Training the Ego
So me and my buddy doing our regular Friday afternoon chest workout yesterday. The details aren’t important.
I just wanted to comment on something I observe quite frequently. Well after we were finished bench press and working on dumbbell work we see a guy come up, staring all around and then loading around 250lbs on the bench press. Not a big deal, I just did five sets near this weight and can squeeze out around 7 reps.
The point is I bring the bar right down so it actually touches my chest and then bring it right up and lock out EVERY TIME. Anything less I don’t even count as a rep.
So this guy was doing less than 1/4 of full range of motion for two reps, then hops up and looks around at everybody catching my eye and giving me the “ya I know you must be impressed look.” I just nod, but inwardly shake my head.
What these guys don’t seem to know is that this is the perfect formula for rotator cuff injury. This is also a reason why you should switch to dumbbell presses on a regular basis. RANGE OF MOTION….THE GREATER THE BETTER. If you train heavy with these little ½, or ¼ reps you will bulk up I’m sure but not nearly as fast. Also, when you train like this you are in a sense “stiffening” the muscle. One day you will fail with this heavy bar and be forced to take it all the way down. Your poor rotator cuff/tendons that are not used to this far of a range of motion will readily tear and you will then find yourself out of the game for at least months.
Take home message: Train your body not your ego. Anybody in the gym that knows anything is not going to be impressed watching you do these pussy little partial reps even if you have over 250 on the bar.
May 12, 2007 at 9:07 pm
lol! pussy reps! that`s hilarious! I think that when you don`t learn to train properly when you start, you will keep doing the same mistakes. You should have nodded your head while smiling when he looked at you.