The last rep counts the most…
I am sure that you are wondering, why in the world am I wasting your time with this. As if you didn’t know it, before I said it.
Today I decided to direct your attention towards something, which in first sight everybody knows, but few people actually do it.
And it has to do with the last rep. I have the habit of observing in details people who work out. How they perform the movements, the mimicks of their faces, when the weight is heavy. You can’t imagine how much the expression on the face could “tell you”.
There are people, who can’t wait to finish a set. People who feel the weight of the dumbbell or the bar and they just want to screw the last couple reps… just to get rid of the weight as soo as possible and get back to their comfort zone.
And there are people, who are really challenged under the weight. They make funny faces, which “tell you” about the torturous feeling, that their body experiences under the weight of the bar… but they seem as if they are redirecting the whole “torture”to the expression of their face, and their body stays still… the mind as well. Their movement is not bothered by the rush to finish the set. Their movement is perfect and their technique outstanding.
Often times, when somebody is performing a heavy set, he/she usually performs the first couple reps with a good technique and then, when it is time for the last one, they just “mark” it and just let the dumbbell or the bar fall uncontrolled. They just let it lower in some funny way. Just for the sake of it.
I’d like to remind you that every rep counts. That the movement is not just the positive part ( i.e. the moment of pushing, pulling or ascending). The movement is about the positive AND the negative part. The movement of the dumbbell or the bar matters in both directions.
Just as it is with life, where the principle of “a moment of carelessness, leads to a whole life of suffering”, this is also valid in the gym. Just one rep, performed with crappy technique, could be enough to cause an injury, that will keep you away from the gym for a long time. Just one wrong way of lowering the bar, after you do a deadlift, for example with a rounded back, could be enough to hurt your lower back and then the pain will be there to remind you for your neglectful attitude at least for a month.
Just the same as it is in life, where the last step is the one that matters… just as few people have the will and the braveness to make the last step… the last step that few people make, because of fear, laziness or not enough motivation… it’s the same in the gym.
Those that chase real results, do not cheat with reps. For them the last rep might be the heaviest. They might want to just throw the dumbbell on the ground and save themselves the pain of working hard, but they know that the last rep, gives you a lot!
The last rep, trains your physique and your mind!
No matter how heavy it is, do not allow yourself to cheat! Do not allow yourself to leave the bar with rounded back; do not allow yourself to just throw the dumbbell. Control every movement, every rep. If you feel that it is too heavy, just do less reps. Give yourself a break and then complete the next set with a perfect technique.
It’s far better to do 4 perfect reps, than 5 but the last one to be just for the sake of it. Because it happens just once, but the rep you screwed, could lead to an injury!
What did I want to tell you today? Well, just to keep in mind that when the weight is in your hands, every movement, every rep in each direction counts!
And now, while I am writing this, I wanted to tell you that the same is true for life! Every action, no matter how small and insignificant it seems, actually matters. Actually it is what makes the difference between those who succeed and those who wonder why they DON’T succeed!
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