Working out question: slower reps good?

[raildogg]

Are slower repetitions good for increasing strength and size?

 

[Alienwho]

What do you mean by slower reps? As in long wait times, or lifting the weight as slow as possible?

I'm under the impression that lifting the weight as fast as possible is the best. It helps to train your muscles to react quickly and give you that "explosive" strength.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Alienwho
What do you mean by slower reps? As in long wait times, or lifting the weight as slow as possible?

I'm under the impression that lifting the weight as fast as possible is the best. It helps to train your muscles to react quickly and give you that "explosive" strength.

I lift as fast as I can while still maintaining good control of the weight. In all the variables involved in building muscle, the speed of your reps is probably one of the least significant.

 

[vi edit]

The faster you go, the more you can bounce/cheat and your form goes to hell.

Slowing down you can focus on your form better.

 

[Alienwho]

Let me clarify by saying that you only lift it fast. Slow down, fast up. Obviously if you are able to throw the weight around and bounce it all about your form is going to be terrible and it is probably too light.

 

[jlbenedict]

When I count out a rep, I count out as "One Thousand One" instead of "One".

For instance, barbell bench press.. When lowering the bar, I take the amount of time it takes to say "One Thousand One" to lower the bar to my chest. When pushing the bar back up, the same amount of time.

If the pace was at "One"... the reps would be entirely too fast.

 

[49erinnc]

I think that for most lifts, the 2/3 rule is the best advice. 2 seconds up and 3 seconds down. Lengthening the resistance is good for increased strength/muscle but it's good to mix things up from time to time. So so really slow reps for a few weeks and then change up to faster ones for a few weeks so you're keeping your muscles out of a holding pattern.

 

[desy]

variety is good, and working negatives ie 'seven seconds' is a good way to change up a routine, but isn't great for a regular routine.
Unless your old like me then slows are much easier on the joints and still a good workout.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

i just started doing 2-up 3-down and find i have to use less weight but get more of a burn while working out. I count it out one-thousand-one, etc.

I'll probably use this for a couple weeks and switch it up with something else just so I don't plateau.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Wonderful Pork
i just started doing 2-up 3-down and find i have to use less weight but get more of a burn while working out. I count it out one-thousand-one, etc.

I'll probably use this for a couple weeks and switch it up with something else just so I don't plateau.

"Feeling the burn" is not an indicator of progress.

 

[Vic]

You should rep as fast (or as powerful, a better word for this IMO) as possible while retaining good form and smooth motion. You should never be jerky and you should never bounce the bar or weights off any part of your body. If you find yourself being jerky as you power through your lifts, up the weight to slow yourself down. If you find you have to bounce or lose form in order to make the lift, decrease the weight until you can hold form throughout the entire range of motion in the lift.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Vic
You should rep as fast (or as powerful, a better word for this IMO) as possible while retaining good form and smooth motion. You should never be jerky and you should never bounce the bar or weights off any part of your body. If you find yourself being jerky as you power through your lifts, up the weight to slow yourself down. If you find you have to bounce or lose form in order to make the lift, decrease the weight until you can hold form throughout the entire range of motion in the lift.

This--and what Special K said--is what I've heard as well. Essentially, ultra-slow reps don't do much other than lengthen your workout.

 

[aCynic2]

I recommend you get a good book if you're asking such newbie questions as that.

Also, log in here:

forums.jpfitness.com

Read and learn. We have perhaps more CSCSs per capita than 90% of the sites out there, including NCSA strength Coach of the Year, Robert Dos Remedios, also Eric Cressy and Mike Robertson pop in from time to time, Lou Schuler is a semi-regular, etc.

Face it, when you need computer advice, do you ask on a fitness forum? No, you ask on a computer forum. When you need lifting advice, you ask on a board dedicated to it.

 

[Majesty]

Originally posted by: Whisper
This--and what Special K said--is what I've heard as well. Essentially, ultra-slow reps don't do much other than lengthen your workout.

That is where you are mistaken. Ultra-slow reps (5-5(usually called HIT (High Intensity Training) or 10-10 (called SuperSlow)) are very effective. The trick is to put more weight than what you are used to with the time-waster-that-is-Nautilus and "burn" your muscles within 60 seconds.

My complete routine takes 20 minutes or so and I work as hard (or much) as those who stays in the gym for 1h+. My routine includes all the major muscles (biceps, triceps, quadriceps, deltoids, abs, trapezius...)

 

[raildogg]

Thank you guys.

The reason I was asking you this was because of this article:

link

Yesterday I tried this method and I got more tired, the workout was more intense and felt the effects hours after working out. I don't know but it seemed to me that it was more intense than the normal workouts I used to do before. But does this necessarily mean that it is a better way to workout? I do not know.

