Many bodybuilders believe that using very heavy weights for their weight training workouts will produce quicker results when compared with a lighter weight workout focus, and this idea is correct. Heavy weight and lower rep weight lifting sessions do produce bigger muscles, so it’s no shock that most who achieve muscle building success perform at least a portion of their weight lifting workout sessions using a lower rep range.
Yet, the problem for a large number of bodybuilders is that their desire for low rep weight training exercise sessions often causes them to sacrifice proper weight lifting form, which can lead to severe injury. If a legitimate study were conducted on the subject, I would not be surprised to learn that the majority of those who experience weight lifting injuries are using incorrect form during their workouts, which causes muscles to function in awkward ways, resulting in muscle strains, tears, and tendon issues. In fact, muscle mass increase is maximized only if constant weight training can be maintained for an extended period of time, and many individuals find themselves taking unplanned vacations from their weight lifting workout sessions due to severe injuries stemming specifically from improper weight lifting form.
The desire is strong to loosen up form in order to increase weight used for a particular exercise session, especially when using heavy weight and low reps during a weight lifting workout session, and when a weight lifter does not immediately fix such behavior, he or she will gradually alter weight lifting form to the point where the exercise is no longer safe, and injury is likely to result.
What all bodybuilders must remember as they pursue maximum muscle building is that the term “heavy” is relative, and proper weight training form is far more important than the amount of weight used. Therefore, when you are contemplating adding weight to a bodybuilding exercise, make sure that you are doing so with proper weight training form in mind, adding weight in small increments to avoid using incorrect, awkward weight lifting performance.
If you find yourself gradually modifying exercise form to allow for greater weight in a given exercise, then you should lessen the amount of weight used by at least 10-20 pounds, focusing on the mind/muscle connection during each set, only adding weight (in small increments) when you are once again confident that form is perfect. It’s unfortunately very easy to become misled into believing that because you have not increased weight for 2-3 exercise sessions that your muscle gain efforts will suffer, when it’s actually very common to stay with an identical weight for several workouts while still increasing muscle size. But by using incorrect form to try and increase the amount of weight used in a given weight training exercise, you will actually risk slowing muscle gains given both the injury potential, and the risk of removing emphasis away from the intended muscle group.
Remember that the success of your weight lifting pursuits will be based on how consistent you are capable of training, and using improper form will lead to injuries, forcing missed weight training workouts, and will ultimately impact your overall weight training progress in a negative way.
