Shock Sets, Cheat Reps...what do u think?

[Fatal Error]

i don't know about u guys, but i have found cheat reps give u more mass than anything else. Say, for barbell curls, i will do 12 reps with 100 lbs in strict form, and then move onto a mad weight and pump out 5 reps (in terrible form), maybe do another shock set and then back to strict form to 'cap' it off.

Anyone else found cheating useful? I think it is essential for making big gains.

[Tim]

I cheat, but I never do a whole set with bad form. Say I want to curl a certain weight for 8 reps. I might only be able to get 5 or 6 with perfect form, and I cheat for the rest. I think cheating can be benificial if you don't hurt yourself doing it. You're essentially making the weight a little bit easier to lift when you are cheating. I think cheating for the last few reps is no different than having a spotter assist you with a few forced reps at the end of a set.

[BSMNT732]

Arnold said cheat sets worked for him. Tim's right though, i would never do a whole set with bad form, only the last few reps i want to push out.

[Dorian]

yep tim is correct I do cheating sometimes myself and only the last few.

[Fatal Error]

fair enough, but i'll just let u know that jay cutler uses cheats all the time, he says it himself, just visit flexonline.com. Even Arnie said it doesn't matter how you get it up, just get it up!

Also, the weight u use to cheat feels lighter the more u use it, so u do actually end up using the weight for reps in strict form eventually!

[cb_83]

Don't cheat or use explosive movements, it ALWAYS ends up in injury, sooner or later. Maintain good form throughout the set.

[John G]

nah not always...there' an art to cheating, you just gotta get good at it...

but i agree, it CAN lead to injury, it certainly will if you're careless...