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: Vic
You should rep as fast (or as powerful, a better word for this IMO) as possible while retaining good form and smooth motion. You should never be jerky and you should never bounce the bar or weights off any part of your body. If you find yourself being jerky as you power through your lifts, up the weight to slow yourself down. If you find you have to bounce or lose form in order to make the lift, decrease the weight until you can hold form throughout the entire range of motion in the lift.

Amazing how many people in my gym use terrible form when lifting. I am particularly amused by the guys who do standing barbell curls with way too much weight. There are some in my gym who literally use their entire body in a very jerky, swinging motion to get the bar back up and their back hunches over with each lift with elbows flared way out. That and the guys who bounce the bench press bar off their chest so hard it nearly knocks the breath out of them. :roll:

As for the OP, I think the best advice is to just mix it up as I mentioned before. Do slow reps for a few weeks, do fast reps for a few weeks, do 3 sets of 12 for a few weeks and the maybe do 4 sets of 10, take short rests between sets for a few weeks, take longer rests, etc. There are so many ways you can adjust your workout to get benefits from it and as long as you're in there working out, it's a good thing.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Majesty

Originally posted by: Whisper
This--and what Special K said--is what I've heard as well. Essentially, ultra-slow reps don't do much other than lengthen your workout.

That is where you are mistaken. Ultra-slow reps (5-5(usually called HIT (High Intensity Training) or 10-10 (called SuperSlow)) are very effective. The trick is to put more weight than what you are used to with the time-waster-that-is-Nautilus and "burn" your muscles within 60 seconds.

My complete routine takes 20 minutes or so and I work as hard (or much) as those who stays in the gym for 1h+. My routine includes all the major muscles (biceps, triceps, quadriceps, deltoids, abs, trapezius...)

Once again, "feeling the burn" is not an indicator of progress.

 

[Phokus]

Yes, slower + lower weights is good (if by good, you mean you want to increase muscle size). Slow + low increases time under tension and makes sure you create micro-tears in all your muscle fibers... if you go heavy + fast, you won't tear all your muscle fibers and won't be able to grow as much (although you'll get better explosive strength).

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Majesty

Originally posted by: Whisper
This--and what Special K said--is what I've heard as well. Essentially, ultra-slow reps don't do much other than lengthen your workout.

That is where you are mistaken. Ultra-slow reps (5-5(usually called HIT (High Intensity Training) or 10-10 (called SuperSlow)) are very effective. The trick is to put more weight than what you are used to with the time-waster-that-is-Nautilus and "burn" your muscles within 60 seconds.

My complete routine takes 20 minutes or so and I work as hard (or much) as those who stays in the gym for 1h+. My routine includes all the major muscles (biceps, triceps, quadriceps, deltoids, abs, trapezius...)

Once again, "feeling the burn" is not an indicator of progress.

Maybe not but try doing drop sets without getting the burn.

 

[Tencntraze]

Originally posted by: aCynic2
I recommend you get a good book if you're asking such newbie questions as that.

Also, log in here:

forums.jpfitness.com

Read and learn. We have perhaps more CSCSs per capita than 90% of the sites out there, including NCSA strength Coach of the Year, Robert Dos Remedios, also Eric Cressy and Mike Robertson pop in from time to time, Lou Schuler is a semi-regular, etc.

Face it, when you need computer advice, do you ask on a fitness forum? No, you ask on a computer forum. When you need lifting advice, you ask on a board dedicated to it.

Ah, Cynic, fun to find someone else from the board on here.

<- Paradigm

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: Tencntraze
Ah, Cynic, fun to find someone else from the board on here.

<- Paradigm

Holy sh*t, man! Good to see ya! So this is another of your haunts. I signed on a few weeks back to get advice on a new build. I think I'll be ordering next week.

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: raildogg
Thank you guys.

The reason I was asking you this was because of this article:

link

When you have a broken arm, you go to a doctor. When you need lifting advice, you go to a trainer with a nationally recognized certification.

The top two:

CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist): This is an athletic certification. This cert allows the person to train athletes.
NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer): Works with individuals, but knows his stuff, for the most part.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

fast gives you the explosive power

slower will give you better muscle control and endurance

 

[aCynic2]

Ian King has an article on T-Nation regarding tempo and the stretch shortening cycle. You might want to read it, but for building muscle, I see no reason to go over a 4-0-1 or 3-1-1 or 2-2-1 tempo. My current program employs the 3-1-1.

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do;...D109D47CF5CD.titan?article=body_53four