The real value of good technique

Most people consider technique to be the most important thing to avoid getting injured.

When in reality, the relationship between injury and technique is not as straightforward as "Bad technique = I will injure myself".

The body adapts to the load that is placed on it. If you always deadlift with a slightly rounded back, then the muscles of your lower back have probably strengthened to accommodate this.

Good technique is important, but not because it prevents injury. There are two reasons why it's important: to keep your exercise consistent (and therefore your loading consistent), and to load the target muscles effectively.

Before we go further, it's valuable to understand that there are plenty of reasons why someone might perform an exercise differently to what you'd expect as "good technique" (previous injury, personal preference, body proportions, etc.). So unless you've had a very open conversation with old mate Jimmy about his funky-looking bench press, it's best to hold your judgement on his technique.

So let's look at the two reasons why technique is important.

1. To keep your exercise consistent

A set technique gives you a target to aim for with your exercise. When there are parameters around the way you complete reps, it allows you to consistently load the target muscles.

If your technique looks different every time you do the exercise, you'll be loading your muscles differently every time.

2. To load the target muscles effectively

Every exercise is designed to target specific muscles, and this can change depending on your technique. If your deadlift looks very squatty, you're not going to be targeting your hamstrings very effectively. Your technique should allow you to effectively train the target muscles.

Not every rep needs to look perfect either. If you're really pushing to reach stimulative reps (RPE 6+), your technique will likely break down a bit.

So long as your technique stays within an acceptable bandwidth, this is a good thing. Injuries can occur when your technique changes so much that the muscles now being targeted aren't adapted to that level of work.

This is why coaches can be so valuable. They can help guide you on what is acceptable technique, even when it's not perfect.

Ultimately, you should strive for good technique because it enhances your training, not out of fear of getting injured.