Question about form.

[Ghost]

So say you can do an exercise, for example the one arm pushup, with kinda 'eh' form. It's not the worst, but there might be some clear things that need to be fixed.
Now, would it be acceptable to do said exercise with 'eh' form until it becomes possible to do the good form variation?

Eg, the pushup. Your torso is a little off, maybe dipping slightly, your arms go out  a bit more to the side instead of paralell with the torso.

Would doing that and fixing form as you get better be acceptable?

 

[TheSavageBean]

You can't fix form at your max effort. When you have good form you don't even think "Okay head up, hips solid, lower, lower, lower, stop..." and etcetera, you just think "do a pushup". This is otherwise known as teaching your body or CNS to do something. When you have bad form you're reinforcing your CNS to do a faulty movement. You have to teach yourself form at a weight that you can basically "easily" do. Once your body knows what to do when you think "do a pushup" you can start doing things that are taxing for your muscle.

[JakeJoh10]

With exercises like push ups, you have a bit more wiggle room for "eh" form.

 

However, when doing squats or deadlifts, that wiggle room decreases dramatically. So, it depends on the exercise. You should be ok doing push ups with slight form issues, but I wouldn't get too crazy as you could cause some negative adaptations.

 

Jake

[jfreaksho]

And your gains are always going to be more effective when you are using better form.  If your form is crappy on regular pushups, I would recommend either including some knee pushups or elevated pushups (hands on a box or chair or something) to work on your form and build strength for a real pushups.  You'll probably see more progress this way, as well.

[Relic]

if you are talking about advanced bodyweight exercises then I think the answe is yes, in moderation. So if you're trying to get a one arm push-up, for example, it definately won't hurt your training to do some 'meh' form reps but that shouldn't make up the meat of your training. You should have a good part of your training with a progression that you can maintain good form, but further advanced reps with marginal form sometimes adds motivation/fun to your workout.

[Waldo]

if you are talking about advanced bodyweight exercises then I think the answe is yes, in moderation. So if you're trying to get a one arm push-up, for example, it definately won't hurt your training to do some 'meh' form reps but that shouldn't make up the meat of your training. You should have a good part of your training with a progression that you can maintain good form, but further advanced reps with marginal form sometimes adds motivation/fun to your workout.

 

This.

 

You are talking about a different class of exercises.  There is quite literally no exercise you can do that will improve your one arm pushup form other than one arm pushups, it is far too complex of a movement.  The same applies to many different advanced bodyweight exercises.

 

There is a difference between poor form dangerous and poor form lowered load, you have to develop a sense of which is which.  Poor form dangerous should never be done.  Poor form lowered load is fine, improving your form makes the exercise harder.  But it helps to grade your form and track it, as improving your form is a type of progression that will become increasingly more important the more advanced you become. 

 

Some exercises, the one arm pushup is one of them, pass into the realm where "perfect form" is really nothing more than a unicorn.  There is no such thing, I believe it is physically impossible.  There are lots of different forms.  For example if you are trying to isolate the chest, it helps to keep the torso and hips in a somewhat rotated position, you expend less enegy dealing with the twist.  It doesn't look as good and surely isn't considered perfect form, but they hit your chest harder.