Ah, the age old question, Cheat or be strict. Today I’ll explain when to use cheat reps in strength training. Cheating gets a bad rap in 99.9% of circumstances, as it should. But, as they say, if you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t racing, so let’s talk about it.
Let’s get one thing clear from the start, I feel that the vast majority of work that you do in the gym should be with as perfect form as you are capable of today.
What does that mean?
Well, beginners have poor form because they are still learning. More advanced lifters may have something going on with mobility or flexibility that may interfere a bit with perfect technique. You need to use as perfect form as your ability allows on the majority of your work. Especially on your primary exercise.
When discussing cheat reaps and less than stellar form, I’m talking about Accessory work primarily. If you don’t know what that is here is a short description:
Primary Exercise: Think squats, bench presses, presses or deadlifts. The first one you do in your training.
Assistance Work: Think the secondary exercise that you do to build the primary. This is a Board Press for example to build the bench.
Accessory Work: Think the third, fourth or fifth exercise you do. Accessory work is typically done in a bodybuilding style. Tate Presses, dumbbell rows and pulldowns are a great example of Accessory work.
Now, do I think that you should use loose and sloppy form on all of your Accessory work?
Hell no.
I believe that the bulk of your Accessory work should be done with as near perfect form as you can.
Why?
Well, when doing any work in the gym we are trying to:
- Get stronger
- To get more resilient
- To injury proof our bodies.
Near perfect form allows us to do all of these things. Further, when doing Accessory work we are usually trying add muscle mass and build weak points.
If we use perfect form, it keep the tension on the muscles that we want to get stronger. If we use shitty form it can reinforce strength imbalances and actually make thing worse.
So, using near perfect form on the majority of work will lead to a positive effect in all of the things listed above.
What I have seen for the most part in my decades in the gym is cheat form is used as a part of Ego lifting.
Ego lifting has virtually no place in trying to get strong. I want people to train with purpose. To focus on the job they have and to do it well. When we let the ego sneak in, too much weight is used and we really aren’t getting the work we need done.
But we are feeding our ego.
Leave your ego at the door.
Unless it is Max Effort day and you train with a crew.
Then, don’t lose.
Getting back on track!
When it is time to Cheat or Be Strict?
Cheat reps have a place in just about everyone’s training plan, you just have to do them right and know when to use them.
Here is a quick list of when to use cheat reps in strength training:
- On your last set or two of Accessory work
- To build muscle
- To build stamina/endurance
- To push past mental limits
Let’s address those one by one and teach you when to use cheat reps in strength training.
On your last set or two of Accessory work:
The science shows us that to build muscle you need to train to near failure or past failure. If it didn’t work, bodybuilders wouldn’t do it. Since nobody knows how to build muscle better than Pro Bodybuilders, let’s look to them for inspiration.
On your last set or two of Accessory work I think it is a VERY good idea to go ahead and loosen up the form to get a few extra reps to push past the technical failure point.
Mind you, this is a pretty high intensity technique and can affect your recovery if you use it too much and don’t pay attention to recovery protocols.
Adding a little hip jive on your last set of dumbbell rows at the end of the set is awesome.
Throwing the dumbbells up on the last set or two (and the last few reps) of curls is also awesome.
Doing cheat reps on the last few reps of a set once or twice a month is a great idea to push past the wall of technical failure and get a few more reps in.
To build muscle:
As I mentioned above, science show us that muscle mass is built when you train near failure or past it.
Of course you can build muscle without doing it, but you build it faster if you do.
The number of reps you are going for doesn’t matter when building muscle.
It can be built with low rep sets, high rep sets or even very high rep sets.
There are two primary types of muscle fiber, Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 fibers respond to higher reps because they don’t fatigue as easily as Type 2. Type 1 fibers don’t have the ability to grow as big as Type 2, but you still need to train them. They also cannot deliver a ton of force.
Higher rep sets, let’s say above 15 will increase Type 1 fiber size. And you can do even higher reps as well. When doing higher reps, you cannot use as much weight as lower reps.
Type 2 fibers respond better to lower reps because they fatigue much faster than Type 1. Type 2 fibers are capable of delivering more force, meaning they are able to move more weight.
Lower reps, let’s say under 8 will use the most Type 2 fibers.
This tells us that different rep schemes taken past failure will target different fiber types.
To build stamina/endurance:
Contrary to popular belief, you can build endurance in the weight room.
Don’t believe me?
Grab a pair of dumbbells and do Thrusters for 15-20 reps.
Using high reps and adding a few cheat reps in will absolutely build endurance. I don’t feel the need to expand on this any further.
To push past mental limits:
This can be a game changer for many, especially those stuck at a certain weight for while. This can really get in your head.
A good example is someone how has not been able to get more than 12 reps with a pair of 30 lb. dumbbells. There are many ways to get past this sticking point, but I’ll bet you that a few well executed cheat reps done at the end of the set on reps 11, 12, and pushing though to 13, 14, even 15 reps with a good hip cheat will get you over the hurdle pretty quick.
Bonus: You’ll get a sick pump!
Cheat or Be Strict? When to use cheat reps in strength training.
So, when deciding to use cheat reps, do it with a purpose. Don’t just toss them in on every set, every day. Push your way past a sticking point whether it is mental or physical. Cheat reps will make you grow, they will make you stronger and they will increase local muscular endurance (a little).
Don’t do them every set, every training session!
You’ll pay the price later.
Using loose form all the time WILL lead to injuries. They may not be today, they might not show up for months or years. But hey will show up.
Train smart. Have a purpose and know when to Cheat or Be Strict and use cheat reps in strength training tactically.
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Vincere vel mori
C.J. Murphy
June 9, 2022
