Fast or slow?

danny81 · 03-19-2007, 03:10 PM

When do lifts should they be fast or slow? obviously o lifts should be done fast, but waht about benchpress, squat, deadlift, curls, tricep extensions, etc. I always thought those should be done slow. but recently I was at the A&P and picked up and started reading a muscle magazine and it said that you should do all excercises at top speed because it allows for more reps.

my goals are to get more muscular(not huge but more defined) gain a little mass, get stronger and to become more explosive

forum9351 · 03-19-2007, 03:15 PM

if your goal is to be more explosive, then for sure fast. One thing I sometimes like to do is to push the weight up fast but bring it down slow.

danny81 · 03-19-2007, 03:56 PM

thats what I also heard. well explosiveness comes from the Oly lifts. BTW i made a mistake I do want to gain mass. Just that I want most of it to be muscle.

Duncans Donuts · 03-19-2007, 04:06 PM

Tension is better for developing muscle, assuming an appropriate enough loud / rep range / time under tension. Throwing weights brings into account impact force, jerking, and quick generation of forces that bring momentum and such into play. The point is that tension is limited during "explosive" lifts.

Really, to develop muscle, change the variables. Olympic lifts (if you are COACHED ON THEM) have a place, as do low reps, high reps, slow negatives, fast concentric contactions, and so forth. I almost always do slow negatives, though. But I change that variable too.

Duncans Donuts · 03-19-2007, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forum9351

if your goal is to be more explosive, then for sure fast. One thing I sometimes like to do is to push the weight up fast but bring it down slow.

I will state that you can be "explosive" without moving a weight fast in the weight room. F = MA and acceleration and mass are dependant upon the force involved. Therefore if the mass goes down and you can move it fast, the force increases. If the mass increases the acceleration will drop but you will be generating just as much force. All speed of movement depend on force.

If a muscle develops through tension, and muscle development is an improved "wider/denser" cross-section of fibers, then there must be a corresponding improvement in overall force potential. Using a heavy weight "slow" will develop the force potential and thus increase speed without a load or with a lighter load.

Not to say that olympic weights aren't beneficial (I don't use them), I'm not making that argument. I'm making a point that people who train slow in the gym are not slow athletes. As I've said before, at a body weight of 240 pounds without integrating olympic lifts in my routine, I ran a sub 4.6 40 yard dash time. I owe my success to heavy, 2 second negative pauses in the weakest range of motion while squatting.

danny81 · 03-19-2007, 08:42 PM

alright so i was thinking 2-3 seconds up and 4-5 seconds down and hold in my weakest area?

Duncans Donuts · 03-19-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danny81

alright so i was thinking 2-3 seconds up and 4-5 seconds down and hold in my weakest area?

I would change stuff up a lot man, that's my best advice.

**P-funk** · 03-19-2007, 10:32 PM

it is very dependant on the qualities you are trying to enhance.

I like plyo's, med. ball work and o-lifts for explosive/fast exercises.

Sometimes we do only isometric contractions and sometimes we do very slow eccentrics. It is just dependant on the qualities we are trying to enhance at any given time.

Mystik · 03-19-2007, 11:54 PM

I dont get the whole "fast" thing anyways, If you do it fast you don't get as tired because your not using the muscle resistance, your just using momentum. Sorta like doin swing curls if u ask me, but I'm not expert.

**P-funk** · 03-20-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystik

I dont get the whole "fast" thing anyways, If you do it fast you don't get as tired because your not using the muscle resistance, your just using momentum. Sorta like doin swing curls if u ask me, but I'm not expert.

huh?

danny81 · 03-21-2007, 03:06 PM

yah. I agree that you shoulld not swing them. but like example. bench press. you push it up fast and come down slow.

Witchblade · 03-21-2007, 04:37 PM

I'm a big fan of a fast but controlled concentric and a slow eccentric. I never do really slow reps though really...

danny81 · 03-21-2007, 04:44 PM

03-19-2007, 03:10 PM	#1
danny81 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,763	Fast or slow? When do lifts should they be fast or slow? obviously o lifts should be done fast, but waht about benchpress, squat, deadlift, curls, tricep extensions, etc. I always thought those should be done slow. but recently I was at the A&P and picked up and started reading a muscle magazine and it said that you should do all excercises at top speed because it allows for more reps. my goals are to get more muscular(not huge but more defined) gain a little mass, get stronger and to become more explosive

03-19-2007, 03:15 PM	#2
forum9351 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 295	if your goal is to be more explosive, then for sure fast. One thing I sometimes like to do is to push the weight up fast but bring it down slow. Knowledge is Power

03-19-2007, 04:06 PM	#4
Duncans Donuts Stay puffed, baby. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: CA Posts: 2,776 Photos: 2	Tension is better for developing muscle, assuming an appropriate enough loud / rep range / time under tension. Throwing weights brings into account impact force, jerking, and quick generation of forces that bring momentum and such into play. The point is that tension is limited during "explosive" lifts. Really, to develop muscle, change the variables. Olympic lifts (if you are COACHED ON THEM) have a place, as do low reps, high reps, slow negatives, fast concentric contactions, and so forth. I almost always do slow negatives, though. But I change that variable too. "in the howling bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure."

03-19-2007, 10:32 PM	#8
P-funk Patrick Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 31,699	it is very dependant on the qualities you are trying to enhance. I like plyo's, med. ball work and o-lifts for explosive/fast exercises. Sometimes we do only isometric contractions and sometimes we do very slow eccentrics. It is just dependant on the qualities we are trying to enhance at any given time. E-Book: Take Charge! Everything You Need To Know To Write Your Own Training Programs Online Consulting/Program Design Reality Based Fitness Podcast Check me out on Twitter! Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter! "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few." -Buddha's Little Instruction Book

03-21-2007, 04:37 PM	#12
Witchblade Succinct Elite Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Holland Posts: 4,474 Photos: 2	I'm a big fan of a fast but controlled concentric and a slow eccentric. I never do really slow reps though really... My Linkdump [LSFW] IM Official FAQ [WORK IN PROGRESS]

03-19-2007, 03:56 PM	#3
danny81 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,763	thats what I also heard. well explosiveness comes from the Oly lifts. BTW i made a mistake I do want to gain mass. Just that I want most of it to be muscle.

03-19-2007, 08:42 PM	#6
danny81 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,763	alright so i was thinking 2-3 seconds up and 4-5 seconds down and hold in my weakest area?

03-19-2007, 11:54 PM	#9
Mystik Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 175	I dont get the whole "fast" thing anyways, If you do it fast you don't get as tired because your not using the muscle resistance, your just using momentum. Sorta like doin swing curls if u ask me, but I'm not expert.

03-21-2007, 03:06 PM	#11
danny81 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,763	yah. I agree that you shoulld not swing them. but like example. bench press. you push it up fast and come down slow.

03-21-2007, 04:44 PM	#13
danny81 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,763	oo.

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