Ego Lifting: what it is and why you should avoid it

Ego lifting involves trying to lift more weight than you can manage with proper form. It's called ego lifting because the desire to lift heavier weights than a person can manage typically comes from a desire to prove how strong they are - either to themselves or to others.

In other words, 'ego lifting' describes lifting weights to show off, and to 'feed the ego', rather than to focus on exercising the muscle in a safe, controlled way most beneficial for muscle growth and improvements to strength, health, and fitness. 

Ego lifting can be dangerous and detrimental for muscle growth. Lifting weights without proper form risks injuries, which will just set your progress back. Prioritise form and control the movement to exercise the muscle safely. 

Building strength without ego

If you want to test or push the limits of your strength safely, pick a weight you think you can manage for a minimum of 3 repetitions. 

Perform one set, and then add a small amount of weight. Then complete another set until failure. Make sure you have a spotter on hand to help you complete your reps safely if needed. This is a training process called progressive overload. 

Pick a weight you can lift with proper form for 6-12 repetitions - ensure the weight is heavy enough that you are close to failure by the final rep of your set.

Repetitions, strength, and muscle growth:

Doing exercises for 6-12 reps for 3-5 sets, each time going as close to rep failure as possible, is the sweet spot for muscle growth. Sets of 2-5 reps are beneficial for improving strength.

Trying to perform 1 rep maxes are the most common example of ego lifting and are not usually beneficial for muscle growth. But if you do want to test your 1 rep max, make sure you pick a weight you can control with proper form, and ensure you have a spotter.