A Time For Readjustment

It's very easy to get caught up in the amount of weight you're lifting.

Believe me, I'm notorious for this. If I don't lift a given weight I believe I should be able to perform for a certain amount of repetitions, I get very upset with myself. It's not pretty.

This happened yesterday for example, as I was hoping to squat a set of 250lbs for a set of four reps. I was able to hit the goal (sloppily with the help of a spotter). After the set, my spotter told me that he thought a lot of the force I was using to come up from the squat was from my lower back. I immediately went home to watch some clips of my previous squats sets, and read up on common squat mistakes when it finally it hit me...

During the last couple weeks, I've been forgetting about one of the "golden rules" of weight training: FORM OVER WEIGHT. 

I've been squatting with a hand-grip that its extremely far from my shoulders. This causes me to lose tension in my shoulders during the movement. By not keeping my shoulders tight, my shoulders fall forward during the upward phase of the squat, causing my back to round.

When I first realized this yesterday, it was extremely frustrating. This is because I've been able to squat heavier then ever. But the more I think about it, the more I begin to remember that what is the point of lifting a weight if you can't perform the exercise CORRECTLY?

A similar grip issue has occurred recently when bench pressing as well. I have been benching with a wide grip that certainly targets the chest, but not so much the triceps. As a result of this, I have realized that I have been putting additional pressure on my shoulders. Therefore, I plan on benching with a narrower grip that allows me to emphasize not only the chest, but also the triceps. In the end, I think this will also help me be able to lift even heavier, as the triceps are vital for bench press success.

The point of this post is to understand that you shouldn't become obsessed with what you're lifting, but rather HOW you're lifting. By performing each rep of each exercise with proper form, the gains you're hoping for will never go away.