Why do built dudes at the gym use horrible form?

[Goalie24]

How do they get so built? Theyre always swinging the weight around instead of "squeezing" or controlling the negative or keeping proper form? wtf

[joebrosef]

this is def not a generalization.

[Goalie24]

this is def not a generalization.

well not all built dudes... jus some huge peeps at my gym curl 60's and get more of a back workout from it loll

[CMSI]

How do they get so built? Theyre always swinging the weight around instead of "squeezing" or controlling the negative or keeping proper form? wtf

Lol, I have seen a couple of cases like that before and wondered the same thing, but most of the guys that I see that match that description are NOT built. There's this one guy at my gym, an older fellow who is around 45-50, who always picks up 90 lb dumbbells and tries to do curls with them, and it just ain't happening, lol. He just swings them a few inches up from his waist by thrusting his hips - it's retarded. Oh, and watching this guy squat is hilarious - he loads the bar up with like 400 lbs, steps back, and then drops about 6 inches, barely able to lock out each time. The worst part about all of this? The guy acts like he's hot **** and struts around all cocky and smirks at people lifting less weight, who ironically, are lifting FAR more than he can with proper form. What a d-bag...

[Goalie24]

Lol, I have seen a couple of cases like that before and wondered the same thing, but most of the guys that I see that match that description are NOT built. There's this one guy at my gym, an older fellow who is around 45-50, who always picks up 90 lb dumbbells and tries to do curls with them, and it just ain't happening, lol. He just swings them a few inches up from his waist by thrusting his hips - it's retarded. Oh, and watching this guy squat is hilarious - he loads the bar up with like 400 lbs, steps back, and then drops about 6 inches, barely able to lock out each time. The worst part about all of this? The guy acts like he's hot **** and struts around all cocky and smirks at people lifting less weight, who ironically, are lifting FAR more than he can with proper form. What a d-bag...

I honestly dont get it LOL! This dude today was "benching" 4 plates but was barely bending his elbows.. yet he's jacked!

[GeneralSerpant]

Their muscle is less prone to injury, and the work they are doing is still completing more work then beginner lifters.

[Austere]

They're probably not as "built" as you think, and their form probably isn't that terrible.

But it's entirely possible that some of them coast by on good genetics.

[-rEvolvEr-]

Perhaps using that form does it for them. Everybody finds their comfort zone. Just because you cheat at an exercise doesn't mean you don't feel it in the intended spot.

[GeneralSerpant]

If your intent is to work with higher weight and improve form as a means of progress, it's not bad if you aren't causing injury.

[Proposturalized]

How do they get so built? Theyre always swinging the weight around instead of "squeezing" or controlling the negative or keeping proper form? wtf

I'll make some small sacrifices to form (depending on the exercise; ie, no serious risk of injury) if it means busting those exra few reps out at the end of a set. But yes, the majority of a set should be done using good form.

[C-Winger]

They're still lifting the weight, even if they might not have the most effective form. Strict form is just so that people can workout more efficiently and decrease risk of injury. You don't need to have it to get big.

[wayy4]

use to wonder this to until i started useing some decent weight. you try being all controlled with a **** ton of weight OP srs. no need to use perfect form all the time

[Gaucho10]

I don't know what the case may be with the dudes at your gym but I can honestly say there are some people at my gym that are far more interested in "lifting" 90lb dumbbells just so others can think he is hot **** than actually workout with proper form and get good gains. And i'm definitely not talking about jacked dudes! I can never understand it...

[ab1992]

when ur trying to progress, u overload with weight, and its kinda hard to control it cuz ur trying to force ur muscles to use it so that u can adapt to the overload, just dont completely overload it and start doing 3inch squats

[AmazinJason]

not all built dudes at the gym have bad form

not all dudes with bad form are built

there might be many reasons why there are dudes who have poor form but still look pretty built.

maybe they've been working out for many many years, and actually are not as "built" as they should be given how long they have worked out.

maybe their "poor form" is intentional. i know some people who think jerking/using momentum on certain lifts is better than doing controlled reps, and it works for them. when you get heavy enough on dumbbell curls, its inevitable that there will be some swinging.


or, there's always "dat dere cell tech"

[-Lucifer]

There's this one chap at my gym who curls 160 lbs with poor form, but has 20" arms. Why should anyone care if what he's doing is working? He swings a lot even when doing bentover rows, but his lats are huge.

