“Form prevents injury, avoids wasted effort, and produces focused results.”
Dear Leader,
I came across the advice from Obi Vincent on a social-media feed (from his “Ultimate Full Body Kettlebell Workout”): “as soon as your form drops, stop and rest, then reset and continue.”
Now, I am not a big “work-out” guy, but one of my best friends certainly is, and I have joined him on occasion, plus I dabble occasionally on my own a little.
So, I know that when doing high-reps of tough exercises, it can be difficult to maintain form throughout the movements as you get fatigued, and the more you tire the more your form can drop off.
Your body then seeks to find short-cuts which allow other parts of your body to take the load; this can start to prevent the target muscles from being worked, plus, owing to the overload it increases the risk of injury.
What you end up doing is “swinging” the rest of your body in the hope that the momentum will help; or you pervert your posture and end up “twisting” to get other muscle-groups to compensate for the weakness of the isolated muscle.
Neither the “swinging” or the “twisting” technique actually helps the goal of developing the target muscle. It hides weakness and bypasses focused growth. Then, the whole routine just becomes a repetitious movement with no real productive benefit without focus on a specific outcome.
(What is more, being seen to “lift more” can be an ego booster: it makes you look – at least to the untrained eye – stronger than you actually are.)
The same goes for at work as it does for a workout.
Working harder and longer, just to “lift” more is not a safe substitute for working smarter and better (nor is “doing more” just so that others can see the enormous amount of work you can get through, a recipe for long-term success).
Presence is not a true test of productivity, and quantity is not a guarantee of quality.
Form is everything. It prevents injury (being disciplined or even fired), prevents wasted movement (having to re-do work) and produces focused results (in the form of properly developed skills).
Note to Self!
If I am struggling (with a workload or time pressure) and notice my quality has slipped, or my “form” has dropped, do not be tempted to compensate by “swinging it” or “twisting” or “bending” the rules: this will not help anyone. If I cannot “lift my load” while maintaining my form or making mistakes because I am tired: Stop. Rest. Reset. Then continue.
Slow down, reduce the load, rest if I need to. Regain the form and reset my focus. This way I will avoid injury, wasted effort, and produce intended results: plus, I will be stronger for the next lift!
Living Life, Learning Lessons!
Live | Learn | Lead
