Slow Motion Strength Training
Slow Movement Training, or Slow Motion Strength Training - There are multiple different methods to apply this technique, the way I am going to describe to you is a killer method for both building muscle and burning fat, and is also incredibly time efficient with the average workout lasing around 20 minutes and only needing to train 2-3 times per week.
Slow Motion strength training is done by performing one exercise per bodypart. Each exercise is done for only one set, and the set is done to complete muscle failure, with a rep range of 4-6. The kicker here is the rep tempo. Each rep you do is done in 20 second intervals - for bench press, that would be 10 seconds down (eccentric) and 10 seconds up (Concentric) with no pauses in movement. You should be at 10 seconds right when you reach the bottom of the movement and start moving the weight back up without any pauses in motion and the same at the top of the movement. You repeat this until you reach muscle failure, which should occur around the 6 rep range if your weight is heavy enough. You then move to the next exercise and start immediately and repeat this process for your entire workout.
If you are performing the exercises with the appropriate intensity you will be sucking wind and you muscles should burn like hell. The benefit is that you don't need to add in any additional cardio or weightlifting to get their respective benefits.
The benefits of this method is due to the slower weight lifting speed which reduces momentum on each repetition, and loads the muscles more effectively. This makes the exercise both harder and more productive. There have been several independent research studies that have shown that subjects who use slow-motion strength training gain strength 50% faster than subjects using more traditional weightlifting methods.
Another important aspect of slow-motion strength training is that it’s safer on your joints and connective tissues than just about any other form of exercise. Moving so slowly minimizes the amount of force placed on your structure, thereby making the exercise safer.
The disadvantage of this method I pretty much already covered - If you are doing it correctly to receive all of the benefits of this method, the workout is going to hurt - a lot, but as I mentioned before time and effort work inversely - if you want to work out in less time you are going to have to put out more effort when you do work out. The other disadvantage of this method is that you really have to do it at a well equipped gym, since you need to use weights to train at the appropriate intensity for this method, and because the reps are so slow and taxing, you want to mostly perform isolation movements versus compound movements - meaning it isn't the best idea to try to do barbell squats with this one.
You should focus on movements such as leg Press, Cable Flys, Lat Pulldowns, Cable Curls, Triceps Pushdowns, and switch it up with exercises that are along those lines. The reason for this is that the supporting musculature - say the triceps during bench press for example - will fatigue well before you are able to fully work the primary muscle. In order to maximize your progress with this method, you will want to make sure that the exercises you choose places the greatest emphasis on the targeted musculature.
Slow Motion strength training is done by performing one exercise per bodypart. Each exercise is done for only one set, and the set is done to complete muscle failure, with a rep range of 4-6. The kicker here is the rep tempo. Each rep you do is done in 20 second intervals - for bench press, that would be 10 seconds down (eccentric) and 10 seconds up (Concentric) with no pauses in movement. You should be at 10 seconds right when you reach the bottom of the movement and start moving the weight back up without any pauses in motion and the same at the top of the movement. You repeat this until you reach muscle failure, which should occur around the 6 rep range if your weight is heavy enough. You then move to the next exercise and start immediately and repeat this process for your entire workout.
If you are performing the exercises with the appropriate intensity you will be sucking wind and you muscles should burn like hell. The benefit is that you don't need to add in any additional cardio or weightlifting to get their respective benefits.
The benefits of this method is due to the slower weight lifting speed which reduces momentum on each repetition, and loads the muscles more effectively. This makes the exercise both harder and more productive. There have been several independent research studies that have shown that subjects who use slow-motion strength training gain strength 50% faster than subjects using more traditional weightlifting methods.
Another important aspect of slow-motion strength training is that it’s safer on your joints and connective tissues than just about any other form of exercise. Moving so slowly minimizes the amount of force placed on your structure, thereby making the exercise safer.
The disadvantage of this method I pretty much already covered - If you are doing it correctly to receive all of the benefits of this method, the workout is going to hurt - a lot, but as I mentioned before time and effort work inversely - if you want to work out in less time you are going to have to put out more effort when you do work out. The other disadvantage of this method is that you really have to do it at a well equipped gym, since you need to use weights to train at the appropriate intensity for this method, and because the reps are so slow and taxing, you want to mostly perform isolation movements versus compound movements - meaning it isn't the best idea to try to do barbell squats with this one.
You should focus on movements such as leg Press, Cable Flys, Lat Pulldowns, Cable Curls, Triceps Pushdowns, and switch it up with exercises that are along those lines. The reason for this is that the supporting musculature - say the triceps during bench press for example - will fatigue well before you are able to fully work the primary muscle. In order to maximize your progress with this method, you will want to make sure that the exercises you choose places the greatest emphasis on the targeted musculature.
BEST FOR:
Anyone at Any Fitness Level, Improving Cardiovascular Performance, Improving Strength, Building Lean Muscle/Toning, Post-Rehab Reconditioning, Weightloss/Fat Burning
NOT FOR:
Focused Goals of: Mass Gaining, Endurance Training, Improving Flexibility
Anyone at Any Fitness Level, Improving Cardiovascular Performance, Improving Strength, Building Lean Muscle/Toning, Post-Rehab Reconditioning, Weightloss/Fat Burning
NOT FOR:
Focused Goals of: Mass Gaining, Endurance Training, Improving Flexibility