Alright, who Cheats?

YellowJacket

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Pretty good question...


On exercises like bicep curls, bench, t-bar row (back), shoulder presses, who cheats on these? Do you think its ok to cheat sometimes or should be strict all the time for quicker mass? Let's hear it...... I have articles leaning both way so this is an interesting debate....
 

Matthew D

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Well I really try not to cheat on any of the above named exercises.. especially bicep exercises.. don't see where cheating is going to help my biceps.... actually I have been known to cheat but I usually don't count the rep when I cheat

 
 

DarCSA

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I try to never cheat if at all possible. But well into a bicep or tri routine I have found myself wondering if I missed a set somewhere. But I always try to keep it up in my mind.
 

jweave23

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Ok, I'll say that I cheat a little with some lifts, sometimes T-bar rows, if I'm trying to up the weight I'll cheat up the bi curl a little, then focus on the negative, I'm guilty :(

And I've also seen articles both ways, I think to break through a plateau some minor cheating may be ok, if kept in check and not totally out of control (like a newbie cheat). Those noob cheats are hilarious, just blatantly throwing themselves around the gym :D
 

Biggs

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After blasting the muscles with as perfect form as possible I may allow some slight leeway near the end of the workout, depending on how things feel. I look at it this way: it is a tool to use, and if you recognize slight momentum assists vs "throwing yourself around the gym" and not getting any work done as Weave said, I think slight cheat movements can be used quite effectively providing you've already done as much strict work as possible and again, can recognize what you're doing and do only what is necessary to complete your goals. There's a difference between helping yourself a little here and there, and risking possible injury with pointlessly shoddy form. Them's my thoughts.
 

YellowJacket

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I agree if you feel the burn and the fatigue even when cheating and you feel you need to to break through, then go ahead....limited cheating isnt too bad IMO.

Now if you're just lazy, have horrible form, trying to do more weight or more reps to impress people, I hope your slip a nucleus propulsa and are out for a long time for your ignorance.

I admit to cheating once in awhile, nothing where I have to muscle guard and use another muscle to perform the movement, I might shift to one side or stick my chest out a bit on military press to get that last rep, just as long as a concentrate on using my delts, I think its acceptable.
 
Lifeguard

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yeah I do just about the same as y'alls....I cheat here and there, but about 95% of the time I try to keep as strict form as I can.  I mean, yeah on the last couple of reps on the 14th set for triceps* doing rope pushdowns (or pressdowns) I might use my bodyweight to "help" my triceps extend all the way down for a peak contraction....but not like some guys at my gym that (weave said it perfectly) "throw themselves around the gym"...I was trying to impress some chick in my high school weight room last May by trying to incline press the 90 pound dumbbells, I used sloppy ass form and ended up tearing part of my clavicular head (upper chest)of my pectoralis on BOTH sides...the weights slammed against the floor..and I could not do ANY chest work for about 3 weeks (all I did was double my back work :D ).  After that incident...my form has been nearly impecable.

 

LG. :cool:
 

SCORPIO

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I cheat sometimes for example, with bar or ez bar curls. When I'm trying to break a plateu....getting past the weight used last workout. In order to get a full rep out of it I'll cheat a bit to get it up there. It doesn't feel good to cheat, but it feels good to get the new poundage up there. I work out alone, so no one is really gonna know. LOL!
 
sage

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i cheat on only certain lifts. these are flat and incline bench (not so much on decline, barbell and 1-arm db rows on the latter reps, lateral and bent lat raise) those are pretty much it.
two which i never cheat on (if i feel like i am, i lower the wait) are front squats and rack (partial) deadlifts. Im definetely one who feel cheating isnt a bad thing at all. As long as the person incorporates off and on (not every lift) and use em smartly....if not, injuries are sure to follow. Sage
 
ManBeast

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I cheat only when I'm trying to get "that last one" w/out my spotter helping. Even then I don't "like" doing it.

ManBeast
 
Bean

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i only cheat on bicep curls; and only on the last set and the last few reps... i can get a much better burn at the end if i cheat a bit and focus HARD on the negative...

i guess thats my payment for cheating ;) i have to focus hard on the negatives to make up for the cheat

as for bench press and other stuff; i can't go any lower than 1" above my chest or it really hurts; and i feel its a lot harder than touching your chest; because i have to stop it slowly and then push it back up from around the same position
 

pudgy

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i cheated until my arm hurt so bad after a heavy day that i thought i tore it off of the elbow. now ill be damned if i will , i just compensate by doing forced reps with a weak spotter. lol
 

Jess

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I ONLY cheat if I decide to go beyond my normal workout and do a 4th set. If I have to cheat to get that extra training I figure It's better than nothing.
 

ex_banana-eater

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I definitely cheat during skull crushers (purposely) due to the elbow pain that I get. I restrict the range of motion by about 30 degrees to avoid this pain.
 

locoangmo

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Cheating???!!!

