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Form definitely matters when working out, but are you getting too hung up on perfect form all while missing out on gains you could be seeing by not looking at it in isolation. In this video, I’m going to show you how what some might interpret as bad form, could be exactly what is needed in your workout. Let me explain.
The form police are out in full force these days, particularly online, and they are there to make sure you do every single exercise perfectly. What is perfect form though? Is it when you do the exercise through a full range of motion exactly as it was originally drawn up? I can tell you this, range of motion is not really a major criteria for judging form. I’m not saying that you should not perform an exercise through its full range of motion if you are able to, but when not able, you should not be abandoning the exercise either.
For instance, there are two scenarios where lifting in an abbreviated range of motion is not just good but what is needed in order to resume what all would consider proper form. If you have a short term injury that is making the performance of an exercise difficult but not impossible at the moment, sometimes the best thing you could do is not abandon the exercise but shorten the range of motion on it that you can perform pain free. By continuing to keep the joints moving and working within the pattern that you can do, with good form, you will find that your pain free range increases over time.
Likewise, a more chronic injury like elbow spurs can dramatically shorten the range of motion that you can do. That doesn’t mean that you should abandon all elbow extension movements. When CT Fletcher and I did our triceps gauntlet workout, some were saying that CT wasn’t using good form. What they were pointing out was that he wasn’t fully extending his elbows. That does not equate to bad form. That is an abbreviated version of the rep for the purpose of working within the available range.
On the other hand, abbreviating your range of motion for the purposes of inflating your ego and lifting weights that you simply cannot handle is not a good idea and is not productive. You are much better off taking a weight that you can handle and taking the exercise through its complete range of motion without compensation. That is the key. Without compensation. If moving the heavier weights comes at a cost of calling on muscles that should not be involved in the exercise in the first place, you are not doing yourself any favors.
Finally, depending on the goals of your training and the purpose of a particular exercise, you might confuse something for bad form when it is actually perfect for what you are trying to accomplish. A cheat curl for your biceps is not about executing perfect concentric form on the lift! The portion of the lift that is being stressed here is the eccentric or lowering phase. You can cheat the weight to the top using some momentum but you must lower the weight under control.
Bottom line, if you want to be part of the form police you have to be sure you understand the laws. Viewing form as an isolated element that lives in a vaccuum is a mistake. You have to consider all elements before determining what the right form is. With the ATHLEAN-X Training Systems, form is prioritized. As a physical therapist it is critical for keeping those lifting with my programs healthy. Sometimes however, variations to form are exactly what would be needed to accomplish that goal. Head to and get one of our programs to start seeing gains without compromising your health.
Watch the bench press form video that I referenced at
For more videos on how to get strong and how to increase your strength without using bad form, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at
43 comments
Jeff you must get us a video about women who want to lose weight and get in shape. My sister is really wanting to lose weight and so is my soon to be wife, and there is a serious lack of good content they can follow. I know there is a video on the differences of men and women, but it would be much appreciated if you did some for the women. As such the gyms they are going mostly is limiting their weights to laughable degrees(which they do not feel any pressure from.) and giving them a ton of cardio that is mostly doing jack shit about the weight and trunkal obesity they are trying to lose. Please shed some light here so I can use your sound advice to help them and many other women I am sure may follow your channel.
I would like to see you cover which muscle groups are better to work together and individually. I'm having problems figuring out which muscles to combine being I'm just your average 150lb guy trying to get fit for no reason.
This topic must be reuploaded.
It will broaden our mindset about performing perfect movement.
jeff be the type of dude to switch hands after each stroke when jerking off to avoid muscle inbalances
I'd like to see the people that down vote Jeff's videos.
My god why jeff..why ignore the jessenenus..fuck jeff…not cool
I really love this jokes in the beguining of the video
Wtf did I just watch 😂😂😂. Jessie is a fool lol
Ahhh yes the floppy beak eagle
Eeeeew… those shorts!!! Who was Jessie waving at?
This is one of teh most underated vids of his
Merika!
jessie is packing heat
I had one guy correct my form when doing the bulgerian split squat in the sprinter variant.
"Good form is killing your gains!"
about the benchpress at the start, how you said that you should work your way back down to it. I know this isn't really related but, as something to back this up. my dad had a spinal fusion, and he was bed ridden for two years, but something he was told was that he can NOT use a wheelchair, or crutches, no matter how painful it is for him to walk. he has to slowly build himself back up to walking regularly, because if he relies on it, he'll never walk again. and this isn't really related, but it kind of says the same thing, start where you're comfortable, and slowly work your way back. my father still gets pain if he bends over too much, or walks for long periods of time, he has exercises he could never dream of doing because of it. and others he won't even risk because of it (like the deadlift) but it doesn't bother him because he wasn't that inclined on the gym anyway, but he can fully walk and you'd never know of his injury from the outside.
Jesse is 😂
Some old Korean guy tried to explain to me in Korean that a rocking pull down was incorrect form and that should just be doing a normal one.
i will never be able to get that out of my head
At first I thought this was about what not to wear to the gym.
Seriously dudes, anything but tights or underpants to the gym.
who else thought jeff was there because of that eagle
like
During this quarantine Ive been doing home workouts with Nike training club, but it’s really discouraging because sometimes I don’t have proper form and I don’t have someone to teach me 1 on 1 to fix my mistakes. Suggestions?
Jeff goes into the relevant science of anatomy, physiology and physiotherapy while explaining an exercise. How much greater can it get? I love the sprinkling of humour too. What a sport Jessie is.
00:10
That beak going up and down… X_X
😂😂😂😂😭I died looking at the pull up
I love these intros 😂 perfect
I'm Killing those Fuckup's tho
Lol. Funny af
It's hilarious for me seeing those guys lifting heavier than they should weights and consequently doing entirely different exercises. Ego lifting, trying to appear bigger , better , stronger than actual. Instead of working to get there and REALLY doing it.
I will never look at the bald eagle the same. EVER AGAIN!
I Respect how Patriotic Jesse is
The “form” in Jesse’s pants is disturbing.
nice thumbnail of seeing jesses salami bouncing up and down.
That video made me laugh af🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I need to bleach my eyes now, thanks Jeff! 🙁
Jeff has never looked so good on a thumbnail before.
Hip flexors are lookin' good, Jesse.
How about judging school age females' abilities to do pull ups? What age do little girls build enough muscle to meet the fitness standards set by the government?
Jeff sir you are a doctor for us
OMG……i think i do my pullups in that way 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Im envious of jesse's jump rope skills damn it i wish i could jump rope like that again. . . .
Is that Jesse new clothing line
I might piss my pants squat 😂😂😂😂