should be able to be felt while doing the excersise.
The use of slower positive and negative motions will help to stop momentum and body movement, help your form, and aid in muscular development. Along with this is the idea of maintaining tension on the muscles being worked. You can do this by not locking out or by pausing at the bottom of an excersise. You can keep a steady, slow, and fluid motion, keeping tension on your muscles which will help to strengthen them.
Ego is the biggest destruction of weight-lifting goals, and should be gone before you being. Seeing people lift 5 times your weight could be discouraging, but weight-lifting is for personal goals. Instead of getting jealous, use that person as a target, and work hard to get there. Don't pile on weight to look impressive, use what you can that allows you to keep perfect form and to not cheat.
If you want to really benefit from your workout, don't cheat. If you think that you don't, try benching your usual: Make sure your grip is extended, and take 4 seconds minimum to come down, and an additional 2 coming back up. If you can rep that, great. if not, you may have cheating a little more than you thought.
http://www.ironmagazine.com/article81.html tom venuto april 4 2004
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/jay1.htm Jay horowitz
http://weightlifting.cowebz.com/weight_lifting_tips_cheating.htm
To look and feel good are the two most common reasons that people start to weight lift. There are also different techniques and styles that you can use to achieve your goal. You can lift heavy for size, you can do many repetitions for look, or you can combine both for an overall body improvement. However, no matter how much you can bench, or how many times you can curl 100 pounds, if you cheat to do so, you are only cheating yourself.
What is considered cheating? Well, there's no real "cheating" involved, just things that you can do that might make you look better in the gym. True, it's impressive to be able to bench press 250, but when your grip is so close that your chest is barely part of the excersise (and your not purposely doing it to work your triceps), you've defeated the purpose. If you don't go down all the way, you're not working all the muscle there. Most people who you see really doing each exercise right may not be doing the same amount of weight as others, but are receiving more benefits.
The most widely spread way of "cheating" is the excessive use of momentum and excessive body movement. This is responsible for multiple injuries and little muscle growth. When you allow your momentum to raise and lower the bar, your muscle is barely working. Also, when you allow you body to move, (usually associated with speedy lifting), not only is the target muscle un-worked, you run a high risk of serious injury. However, doing this type of "cheating" can be used occasionally to shock the muscle, by using more weight than accustomed too. The shock will help stimulate the muscle into growth. Of course, this technique must only be used occasionally to reap any benefit.
There are a few things that you can do to help stop yourself from "cheating". These include: Getting rid of all extra movement and momentum, squeezing and stretching the target muscles, using slower positive and negative motions, keeping tension on the muscle, and the most important of which, drop your ego off before lifting.
Squeezing and stretching your muscles is simply achieving a full range of motion. When you're muscle contracts, squeeze that muscle as tight as you can. When you extend the muscle, stretch it out like you are reaching with that particular muscle. These motions should be able to be felt while doing the excersise.
The use of slower positive and negative motions will help to stop momentum and body movement, help your form, and aid in muscular development. Along with this is the idea of maintaining tension on the muscles being worked. You can do this by not locking out or by pausing at the bottom of an excersise. You can keep a steady, slow, and fluid motion, keeping tension on your muscles which will help to strengthen them.
Ego is the biggest destruction of weight-lifting goals, and should be gone before you being. Seeing people lift 5 times your weight could be discouraging, but weight-lifting is for personal goals. Instead of getting jealous, use that person as a target, and work hard to get there. Don't pile on weight to look impressive, use what you can that allows you to keep perfect form and to not cheat.
If you want to really benefit from your workout, don't cheat. If you think that you don't, try benching your usual: Make sure your grip is extended, and take 4 seconds minimum to come down, and an additional 2 coming back up. If you can rep that, great. if not, you may have cheating a little more than you thought.
http://www.ironmagazine.com/article81.html tom venuto april 4 2004
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/jay1.htm Jay horowitz
http://weightlifting.cowebz.com/weight_lifting_tips_cheating.htm