Using perfect form is crucial when going to the gym, right? That’s what modern fitness advice and gym trainers would make you think. Over the years, there has been a distinct rise in individuals stressing the importance of good form and going slow to avoid injury.
However, research and real-world experiences show this fear of lifting is most likely an exaggeration. In fact, there’s good reason to believe the overemphasis of “good form” is actually keeping you weak. This article will explain how to over-emphasize and how to truly build a strong, functional back.
Key Points To Know!
Your body is not made of glass; it won’t break.
Research shows that fear of lifting can cause irregular muscle firing and lead to injury.
The gym is an environment where you can place controlled stress on the body.
You shouldn’t focus so much on not getting hurt, but rather on a body that won’t get hurt.
Is Form Important?
Yes, form is important.
What’s not important is the overemphasis on perfect form and the fear-mongering on “risk of injury.”
Imagine if a driving instructor overemphasizes basic safety advice to a new driver all the time.
Constant warnings about driving safety and the risk of death will make a new driver very timid on the road. It will fill their thoughts and affect their driving and confidence.
Same thing here.
Our bodies are highly efficient machines that can withstand impressive forces when following a proper resistance training program. Being aware of injury is good; being overly cautious is not.
Do You Need A Neutral Spine When Lifting?
One of the best examples is the common emphasis on keeping a neutral spine when lifting.
“Lift with your legs, not your back!“
People have been led to think their back will snap if there’s any flexion, even if it’s picking up a 10-lb box off the ground.
However, research has shown that spinal flexion has little correlation with back pain in the real world.
“Given the strong evidence that (lower back pain) is influenced by various biopsychosocial factors, including negative (lower back pain) beliefs and fear of movement, persisting with the current advice to avoid lumbar flexion during lifting due to an increased risk of (lower back pain) is not justified.” (Saraceni et al., 2020)
In reality, the majority of lifters using heavy loads rarely keep a neutral spine on lifts. Flexion is even seen up to 100% of the max range.
1. Deadlifts- Competitive weightlifters and powerlifters have 25 ± 11° of flexion in their lumbar spine during the starting position for the deadlift (Edington et al. 2018).
2. Atlas Stones — Lumbar spine flexion can occur at 49.9° or 146.1% of maximum flexion (McGill et al., 2009).
3. Tire Flip – Lumbar spine flexion can occur at 32.9° or 97.5% of maximum flexion (McGill et al., 2009).
4. Good Morning– Lifters tend to use up to 28° of flexion (Vigotsky et al. 2015).
The difference is that these lifters have developed extremely strong cores and have learned proper bracing. Your body can withstand these forces, keeping you injury-free.
“Good Form” Depends On The Person And The Lift.
Everyone has different body types with a range of anthropometrics that affect form, such as differences in;
Height
Hip width
Femur length
Arm length
Leg Length
This is easily seen in the deadlift, where two people will have very different set-ups.
Long Legs and Short Torso: Knees = More Extension; Hips = More Flexion; Torso = More Horizontal
Short Legs and Long Torso: Knees = More Flexion; Hips = More Extension; Torso = More Vertical
A study on biomechanics in lifters concluded;
“Even among skilled lifters using the same load prescription, back-squat joint kinematics vary meaningfully between individuals—suggesting there isn’t one universal ‘perfect’ squat pattern.” (Kristiansen et al., 2019)
This means some lifters’ knees come out farther, while others have greater stress on their backs.
And their bodies adapt to that stress.
Fear Of Movement And Injury
The relationship between fear of movement and injury is real. In fact, it has probably done actual harm by creating an overall fear of injury and lifting leading to;
Detering people from even lifting weights
Produced sub-optimal results in lifters from using low doses
However, emphasizing safety rather than getting stronger will make you more prone to injury through two main mechanisms;
Building a weak body
Teaching poor muscle activation.
You’ll Always Have A Weak Back And Body
If you never lift to get strong, you’ll never be strong. When people are scared of getting hurt, it affects their training.
1. Scared To Use Heavy Loads. Newer lifters will naturally avoid heavy loads and increases in weight. They are more likely to keep the weight light and easy to use.
2. Scared To Strain or Train With Intensity. New lifters are also scared of training to failure or of any movement that increases strain.
3. Only Lift With 100% Perfect Form. Many lifters avoid movements or loads they think are dangerous because they use “bad form”.
The goal of strength training, especially in the longevity and functional training groups, is to build a more capable body. How can you do that if you avoid the stressors needed?
Fear Of Movement Can Produce Improper Muscle Firing
In 2021, a large review examined the lifting techniques of individuals who were pain-free but had varying degrees of fear of movement (Knechtle et al., 2021).
Individuals who reported a greater fear of lifting saw:
Altered movement patterns when lifting, especially less lumbar flexion.
Increased rigid motor behavior
Altered neuromuscular activation/coordination
Increased paraspinal muscle activation, which can lead to increased spinal loading.
Reduced activation of deep trunk muscles and increased activation of superficial trunk muscles.
These lifters lift as if they were injured.
Worse, long-term use of these behaviors and movement patterns has actually been linked to increased risk of spinal injury and spinal tissue degeneration.
