To make sure that muscle gains are achieved safely, form is one of most important factors. Proper form should never be sacrificed in an attempt to add weight or artificially increase repetitions. Use as much weight as possible to perform repetitions, while maintaining good form. During first few repetitions of a given exercise, you are able to move faster due to you high levels of strength available. However, this is also when injury is most likely to occur. It is important to make sure that first few repetitions of every set are performed in a slow and deliberate manner. Perfect form should always be goal.

Even though a muscle can produce more power at beginning of a set, during first few repetitions, muscles and tendons have not been given enough time to warm-up. Injuries can happen at any point during performance of an exercise. But, more often than not, majority of injuries occur during first few repetitions. Those that don’t, occur because of a lack of proper form.

Really slow repetition speed is not required. As a general rule, lifting weight in approximately two seconds will work just fine. Lower weight in approximately four seconds. This may vary slightly throughout set, which is perfectly fine, however, always try to perform each repetition at this rate of speed. This will help you maintain excellent form.

The bottom line is this. Regardless of how you perform first repetition of barbell curl, you will still only be involving a very small percentage of muscle fibers available. This is due to following three reasons. (1) When muscle is not in a fully contracted position, only a limited number of muscle fibers are involved. (2) During first repetition biceps muscle fibers are at their strongest and most rested. (3) The majority of exercise equipment on market provides practically no resistance to a muscle in a fully contracted position.

Zero resistance can become an issue during almost all basic exercises. For example, during bench press, a totally contracted position is reached when arms are completely extended. Because your arms also reach a point of total “lockout” of elbow joints at this point, there is basically zero resistance in this position. The way this problem can be resolved is by performing all of your exercises in a series of repetitions. You can then make sure that you achieve maximum stimulation of muscles involved.

Let’s look barbell curl example again. If you are using a weight that allows you to perform about ten repetitions, then first repetition will only involve about five percent of total number of muscle fibers available. The remaining ninety-five percent of fibers are not involved at all.

When you perform second repetition however, things start to change. And change fast! The previous five percent are no longer as strong or as rested as they were during first repetition. The strength levels of these fibers have been challenged, and so they now need help of additional fibers to perform second repetition. These additional fibers are at their strongest and most rested. However, they too will only be used to extent that they are actually needed.

As you continue to perform exercise, more and more muscle fibers become involved. Finally, by tenth repetition you will be using as much as twenty percent of total muscle fibers available. By this stage of exercise your breathing should be coming thick and be fast. And, intensity level will be high.

In this example, exercise is being performed with a weight that you knew you could only perform ten repetitions with. It is at this point that most “skinny” guys stop exercise. This is a big mistake. Doing so with result in almost no muscle gains at all.

By stopping exercise at this point, you are not pushing through your comfort zone. You are just nudging up to it. Also, various muscles involved are not being pushed enough to cause them to GROW. If you are “stupid” enough to train in this manner, your muscle gains will be slow and in many cases, totally non-existent. In short. If you are going to go for it. Then, make sure you go all way... and then some!