Cheat Reps... Your Thought?

[Primal]

Hello CB! I noticed the forum doesn't have a post about this so I thought I would bring it up. I was recently training with my brother who doesn't lift and he told me that when I was getting to the failing point on the tricep pushdowns, I use my body weight to get some momentum and get the rope downwards. However, I always go slower on the way back up whenever I do this, just to get the extra burn. I usually go about 3-4 extra reps using my bodyweight before I stop.

I also do this on my barbell bicep curls too. When I am getting to failure and I don't have a spot to help, I usually use my back to get some extra momentum to get it back up but slow on the way down. I remember Dorian Yates talking about this in one of his 'Blood and Guts' episodes. He was spotting a guy and I think he said something along the lines of "it doesn't matter how you get it up, just get it up." Anyways, a lot of people are really against cheat reps I noticed (including my brother). What is your take on them? I personally think they are fine as long as you don't hurt your back or whatever you are using to get the weight down/up. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!

-Primal

[Praetorian]

As long as you use them correctly as it seems you are then they are invaluable for putting on serious size! Using extremely strict form all the time will never lead to massive gains...it is important to understand just how to incorporate cheat reps but they are definitely essential.

P

[TT Eric]

Great question and great answer, it made me re-evaluate my training, I really think now I do not take advantage enough of cheatings reps!

Can you talk a bit more about this subject ? Like on what exercises it's best to use and how to use it properly to get results?

I was only using cheats on some curls and side raise dbs and lately I tried out on pulldowns but was not sure about this...

Thanks

Eric

[Primal]

As long as you use them correctly as it seems you are then they are invaluable for putting on serious size! Using extremely strict form all the time will never lead to massive gains...it is important to understand just how to incorporate cheat reps but they are definitely essential.

P

Good to know I'm doing something right. Thanks Prae :)

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Great question and great answer, it made me re-evaluate my training, I really think now I do not take advantage enough of cheatings reps!

Can you talk a bit more about this subject ? Like on what exercises it's best to use and how to use it properly to get results?

I was only using cheats on some curls and side raise dbs and lately I tried out on pulldowns but was not sure about this...

Thanks

Eric

On many exercises i always start out with very strict form and and full range of motion...once I start to really fatigue I will let the form slide a bit and use a bit of momentum to assist in keeping the reps going. This is possible on some exercises but not all...ie you cant do this with bench press, squats, deads, etc...but you can with pull downs, bent rows, curls, etc Have you ever watched guys doing barbell curls with their backs against a wall so they are perfectly straight and never move...ever wondered wny they have 12 inch arms? that's why! You cannot train like a robot...watch pumping iron and watch Arnold do Tbars, or dumbbell curls, or low pulley rows...get the idea!

P

[Primal]

On many exercises i always start out with very strict form and and full range of motion...once I start to really fatigue I will let the form slide a bit and use a bit of momentum to assist in keeping the reps going. This is possible on some exercises but not all...ie you can do this with bench press, squats, deads, etc...but you cant with pull downs, bent rows, curls, etc Have you ever watched guys doing barbell curls with their backs against a wall so they are perfectly straight and never move...ever wondered wny they have 12 inch arms? that's why! You cannot train like a robot...watch pumping iron and watch Arnold do Tbars, or dumbbell curls, or low pulley rows...get the idea!

P

Good movie! Still am waiting to see Generation Iron... :(

[TT Eric]

On many exercises i always start out with very strict form and and full range of motion...once I start to really fatigue I will let the form slide a bit and use a bit of momentum to assist in keeping the reps going. This is possible on some exercises but not all...ie you can do this with bench press, squats, deads, etc...but you cant with pull downs, bent rows, curls, etc Have you ever watched guys doing barbell curls with their backs against a wall so they are perfectly straight and never move...ever wondered wny they have 12 inch arms? that's why! You cannot train like a robot...watch pumping iron and watch Arnold do Tbars, or dumbbell curls, or low pulley rows...get the idea!

P

Thanks Ted! Do you do this on all sets and do you go all the way to failure too ? I mean for example on pulldowns once I've hit failure, if I begin to use momentum, I can probably crank 5-10 more reps, so a normal workout will go from let say 3,8,12,15 reps to something like 10,15,20,25 reps with added cheats to failure... is that sounds ok with your method or I should use even more weights to be in a lower range reps scheme ?

Eric

[scottlove]

Good movie! Still am waiting to see Generation Iron... :( Don't get too excited. The excerpts I've seen on Youtube look like any other 'day in the life of" bodybuilding video.

[Primal]

Thanks Ted! Do you do this on all sets and do you go all the way to failure too ? I mean for example on pulldowns once I've hit failure, if I begin to use momentum, I can probably crank 5-10 more reps, so a normal workout will go from let say 3,8,12,15 reps to something like 10,15,20,25 reps with added cheats to failure... is that sounds ok with your method or I should use even more weights to be in a lower range reps scheme ?

Eric

^^Good question, I use cheat reps on the pulldowns to but Prae mentioned above that you can't do cheat reps on the pulldowns. I'm interested to see what he has to say!

-Primal

[Primal]

Don't get too excited. The excerpts I've seen on Youtube look like any other 'day in the life of" bodybuilding video.

True I suppose but still, it's Generation Iron! I want to see how all the competitors feel going into the Olympia! Plus apparently there is a lot of smack talk between Kai Greene and Phil Heath? Also what I heard is that Phil Heath lost some fans from the movie cause he acted pretty cocky throughout. This is just what people told me however...

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Sorry had to edit my post...you cannot use cheats with bench, squats, deads etc but you can with pulldowns. rows, curls etc is what i meant to say.

Eric you are correct in how you are using momentum.

P

[Hosehead]

Sorry had to edit my post...you cannot use cheats with bench, squats, deads etc but you can with pulldowns. rows, curls etc is what i meant to say.

Eric you are correct in how you are using momentum.

P

Are you sure about this ? I see guys who are at least 170 lbs doing cheat reps on bench every day. And every other year or so I have even seen these same guys do cheat squats with 225lbs ! Never seen them do cheat deads though. They tell me the lat pulldown machine is the only back exercise they need. :ji

[TT Eric]

Don't get too excited. The excerpts I've seen on Youtube look like any other 'day in the life of" bodybuilding video.

Nice pic for avatar Scott!

Eric

[Primal]

Are you sure about this ? I see guys who are at least 170 lbs doing cheat reps on bench every day. And every other year or so I have even seen these same guys do cheat squats with 225lbs ! Never seen them do cheat deads though. They tell me the lat pulldown machine is the only back exercise they need. :ji

Just wondering, how do you cheat on a squat?

[Hosehead]

Just wondering, how do you cheat on a squat?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ndyP9wiaWU

[Primal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ndyP9wiaWU

That's a cheat rep? I would call that back breaking but that's just me...

Oooh! Can I do cheat reps like this? I've seen some small guys do it and it looks like the form is perfect! Skip to 2:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0MuVsFKmrE

-Primal

[TT Eric]

Nah you don't get it, the guy was in a hurry and was doing good mornings and squats all together! Talk about efficiency! :p

Eric