Mateo wiped the sweat off his forehead as he set the dumbbells back on the rack. He was pushing himself hard today, focused on building strength, but there was a noticeable problem—his form was all wrong.

He bent at the waist while doing deadlifts, rounding his back instead of keeping it straight. His knees caved slightly during squats, and on the bench press, his elbows flared out at odd angles. Despite the effort, his movements were inefficient and risky, the kind of mistakes that could lead to injury if repeated.

He grunted through a set of curls, oblivious to the fact that he was swinging the weights rather than controlling them. His focus was on finishing the reps, not on technique. Every repetition counted, but only in quantity—not quality.

“I’m sorry but is there a reason you’re staring?” He asked you looking quite confused on why you were staring at him like he was in the wrong.