Last Rep Is Squeezing Out that Last Rep Really the Best Thing?

You know the rule of RM (repetition max) in weight lifting: The last rep of any exercise should be all you can do.

Don't forget this important corollary: The last rep should be all you can do with good form. Squeezing out a few extra reps after your form has fallen apart sets you up for injury and doesn't work the targeted muscles anyway.
You know you've lost your form on a bench press, for example, if you arch your back on the lift, says eFit fitness expert Joseph Quatrochi, Ph.D.
On a biceps curl, if your upper body rocks or you move your elbows away from your torso, it's time to put the weight down.

Read more...

How Your Muscles Work

Inside your muscles are tiny filaments made of myosin and actin. "Filament" means a little string, or thread, or strand.

When a nerve tells your muscle to contract, little grabbers on the myosin filaments pull the actin filaments between them. When this happens in thousands and millions of cells, it can produce a very powerful pulling force!

Read more...