[Mvick07]

both methods should be included in your workout....to an extent, dont go hurting yourself.

[rjones416]

genetics. big black dude at my gym doesnt even have a routine he just "uses whatever is available".

[SuffolkPunch]

Partials / cheating works - as long as you can avoid getting injured. Perhaps the more experienced guys have stronger stabilisers and can cope with momentum/sloppy form without problems.

Should you train this way all the time? Probably not.

Reminds me of Lou Ferrigno overhead pressing in Pumping Iron - Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!

[Elevennn]

One of the bigger guys in my gym is actually very inspirational.


But as also said there always is those people you see who you expect to be the best form you've seen then they use a 1" ROM or something stupid like that.

[martial-man420]

As long as they're loading their muscle it wouldn't matter if they used lighter weight with strict form, or higher weight with more cheating form.
So long as they're moving through full range of motion. If someones only doing 6" squats they're probably pretty underdeveloped in the glute ham region, however would be hard to tell without stripping them down.

Strict form would probably result in fewer injuries though.

[ZoranM]

Why do built dudes at the gym use horrible form?

They usually don't.
You just think it's horrible form.

[tubtime]

They usually don't.
You just think it's horrible form.

agreed adding a minor "swing" to say a standing curl to force failure is one thing that is very common, this shouldnt be confused with a dude curling 90 a side and swinging from rep 1. watch dorian yates blood and guts vids on here for a prime example of an apropriate time to bring your whole body into other movements

[BombDonald]

Lol @ people claiming "genetics" are the only reason these dudes are big.

Maybe, just maybe, they WORK THEIR FUKIN ASSES OFF while hitting their intended muscle groups then go home and eat/supplement much more than other people.

Or, probably not. Hard work and consistency over many years have nothing to do with it.

[PeterGibbons316]

Lol @ people claiming "genetics" are the only reason these dudes are big.

Maybe, just maybe, they WORK THEIR FUKIN ASSES OFF while hitting their intended muscle groups then go home and eat/supplement much more than other people.

Or, probably not. Hard work and consistency over many years have nothing to do with it.

^This. I admire those huge guys with crap form because they ovbiously have no clue what they are doing, which means to get those results must have taken a LOT of time and dedication. In general, you should probably stop worrying so much about how/why others lift, and concern yourself more with why/how you can lift more yourself.

[Bostongeorge617]

When someone becomes advanced in experience, they tend to get comfortable with an exercise and start to feel the portion of the movement that feels most effective to the muscle they are targetting. It starts to look like partials to newer trainees, when in fact, they are training with a high level of intensity and narrow focus. This is the reason why you'll hear an IFBB pro say in an interview or book, 'be that guy with textbook form', yet you'll see a video of them benching with what appears to be a partial ROM.

This is the exception and not the norm though.

[kluska399]

Look at branch and ronnie. Then look at phil and jay. Totally oppositie training styles. Branch and ronnie go heavy and free weights. Phil and jay have great form, don't worry about the weight on the bar, and like hammerstrength stuff. 2003 ronnie coleman has yet to be surpassed by anyone yet. But phil and jay both are better than branch.. so whatever works for u, u gotta know.

They both do totally different workouts but they do one thing the same. They do what WORKS FOR THEM

[MrMisanthrope]

Using big weight means big resistance. Even sh*tty form with huge resistance can be better for hypertrophy than excellent form with fairy princess resistance.

[chazzy1864]

Maybe you should ask those particular guys instead of random people on the internet about people they have never seen or met.

[ironwill2008]

How do they get so built? Theyre always swinging the weight around instead of "squeezing" or controlling the negative or keeping proper form? wtf

This thread is based on a false premise. I don't know what you consider as "horrible form," but I've never seen anyone who I'd consider to have a good physique use much of anything but very good exercise form.