Principles of Super-Slow Weight Training

I came across this article that as a beginner I found very interesting.
I would like some feedback from you people who have been on here or been weight training for a while on what you think?
:bigsmile:
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/05/25/peak-fitness-on-muscle-gain-failure.aspx

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    You lost me at mercola.

    But, generally it's a good idea to go slow through the negative, and then push hard through the positive.
    For example in a squat, go down slow, then power back up.
  • mcfc4tony
    mcfc4tony Posts: 107 Member
    You lost me at mercola.

    But, generally it's a good idea to go slow through the negative, and then push hard through the positive.
    For example in a squat, go down slow, then power back up.

    Thanks, as I say I'm very new to this :blushing:
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    Would not recommend something like that for beginners.

    you could find studies supporting HIT, slow reps, fast reps, low volume, high volume of any different rep scheme you could think of but it all comes back to progressive overload.

    Lifting more weight for more reps over a period of time is what makes muscles grow, regardless of the details of rep scheme, time under tension, exactly split or exercise selection.

    Get the basics right first.
  • mcfc4tony
    mcfc4tony Posts: 107 Member
    Would not recommend something like that for beginners.

    you could find studies supporting HIT, slow reps, fast reps, low volume, high volume of any different rep scheme you could think of but it all comes back to progressive overload.

    Lifting more weight for more reps over a period of time is what makes muscles grow, regardless of the details of rep scheme, time under tension, exactly split or exercise selection.

    Get the basics right first.

    Thanks :bigsmile:
  • SirZee
    SirZee Posts: 381
    I've done it as an experiment last year for a few weeks (5-10 seconds per repetition) its interesting and different burn, seems more thorough, and allows for better isolation. Not sure if the results are any different though. Recently I've read something that is exact opposite, to be explosive in your rep, this seems to engage support muscles better, at least based on when I tried it, the 'soreness' was different.

    At the end of the day, the previous poster about progressive overload over time is right. Stuff light this is good 'change-up' to vary your routine, throw different kinds of things at the muscle.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Would not recommend something like that for beginners.

    you could find studies supporting HIT, slow reps, fast reps, low volume, high volume of any different rep scheme you could think of but it all comes back to progressive overload.

    Lifting more weight for more reps over a period of time is what makes muscles grow, regardless of the details of rep scheme, time under tension, exactly split or exercise selection.

    Get the basics right first.

    This is the best response. I have a textbook at home on designing resistance training programs and one section described a sizable number of know routines (pyramids, supersets, super slow, etc) along with a mini literature review of each program. After reviewing the programs it became obvious that "everything works and nothing works"--meaning that for a new exerciser, or for someone changing routines, almost every type of program will "work" at first, and almost every type of routine will stop "working" eventually if you don't periodize your program.

    The other thing I would add about those who stumble across a "super slow" article or websites. In my experience, super slow supporters are almost cultlike in their devotion to this technique. For whatever reason, it tends to attract a lot of conspiracy-oriented people who see super slow as the "one true faith" and are convinced that there is an ongoing movement in the "establishment" to suppress them.