Pushing Within Reason

The trainees have now hit numbers that are significantly heavier than that of the beginning of the program. And a contribution to this dramatic jump is form. Form has always been a number one priority. Without proper form, a lift can severely injure the area of which you are working out. For example, one of the trainees had gone to the gym in the past and worked out upper and lower back. To train his lower back he deadlifted a set of 135 lbs for reps of about 6. However, his back was completely rounded. In order to properly complete a traditional, conventional deadlift, the entire back must be kept straight, knees must bend, and the butt must stick out. This trainee learned the lesson of form the hard and painful way. With the proper form, you target and train the intended muscle of the workout. Your body reacts in a way such that no joints, spinal discs, or tendons are mistakenly strained. Now the body is having the muscles worked and used properly, therefore maximizing the training for that particular area.

Another contribution to the jump is due to their bodies simply getting used to the movements. At first, it was obvious that the trainees felt awkward during the lifts. Who can blame them? Their butts were sticking out, the movements felt uncomfortable, and they were overthinking everything just to get it right. Think of it this way, a baseball player cannot pitch a ball going 90 miles per hour without proper form. So it wouldn’t be fair to expect someone to deadlift hundreds of pounds off the ground without the training and time.