Cheat death, if you like. Cheat at cards, if you must. But don't cheat on your body.

You seldom gain anything from cutting corners, and nowhere is that more apparent than at the gym. Why go to all the time and effort of trying to get in shape only to shortchange your results? That's what happens when you slack off and take the path of least resistance in your resistance training, and so on.

The trouble is, many of us cheat without knowing it.

On the cardio machines, cheating might be something as innocent as locking your elbows while leaning on the handrails. In the weight room it may be the use of momentum, or a slight change in the angle of your back, that makes a lift easier — and, unfortunately, less effective.

Are you a gym cheater? A workout wimp-out? To help you find out for sure, I've identified some of the most common exercise cheats and provided suggestions for breaking any bad habits you might have fallen into.

Leaning into it

The cheat:

When you feel fatigued on the treadmill or Stepper, it's tempting to grab the console for support. But every time you use a crutch to reduce the effort of an exercise, you also diminish its benefits.

Leaning too heavily on the cardio machines can also cause you to slouch. Stair climbing, walking, cycling, or running in an awkward, unnatural posture can put added stress on your back and, over time, create muscular imbalances that are difficult to correct.

Although most of us begin our exercise sessions feeling strong and striding with perfect posture, as we tire, our comfort-driven instincts kick in to relieve the strain. When you couple fatigue with distractions, such as looking down to read or up at the television, the shift from a healthy posture to a downright ugly one can quickly occur.

Beat the cheat:

To maintain a healthy posture, always look straight ahead, keep your spine erect, shoulders back and chest forward. When running, your body weight should be balanced so you land on the arch and ball of your foot with each stride. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees and kept close to your body.

Touch the handrails lightly with the tips of your fingers to maintain balance, but when you find yourself shifting your weight onto your arms for support, slow your pace until your strength returns, then resume your workout tempo.

If it becomes too difficult to maintain good posture for an extended period, move from one aerobic machine to another. For example, complete a half-hour session running on the treadmill, then switch to the exercise bike for 10 minutes and the stepper for another 10 minutes. As you continue to focus on your posture, you'll gradually strengthen your back, abdominal and shoulder muscles. As a result, you'll more easily hold your torso erect and avoid the lure of the handrails.

Heave ho

The cheat:

You might think lifting more weight means faster results. But often, when you use your momentum to heave and swing your dumbbells instead of lifting them in a smooth fashion, you take the work off the muscles you are trying to develop. Besides cheating yourself out of a good workout, these jerky movements can also easily cause you to sprain a muscle or strain a joint.

Beat the cheat:

Instead of swinging your weights, keep your spine erect, move only the targeted muscle and keep the occupied joint fixed in space. For example, if you're performing a curl, don't arch your back and lift your shoulders.

The only movement should occur at the elbow, and it should stay pinned beside your rib cage.

Instead of trying for a few forced reps, do a "drop set". Perform as many reps as you can with a given weight and then immediately reduce the weight and repeat the exercise. Continue dropping the weight without resting in between sets until you complete four or more sets of six to eight repetitions each.

The path of least resistance

The cheat:

When you lift, you'll notice that it's easier to move the weight along certain segments of its travel path and more difficult at others. Trainers refer to the hardest segment as the 'sticking point'. For example, when you perform a biceps curl, the lift feels easiest when your elbow is flexed at 90 degrees and hardest when your arm is fully extended.

We have a natural tendency to move the weight along the easiest travel path, avoiding the sticking points. Watch someone perform curls and you'll often see him or her move the bar along a shortened range from about 135 degrees to 45 degrees. Likewise, most squatters stop short of having their thighs parallel to the floor. Exercisers on the leg-curl machine often don't extend their knees fully or tuck the weight up close to their butt at the end of every repetition.

Beat the cheat:

The tendency toward shortening your lifts usually comes as you move toward heavier weights. But heavy resistance with limited range of motion decreases your flexibility, which is why many lifters develop serious stiffness.

Your muscles are good students: They learn whatever you train them to do. If you move your limbs through their complete range, from full extension to full contraction, they will develop fully and evenly. If you work in only a shortened range, where you feel strongest, your muscles will accommodate this requirement by well, becoming shorter.

Summary:Do's and don'ts for cheaters

• Don't support your weight on aerobic equipment with your arms.
• Don't take quick, little steps on the stair climber. Move with full, natural strides.
• Don't arch your back while lifting.
• Don't use momentum when lifting for strength. Move the weight slowly, smoothly and deliberately.
• Don't reduce range of motion to the easy part of a lift.
• Don't perform endless reps with lighter weights.
• Do focus on posture, keeping your back straight, shoulders and hips squared off, head held high and your face looking straight ahead.
• Do (within reason) test your limits of endurance and strength.
• Do focus on perfect form: Keep your tummy tight, back straight, feet planted.
• Do move your joints through their full arc to preserve flexibility.
• Do work with weights that allow you to complete eight to 12 reps (but the last two should require all your effort).
• Do periodically review your workout to ensure it remains challenging.

For more information email Ronald@mypersonaltrainer.co.za