Cheat System

The cheat system is quite popular among bodybuilders; as the name implies, it involves cheating or breaking strict form of the exercise (Weider, 1954). For example, in standing barbell curls, rather than maintaining an erect upper body, the trainee uses a slight body swing to start the barbell moving. The movement is not grossly exaggerated, but is sufficient to allow the trainee to lift 10 to 20 more pounds of resistance than they could lift in strict form (Fleck & Kraemer, 1997).

In the barbell curl, the weakest position is when the arms are fully extended, and the strongest position is when the elbow joint is approximately at a 90-degree angle. When barbell curls are performed in strict form, the maximal amount of resistance that can be lifted depends on the resistance that can be moved from the weakest (fully extended) position. The muscles involved in flexing the elbow are therefore not maximally contracting in the stronger portions of the movement. The object of cheating is to allow the use of heavier weights that cause the muscle(s) to contract with a force closer to maximal through a greater range of movement, and thus enhance strength gains (Fleck & Kraemer, 1997).

Care must be exercised when using the cheat system. The use of heavier resistance and the use of a cheating movement to start the resistance moving increase the chance of injury. For example, the use of a swinging movement of the hips and lower back when performing arm curls in a cheating fashion places additional stress on the lower back (Fleck & Kraemer, 1997).

As compared to other training systems, this system is quite effective in producing strength gains. The cheating system can be used in conjunction with virtually all other training systems.

• Slight body swing lets the trainee lift 10–20 more pounds than strict form.
• Barbell curl: weakest at full extension, strongest near 90° elbow angle.
• Goal: muscle contracts near-maximally through more of the ROM.
• Caution: heavier loads + cheating movement increase injury risk (e.g., lower-back stress in curls).
• Can be combined with virtually all other systems.

• length-tension-relationship — rationale: overcome weak-point limitation on load.
• forced-repetition — another advanced form-breaking system.
• safe-lifting-mechanics — cheating raises lower-back injury risk.
• progressive-overload — enables heavier loading through the strong range.
• momentum — the body-swing here is a deliberate, controlled use of the same momentum that principle otherwise warns against.
• proper-form — cheating is a deliberate, bounded departure from strict form.