how do you know when you cant do anymore?

[gymforlife]

this is going to sound really stupid but how do you know when doing squats that you cant do anymore reps. This is the only exercise where i seem to struggle in knowing what my last rep is.

would you classify your last rep where you struggle to push from your heels, so it take a a few seconds to thrust upwards rather then the same smooth consistant positive and negative motion of the previous reps?

 

[juggernaut]

The moment your form sucks on an exercise, stop. If you dont, you'll risk possible injury to the lower back, not to mention any other part of your body when the bar falls.

 

[assassin]

Totally agreed, when you can't control your form..stop!!

 

[PushAndPull]

How long have you been doing squats? Are you trying to go failure/near failure?

 

[LAM]

The moment your form sucks on an exercise, stop. If you dont, you'll risk possible injury to the lower back, not to mention any other part of your body when the bar falls.

that's it right there....

 

[fufu]

When my form starts to significantly break down, I stop.

 

[Flathead]

The moment your form sucks on an exercise, stop. If you dont, you'll risk possible injury to the lower back, not to mention any other part of your body when the bar falls.

Spot on, form is everything! When you start to sacrifice form, bad things happen, period.

 

[gtbmed]

When you go down and can't go up...?

But I agree that if your form starts to suck you shouldn't be doing any more reps. I don't really have that problem in my own training because I rarely go above 6 reps in any complicated exercise.

 

[gymforlife]

its just that with squats i can always keep a straight back, so form is fine in that sense, so i supposly i get it confused as to know when i cannot do anymore if that makes any sense, i suppose i could describe my set failure when im performing at a much slower pace when i struggle to drive from my heels as the last rep or two...

 

[assassin]

I can do the last 1-2 or even 3 reps with a bad form, as long as I can control it..

 

[LAM]

I can do the last 1-2 or even 3 reps with a bad form, as long as I can control it..

nothing wrong with that at all on certain exercises like curls, etc. when the risk for injury is very slight when the form fails.