Friday, February 22, 2013

Bodybuilding, Cheating With Your Weight Lifting Program


Most people who are into bodybuilding, upon hearing the word 'cheating' immediately begin to think of their diet. That is not the cheating we are referring to with this article however, we're talking about your workout routine.

There is a whole training concept based on what's known in the bodybuilding world as 'cheating'. While most weight lifting programs will recommend that you move through a full range of motion, this techniques requires you to disobey that law. Surprisingly enough, disobeying in this case, may be just what your body needs right now to get your progress moving forwards and help you finally build muscle.

Here's what you need to know.

Half Reps

One way to cheat with your weight lifting is to do half reps. Some individuals find that this really kicks their training up a notch and helps them plough through a plateau when they experience one. What they will do is perform their usual set, using a full range of motion, then once fatigued, perform half reps (usually the second half of the concentric portion - so for example, the last half of a bicep curl.) This allows them to get a little extra muscle pump in there and push their body past the point of comfort.

Half reps are not designed to give you huge strength gains, but what they will do is really get you feeling 'big' and help motivate you to continue with your workouts. Additionally, they might just help make a heavier weight feel slightly easier once you actually get to the point of lifting it full out in the normal manner.

Lifting Past Your Limit

The second way you can cheat on your weight lifting program is by using a heavier weight than you can handle. This approach, however, NEEDS to be done with a spotter otherwise you will place yourself at a high risk for injury.

With this approach, you will once again get your body used to lifting a weight that is out of its comfort zone and as such, get it to start reacting and showing results. As you go on with this method of lifting, try to use the spotter less and less until you are completely comfortable lifting it all on your own.

It is important to note though that even with this technique, you still do need to be maintaining proper form. The spotter is there to help you so that you don't need to adjust your body and move out of alignment in order to lift the weight (basically use improper form). The moment you move out of proper form, you should stop, rest and then try again afterwards.

So next time your results in the gym are stagnating slightly, consider cheating with your lifting by using one of these two approaches. This isn't something you want to consistently base your workouts around, but is something that can help you push past a tough time when it seems like regardless of what you are doing, you just can't get progress.




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