How To Know You Are Cheating Yourself When You Exercise

Everyone wants to be the guy who gets through reps at lightning speed and is the first to finish any competitive exercise routines and this sometimes leads to you cheating yourself.

If you are taking shortcuts during your workout sessions, the only person you’re cheating is yourself.

If you doubt us, you can take a look at your arms which is getting bigger as fast as they could be. However, you also might be practicing bad form, which can easily put you at risk of injury.

If you are taking shortcuts during your workouts, you are probably not the only one doing it. As a matter of fact, there are a few workout mistakes that people tend to make in an attempt to get through their workout fast or with minimal effort.

Here are the most common cheating exercise that you should know and avoid in the future for you to start seeing some serious gains.

Failing To Extend Fully

If you’re not lowering your chest fully to the ground during push-ups, you’re taking the easy way out. Men want to appear powerful and often quickly descend and lower their pelvis to the floor instead of their chest, which is technically cheating.

Instead, you should position your hands outside of your shoulders, with your body in plank position. Contract your arms and descend your chest to ground.

Taking Your Squat Jumps Half way

People often don’t descend down enough into the squat which is the best way to really activate those glutes and thighs. They simply jump up too quickly in attempts to power through them.

Instead, you should go deep down in the squat, and ascend into a standing position as you jump into the air.

Doing Your Reps Too fast Or Too Slow

Certain moves require slowing down for you to truly reap the rewards that builds up your muscles. For example, when it comes to stationary lunges, a lot of people pulse quickly up and down as a way to get through a set.

That however doesn’t let them really activate those muscles in the legs and strengthen them over time.

Instead, legs should be positioned in an upside-down L, 90-degree angle. You should descend until the knee almost touches the ground, and then ascend to a full standing position. You can go as slow as possible, as long as your form is good.

On the other hand, moves like mountain climbers, which are aimed at cardio than building strength, should be done slightly faster. Some people when performing this exercise routine often bring the knee to mid-chest and slow down the movement.

This is however problematic, as it barely works the core and minimizes cardio benefit. Instead, the knees should shoot up to the chin, so that it barely misses. And, you should switch legs in one swift motion, with 2 reps per second.

Slouching And Arching Your Back

If you’re arching, slouching, or just putting pressure on your back, chances are you’re not only jeopardizing your progress, but you’re also at risk of injuring yourself.

This is especially common with planks. The plank is one of the better movements for developing anterior core strength, which can counterbalance a tendency toward excessive extension and arching of the lower back. However, many people allow their bodies to sag and arch, which is completely counterproductive.

The key to getting a good plank is holding your back “long and straight,” even if it’s for a shorter period of time.

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