When it comes to exercising, there’s a lot more to having the proper form and technique than making you look good in the gym.
It helps prevent injuries.
One of the main reasons why technique and form are essential in working out is that they help you avoid injuries.
For instance, working with weights means you’re putting extra stress on your muscles, tendons, and joints — more than they’re used to. If, because of poor form or technique, one part of your body gets negatively affected, you’re putting the other parts of the body at significant risk since some of them will be forced to compensate for the affected part.
Let’s say you’re working on your deadlift, but you did it the wrong way. You risk lower back injury if you have the wrong form. If you rush into your crunches and use the wrong muscles to get your momentum, you might end up with some neck or back pains.
While some injuries can be nursed at home or with the help of a chiropractic specialist, other injuries can sideline you for more extended periods.
It enhances the exercise’s effectiveness.
One thing you need to understand is this: Your body is like a machine that can only be fully functional if all parts are working well.
Take, for example, your car. You know that if one part of your vehicle is a bit off — perhaps you have a loose fan belt or your tires are misaligned — it will affect the performance of your car, no matter what its make or brand is.
When it comes to your body, the same principle applies. If you’re reaching too far forward or straining too far back, or maybe your knees, elbows, or wrists are placed wrongly, you won’t get the optimal output that you would want to have.
Having the proper form lets your body reach the appropriate range of movement, making your exercise more effective and giving you better output.
It helps you reach your fitness goals faster.
This is connected to the first two items.
If you’re exercising with the proper form and technique, you minimize the chances of you getting injured, and at the same time, you get better output, which reaps better results.
Better technique multiplies more excellent results. Poor form and technique, on the other hand, will not get you that exponential result no matter how much weight or reps you add to your workout.
Better results will often make you achieve your fitness goals a lot faster. Of course, that also implies that proper exercise is accompanied by proper diet and supplementation.
It preserves energy.
One of the more apparent setbacks of a lack of technique and poor form is that you spend way too much energy on your workouts but only get minimal impact.
If you’re leaning too far back, reaching too far forward, or bending too low during specific exercises, you’re exerting way too much effort than needed. What could have been diverted to additional reps or weight became wasted motion.
Let’s use cars again as an analogy. For example, you’re off on a trip and are headed for a particular location. Still, you thought about taking side roads and alleys because you believe that it will get you there faster, you might end up taking the longer route and burning more fuel than necessary. Instead of going on a straight line from point A to point B, you took so many turns going back and forth, which doubled the time you spent on the road.
That’s what poor form and technique do. They prevent you from achieving your goals faster.
It helps you breathe better during a workout.
As easy as this one sounds, proper breathing during workouts is vital in muscle development. Whenever you lift weights, your muscles oxygen to lift heavy things, even if it’s your body weight. This is why you huff and puff whenever you exercise. It’s not just about your body trying to catch up on air, but it is an essential aspect of getting the most out of your workout.
The right timing for breathing can help you get more out of your program. Generally, as far as weight lifting is concerned, you inhale when you don’t exert much effort (such as lowering a barbell or a pair of dumbbells during a flat bench press). You exhale when you exert much pressure (such as pushing the barbell or dumbbells up in the air).
Proper technique and form can help you time your breaths right and give your muscles the right amount of oxygen it needs to perform fully.
Form and technique are vital to reaching your fitness goals. Whether you intend to shed weight, put on some extra pounds, or build muscle, they will help you get there sooner.
