We have a philosophy about lifting and form at Alaris – it may not be the most glamorous philosophy, but it’s solid, straight to the point, and pretty clear when that philosophy is not being met. It’s a philosophy that sets us apart from a lot of fitness programs in Santa Barbara.
No Shit Reps.
This philosophy came from a very wise mentor a while back, and it certainly sounds crude, but there’s a lot behind it. The pictures we have here demonstrates a bit what we’re taking about when we talk about Shit Reps. Sometimes, to push a heavier set of dumbbells overhead, one may inadvertently arch their back (super common lifting mistake). When one arches their back, they’re placing a lot of pressure on one side of their vertebrae instead of “stacking” their vertebrae to handle the weight evenly. It seems like “Yay! I did a heavier weight!” when you really just put yourself at risk for injury. Let’s talk about the reasons why we’re far more concerned with form over getting a bunch of reps done. BTW, the word “shit” will be showing up a lot in this post, so if that word isn’t in your everyday vocabulary, replace it with the word “poopy.”
1) Shit reps = Injury
It’s true. Not lifting weight, squatting, or doing ANY body movement correctly can (and eventually WILL) cause injury. This is something that very few fitness programs in our area care about. This is one of the main reasons we have such small classes – you can’t hide your shit reps in a sea of people. Your form is always going to be up front and analyzed. Do it faster, do more, push harder. Yea, that’s great and all until you blow your knee out and are on the sidelines for 9 months.
2) You’re Cheating Yourself
By shortcutting form, you’re shortcutting the benefits of the movement you’re performing. Think about how doing 75% of anything isn’t going to give you the 100% benefit you’re looking for. If you do 75% of the laundry (replace laundry with any chore you detest), there’s still 25% left to be done (and I HATE laundry). Same in the world outside of the gym as in the gym. Always do 100%.
3) You’re Cheating Those Around You
People notice when you shortcut – and the fun part about any group fitness class is the ability to “chase” someone who’s just slightly better than you. Be that person that people want to chase.
4) You’re Better Than That
Yea, you’re a pretty awesome human being. Remember that. Live that.
It really doesn’t matter what fitness program you’re in – make your next workout FLAWLESS… even if you’re the last one to finish.