Cheaters Lose
At least in weightlifting, it is true, cheaters lose.
I see you in the gym. You’re the guy who bounces the bar off his chest on the bench press. You don’t let your arms extend all the way down on bicep curls.
I get it. It looks cool with those big weights loaded up. Or, maybe you’re just tricking yourself into thinking you’re stronger than you really are. You are giving yourself a false sense of security and any veteran lifter in your midst is going to pick up on it.
He’ll probably even have a grin on his face as he sees you doing it in his peripherals. He’s also the guy more fit than you, maybe even lifting the same amount of weight, only smoother and with better form. That’s exactly why he looks that way and you look the way you do.
You might be thinking, “I’m lifting more so it has to be making me stronger”. You would be wrong. While it’s true that you can cheat a little on the last rep or two for a little extra umph, only by doing the lift properly and as smooth as possible will you get the biggest gains. Plus, you will avoid muscle soreness and potential injury.
Finally, a small thing to think about. You have probably noticed, there are no weightlifting books instructing you to spastically curl the weight or bounce the bar off your chest. There is good reason, I promise.