I like to think of it as "Alternate Exercise Forms" and it makes for great gym entertainment. I am living in Singapore now and I have seen some wild things in the gym here. Even crazier than in the states. Funny thing is, some really awesome looking and strong people cheat like crazy. I guess some people look good despite their training.
I have a tendency to cheat as my weights increase. When I catch myself I know its time to decrease the weight and work back up again. The worst one is probably dumbell rows. I like to keep a perfectly flat back and hold my shoulder back so that I utilize only the lat as much as possible. When I cheat I notice I start to twist a bit and drop my shoulder on the bottom to get some momentum going for the lift. I am sure this doesn't help my lats at all, I think good form is a must always...Loco
 

John Benz

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I would only cheat a little at the end of my last set of curls. It's hard enough to keep the shoulders from bearing too much of the load doing straight bar curls. Biceps seem to respond better to less weight and strict form. I used to use to much weight and sloppy form on triceps when I was younger. Injured my elbows and took a LONG time to heal. Now I isolate the triceps by using an incline bench to do cable pressdowns. Also like weighted dips. Cheating on shoulder exercise is the best way to tear out your rotator cuff, and I see guys with bad rotator injuries every time I go to the gym. I now do specific rotator cuff exercises as a warmup for shoulders.

So no, I don't believe in cheating. Now forced reps with a spotter is another matter. :)
 

msclbldrguy

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Those noob cheats are hilarious, just blatantly throwing themselves around the gym :D
to say nuthin of the weights when they go flyin off the bar! :eek: :rolleyes:

i cheat a little on bb curls...like everyone else...on that last rep or two...but it shouldnt look like some wierd back exercise.
 

deaconbill

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At my age I've learned that if cheating becomes regular injuries soon follow and I don't seem to heal as quickly as I once did.  I'm still paying for straight bar biceps curl cheating in the form of a persistent tendonitis.
 

CerealKiller

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Depends if you're cheating to make the exercise harder or make the exercise easier. Currently using Beyond Failure Training (BFT) which is basically triple drop sets all to failure with 1-2 forced reps at end. It's very difficult towards the end to keep proper form so some cheating is inevitable. For the most part I don't believe in cheating because the momentum generated from cheating takes stress off the muscle and increases the risk of injury, but there are exceptions.
 

labrad

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My form is pretty good on all exercises. I may use a little umph/swing/o.k. cheat to get that last rep or 2.
 

The Game

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Pretty good question...


On exercises like bicep curls, bench, t-bar row (back), shoulder presses, who cheats on these? Do you think its ok to cheat sometimes or should be strict all the time for quicker mass? Let's hear it...... I have articles leaning both way so this is an interesting debate....
The only time I cheat, is when I'm on that last rep, my muscle feels like it's going to fall off of my body, my eyes are tearing up, but I want that rep more than anything in the world and I don't care if I explode I'm going to rep that sucker or never forgive myself for not doing it. That, is when I cheat :) And you usually get a great burn from it too. It's almost as if you 'know', that you just grew on that rep.
 

Andy2k

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I don't cheat - but that is for other health reasons. My back and R leg are not hte most stable things in the world. so cheating would put an unnecessary strain on one of them.
Before the back injury, I used to cheat, in a controlled manner.
A couple of cheat reps tacked onto the end of a set of dumbell curls works wonders - nothing wrong with that.
 

2demon2

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I'll do the occasional cheat rep at the end of an exercise, but I don't make a habit of it. I do think there is some value of integrating a *complete* round of cheat sets into a routine every few months for variety, but then, I'm a big fan of mixing things up.
 
LakeMountD

LakeMountD

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i think some cheat reps are essential ESPECIALLY towards your last few sets of whatever muscle group your working.. if not then your going to absolute muscular failure sometimes.. so i think cheating the rep and letting another muscle help out is just like someone spotting ya..
 

baham99

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Sometimes...I've done like 100-200 reps or so...and I'm at my breakin point...but just need a little more to complete the rep...as fatigued as I am, I try to swing my lowerback and pelvis one time with that last rep...I know I'm not using the gluts as much when I do this...but girls just get so sad if you don't cum.

err...oh yeah, in YJ's excercises, I agree with LM's self-spot philosophy...cheat only when necessary to get a forced-rep...
 

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