Picture this, you’re at the gym and you look at the guy next to you. Everything appears normal and all of a sudden he begins to curl 80lbs. Only, he’s not curling anything at all. Instead, he uses momentum to move the weights to make it appear he’s lifting heavy weights to impress people in the gym. This is considered ego lifting. When people’s ego lifts, they’re not actually doing anything positive for their muscles. Instead, they’re just showing off their “strength”.
In any form of fitness, whether it be bodybuilding, running, powerlifting, or yoga, proper technique is needed in order to avoid injury. Ego lifting can be mostly seen in bodybuilding since the more you lift, the stronger you are. That does not always apply though. Just because you lift heavy weights doesn’t make you strong; if you can lift heavy weights with the right for,m however, then it is a different story.
In bodybuilding, proper technique includes: smooth and controlled movement, focusing on moving the muscle rather than the joints, and proper posture to protect your back from any strain. An individual whose ego lifts can look as described: short movements (likely caused by momentum rather than controlled movement from the muscles), a hunched over back, and body shakes from the force and weight.
Injuries should always be taken seriously. Don’t put it off until something irreversible happens from a situation that was preventable
What ego lifting does to the body shows more negativity rather than positivity. When an individual ego lifts, they put their bodies at risk of serious injury. One of the most serious is injury to the spine due to improper posture and technique. Some other injuries caused by ego lifting can be fractured or broken bones, strained or torn muscles, extreme fatigue and tiredness, sore joints, and many more.
Some may ask why people ego lift despite the risks, and there are a few reasons why a person may ego lift. The first is to impress others at the gym. In all honesty, however, people at the gym are not too focused on others. Instea,d when people go to the gym, they usually focus on themselves and their own personal workout, not others. Another reason why someone may ego lift is to compete with people who are stronger than them.
When practicing good form, consistency, and lifting with intent, reaching goals like competing is within reach. Check your form or have a workout partner with you to ensure your workouts will go smooth and safely.
For example, someone may see a group of people squat 300lbs like it is light, then they think to themselves, “I can do that too”, when in reality they can’t. So they put 300 lbs on their squat rack, take it off the bar, and squat just barely until their knees bend and go back up. They may believe that they can squat 300lbs, but in reality, they did not; the only thing they did do was put their body and health at risk.
Some believe that ego lifting can build muscle; the more weight you lift, the bigger your muscles become. This is not always true. In order to build muscle, it is recommended to work out with three sets of 8-12 repetitions for an exercise in order to properly build muscle.
The practice of ego lifting does far more harm than good. Not only does it not build muscle, but it can also cause serious injury, which will only delay your gym progress. While it may give people a temporary ego boost when they lift a heavy weight, it’s not worth the future injuries caused by those ego lifts. People must practice safe gym techniques. Rather than focusing on the amount of weight they can lift, they should make sure that they follow a proper gym routine, with a good meal plan, in order to see any sort of muscle growth. This way, they will be able to not only build muscle but also get stronger the right way.
