Don't Sacrifice Your Form (Edited)

I see many lifters with a scary problem when going heavy. The problem is that they sacrifice their form to hit the big numbers. DO NOT sacrifice your form on big lifts ESPECIALLY. Thats an easy way to get an injury that will have you out for weeks on end making you have to rebuild from an undesireable level of strength. If you feel your form slipping, dont be embarassed to put the weight down and recooperate before trying again! Even if you successfully lift the weight with bad form, you prime yourself for later injuries, muscle imbalances, and arthrokinematic dysfunctions which will all lead to injury. If you really feel like you have the strength to complete a heavy lift but somehow keep failing, practice bracing. Bracing is your body's NATRUAL BELT. In all honesty I don't think weight lifting belts are necessary, I tend to lean more towards using raw strength and improved neuromuscular efficiency to lift heavy loads. BUT, if you want to use a belt, I'm not demonizing the idea of them. They provide great support for your lower back and add an extra feeling of security of the lower back muscles and spine. Previously, I was more against belts but I realize that they can be an important tool in recovery and a great confidence booster to lifters of all sorts! With that beng said, bracing is a co-contraction of the core which holds your spine straight for proper recruitment of muscles involved with most lifts (excluding the ones where a proper form involves a little bit of a back curvature to complete) as well as preventing any lower back injuries from proper execution of a lift. This is especially important for performing exercises like the deadlift where a proper spine alignment is the difference between a massive PR or a massive pain in the backside. Make sure you look up proper form for all lifts that you intend on lifting heavy with for sure, but as a general measure look at them all. bodybuilding.com has a large exercise library where you can check the form of a good bit of lifts if you are confused as to how to do them!

#fitness #weightlifting #bracing #form