Thread: How do you keep your form when Power lifting for back?!

if you cant do it with proper form then your using too much weight.

I realize that, but I see experienced lifters swaying the weight back and forth.. in order to lift for strength and power, you would do low reps and high weight.. however, its hard for me to keep with proper form when doing a heavy enough weight that can challenge me. 3 sets of 10 is alot easier to accomplish for me than sets of 4-6 for back.

However, on back/pulling exercises such as the lat pull down, or any form of row I have alot of trouble power lifting. Dead lifts I am fine, because of the nature of the exercise.

Does anyone else have this problem?? or how do you avoid it/deal with it? I can power lift for every other exercise great, i just have some trouble with the Pulling motions of back.. and please dont say just lower the weight... im not an idiot, and I have read the stickies.

Originally Posted by ArnoldsProtege

I realize that, but I see experienced lifters swaying the weight back and forth.. in order to lift for strength and power, you would do low reps and high weight.. however, its hard for me to keep with proper form when doing a heavy enough weight that can challenge me. 3 sets of 10 is alot easier to accomplish for me than sets of 4-6 for back.

However, on back/pulling exercises such as the lat pull down, or any form of row I have alot of trouble power lifting. Dead lifts I am fine, because of the nature of the exercise.

Does anyone else have this problem?? or how do you avoid it/deal with it? I can power lift for every other exercise great, i just have some trouble with the Pulling motions of back.. and please dont say just lower the weight... im not an idiot, and I have read the stickies.

They are not doing the movements properly. Doing that has to distinction for strength and power. It means they want to move heavier weights than they can actually do in the way that the exercise is meant. Pure ego.

You are misusing the term power lifting. I think you just mean training heavy.

I'm not even sure I understand what you are trying to solve. You can't master the form of a pulldown? Swaying back and forth is definitely not progressing in the right direction. Keep your spine neutral, generate all power from pulling your elbows down as far as you can while retracting your shoulder blades.

I suppose...but like, how much cheat should you use with the lat pull down to get the last rep or two if you are lifting really heavy for only 4-6 reps?

Originally Posted by ArnoldsProtege

I suppose...but like, how much cheat should you use with the lat pull down to get the last rep or two if you are lifting really heavy for only 4-6 reps?

None. If you can't do it you can't do it. Lifting really heavy should not imply not being able to accomplish the set properly.

try doing pullups because you cant really cheat in the same way as with pulldowns, the only way you can cheat in pullups is using momentum by swining your knees up. but try them with good form, no swinging of the knees. because you want to stay in the 4-6 rep range if you can do lots of pullups then add some weight. then after doing these for a few weeks when you go back to pulldowns you never know the may have improved on them. give it a try, it might help.

Id have to agree, you shouldnt really be cheating at all, the risk of injury etc isnt worth it, if your having trouble with the excersize you need to drop the weight down until you can manage 10 or so reps with perfect form and work your way up from there.