What Causes Injury In The Gym?
When a new bridge collapses, do people say, “It’s because there were cars on it!” Obviously not! They rightfully blame the engineers and construction crews for making a weak bridge.
Why? Because bridges are supposed to have cars drive over them.
So when people get hurt in the gym, why is the initial reaction that lifting weights hurts them?
Why do we never say, “It’s because you have a weak body“?
We actually see numerous examples in the real world where weakness is the root of injury.
1. Neck Pain From Tech Neck is from lack of physical activity, not neck posture (Correia et al., 2025). A strong neck can handle it.
2. Lower Back Pain is correlated with low levels of muscle mass and back strength (Chen et al., 2025; Wang et al., 2025). A stronger back has less pain.
3. Elbow Pain is caused by weak forearm muscles or weak traps (Bhatt et al., 2013).
If our bodies are functional machines, they should be able to withstand forces that require some proper training.
This doesn’t mean you’re never going to get hurt; people get hurt walking.
But instead of focusing on not getting hurt, focus on building a body that can’t get hurt.
Stop seeing the gym as a place that can cause injury; see it as a place that prevents injury.
How To Train A Functionally Strong Body?
Training for an injury-free body doesn’t mean you purposefully use poor form when training.
It means you should understand the capabilities of your body if you build real functional strength.
1. Use Progressive Overload. This is essential. Your body will get stronger when you gradually increase the load. If you don’t, you’ll never get stronger.
2. Use A Range Of Loads. For most people, this really means using heavier loads. If you’ve never had to brace your core in the gym, you’re not lifting heavy enough.
An interesting study showed that the mind-muscle connection only works when using loads less than 80% of 1RM (Calatayud et al.,2016).
Why?
Because your body doesn’t need to maximize muscle activation, using higher loads does.
3. Use Untraditional Training And Movement Patterns. Incorporate movements such as farmer carries, sandbag lifts, and front carries. These are the best movements to build a core with real functional strength that won’t break if your form isn’t “perfect”.
They will also help build confidence and show you that you’re not going to break.
Your Body Is Not Made Of Glass!
We want to reiterate that we are not suggesting form doesn’t matter. The key point is you are not made of glass. The body is a very impressive machine that can do amazing things when trained properly. Low-dose loads and exclusion of exercises out of fear will only keep your body susceptible to injury. Remember, your body will adapt to the stressors placed on it. Doing this in the gym in a controlled environment is better than learning your body isn’t actually that strong in the real world.
Reach out to us as we’d love to help you create an injury-free body!
References
Bhatt, J. B., Glaser, R., Chavez, A., & Yung, E. (2013). Middle and lower trapezius strengthening for the management of lateral epicondylalgia: a case report. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 43(11), 841–847. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2013.4659
Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., & Andersen, L. L. (2016). Importance of mind–muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 116, 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7
Correia, I. M. T., Ferreira, A. S., Gomes, J. F. M., Reis, F. J. J., Nogueira, L. A. C., & Meziat-Filho, N. (2025). Cervical flexion posture during smartphone use was not a risk factor for neck pain, but low sleep quality and insufficient levels of physical activity were. A longitudinal investigation. Brazilian journal of physical therapy, 29(6), 101258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2025.101258
Chen, R., Yang, C., Tang, X., Han, S., Kuang, M., & Li, X. (2025). The relationship between muscle mass and low back pain: a cross-sectional study. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 34(7), 2597–2604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-09026-1
Edington, C., Greening, C., Kmet, N., Philipenko, N., Purves, L., Stevens, J., Lanovaz, J., & Butcher, S. (2018). The Effect of Set Up Position on EMG Amplitude, Lumbar Spine Kinetics, and Total Force Output During Maximal Isometric Conventional-Stance Deadlifts. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 6(3), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6030090
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Kristiansen, M., Samani, A., Vuillerme, N., Madeleine, P., & Hansen, E. A. (2019). Inter- and intra-individual variability in the kinematics of the back squat movement among skilled weightlifters. Human Movement Science, 67, 102510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2019.102510
Mao, Q., Wang, Y., Xu, S., Wu, D., Huang, G., Li, Z., Jiao, L., & Chi, Z. (2024). Research hotspots and frontiers in non-specific low back pain: a bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in neurology, 15, 1464048. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2024.1464048
McGill, S. M., McDermott, A., & Fenwick, C. M. (2009). Comparison of different strongman events: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 23(4), 1148–1161. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318198f8f7
Saraceni, N., Kent, P., Ng, L., Campbell, A., Straker, L., & O’Sullivan, P. (2020). To Flex or Not to Flex? Is There a Relationship Between Lumbar Spine Flexion During Lifting and Low Back Pain? A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 50(3), 121–130. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2020.9218
Vigotsky, A. D., Harper, E. N., Ryan, D. R., & Contreras, B. (2015). Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity. PeerJ, 3, e708. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.708
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Wang, P., Lu, X., Wen, M., Li, X., Gao, Q., & Qin, R. (2025). Association between muscle strength and low back pain among middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study. BMC public health, 25(1), 1869. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23050-2
