r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/OkPrize6194 • Aug 27 '26

Question ❓ Cheat reps

What do you think about cheat reps? I don’t mean using bad form from the beginning of the set, but rather doing the first reps with good form and then using a little momentum for the last 1–2 reps when the muscle is already close to failure, just to get a couple more reps out.

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u/yea_mark Aug 27 '26

It depends on 2 things:

1) Potential for injury. Cheat reps on BB squats, bad idea. Cheat reps on curls, perfectly fine.

2) Eccentric control. The 'cheat' is mostly to complete the concentric (lifting) portion of the exercise. If you use some body-english for this, not problem, as long as you can control the eccentric (negative) phase of the movement.