Despite the importance of weight when trying to build muscle, form is actually the key to really achieving the results you hope for. Many people sacrifice their form for the little bit more weight, as they think this will allow them to gain the most muscle mass in the shortest amount of time. Actually, this isn’t the case. The benefits of dropping the weight that little bit, while maintaining perfect form easily outweigh the benefits of adding a couple more pounds. We’ll run through some of the basic benefits, and hopefully change your opinion on the way you train.
First of all, since the goal of the whole process is to gain muscle, this benefit is extremely important. When you’re lifting weight that’s too heavy, and your form is compromised, you may not properly target the muscle you hope to. It may cause you to target other muscles (to help you lift the weight) instead of the one you hoped to target, because it needs extra help. It may even cause damage to the muscle. With perfect form, you’ll be sure to target the right muscle, and by doing so, you’ll ensure you get the best results in the least time.
One the same note, to elaborate on the point of other muscles helping, by using the right form, those muscles will be eliminated from that exercise completely, and performing the movement properly will become a reflex. This way, whenever you do it in the future, you’ll specifically be targeting that one muscle.
Once you’ve mastered the form, then it’ll be time to increase the weight. Actually, once your form is perfect, your muscles will be able to handle more weight in the future, in less time. When you’re doing it properly, the muscle is really hit hard, and that period of time using lightweight won’t last too long. You’ll progress much quicker than if you kept using the wrong form, and build muscle much more quickly.
If you don’t use the right form, your muscles will be in the wrong positions, not doing what they’re supposed to be doing, so wont be working efficiently, and could actually get hurt.
Also, using the right form, you will feel more comfortable while performing the exercise. You’ll breathe easier, first of all, because you aren’t in any awkward positions you shouldn’t be. Plus, it’ll actually make focusing on the task at hand (the weight) much more easily. The form will quickly become second nature, so it won’t even be a worry.
Sculpting your body to the way you dream is a sport of patience. The obvious choice is to perfect the form first. Be patient, and don’t worry about the weight. Think about your future. Not only will the results be much better, and quicker, but you’ll avoid possibly permanently harming your body.