We see it at least once every time we’re working out at the gym. Someone is lifting heavy weights, which is a good thing, but exercise form and technique is lacking. Is good form more important than lifting heavy? Both are needed of course, and with the right mindset, both can be an integral part of a workout. Here are three reasons why it’s so important to use good form and technique each time you workout.
You’re Only a Rep Away from Getting Injured
Executing proper form during each repetition with every set of each exercise, is important mainly because of one word…injury. Mastering technique for each lift you perform, in the gym or at home, will help keep injuries at bay. If for no other reason, this one is a big one. The last thing you want is to pull a back muscle during a deadlift or strain a shoulder pushing weight overhead. Rounding your back while executing a deadlift or squat will do exactly that! Good form, proper body mechanics, and core stabilization during any lift, will improve the efficiency of the movement and help to prevent an injury.
Improper Form Recruits Other Muscle Groups into Play
An exercise like a barbell biceps curl is not meant to be a total body lift. When someone uses momentum, swinging the upper body, in order to “assist” in curling the weight, it takes away from working the biceps fully (100%). Another exercise that is often performed using improper form is the bench press. You can feel that low back arching off the bench as you read this. Any time someone uses improper form during a lift, especially during an isolation movement, that area will not get worked efficiently as it would with perfect form.
Good Exercise Form Helps You Reach Goals Faster
It takes someone typically much longer to reach their fitness goals when improper form is continually used. Not to mention, that person usually has to deal with a higher rate of injury. Using proper form places your muscle in perfect alignment, and from this vantage point, the muscle is able to generate the highest amount of force. This in turn, can potentially increase strength at a faster rate while reaching your fitness goals quicker, like hitting a new 1-RM.
It is your call but using good form when lifting heavy continues to beneficial in regard goals faster and avoiding injuries.
Use Jefit to Record and Track Your Strength Training Workouts
Try Jefit app, named best app for 2020 and 2021 by PC Magazine, Men’s Health, The Manual and the Greatist. The app comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. In addition, the app has ability to track data, offer audio cues, and has a feature to share workouts with friends. Take advantage of Jefit’s exercise database for your strength workouts. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals. Try one of the new interval-based workouts and add it to your weekly training schedule. Stay strong with Jefit as you live your fitness lifestyle.