Slow Down

[VGalanti]

I have been training with a much slower tempo that last few weeks, with a 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down tempo...not concerned about the weight as much as getting the muscle very pumped....never feel any tendons this way.

i'm bigger now, closer to 40 , than when i was in my 20's and 30's....i used to be 210 in the offseason, and compete at 198 at the nationals, but now i'm 224, and leaner than i usually am in the offseason.

anyone ever train like this, and have the same experience?

[Bob 1]

I have always lifted pretty slow when in a bodybuilding phase because it did feel better and did less damage. Look up ken Hutchins and slo mo training you might pick up a few pointers from something he might say.
He was mixed in with the Jones, Mentzer, Darden group when they were stirring things up. Baldie would probably be your best bet.
Keep in mind he (Hutchins) was much slower than you are going but you might decide to go a bit slower. Never hurts to have the knowledge.

[Feelinthepump]

Originally Posted by VGalanti

I have been training with a much slower tempo that last few weeks, with a 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down tempo...not concerned about the weight as much as getting the muscle very pumped....never feel any tendons this way.

i'm bigger now, closer to 40 , than when i was in my 20's and 30's....i used to be 210 in the offseason, and compete at 198 at the nationals, but now i'm 224, and leaner than i usually am in the offseason.

anyone ever train like this, and have the same experience?

Mind posting up a sample routine for us? I'm interested to see what exercises and how many reps/sets you do. Have you been making good gains this way?

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by Feelinthepump

Mind posting up a sample routine for us? I'm interested to see what exercises and how many reps/sets you do. Have you been making good gains this way?

this is what i did today:

chest -
bench press 3 sets of 135 for 5 reps....warm ups
185 for 12
185 for 9
185 for 8
hammer incline:
2 45's each side
set 1, 15 reps
set 2, 11 reps
set 3, 11 reps

biceps -
barbell curls:
50lbs for 15 reps
60lbs for 10 reps
70lbs for 10 reps
80lbs for 7 reps
90lbs for 7 reps...drop down to 60lbs for another 6 reps

every single rep was VERY slow on the way up and down.

i have been training since i'm 17 years old, 39 now...and just training smarter.
i get a ****ing great pump, my tendons dont hurt, and i'm sore for 3 days.
been doing it for a little while now, and i'm making gains better than when i was in my 20's

[StartinOver-68]

Hmmmm.... Maybe I'll give that slow stuff a try, I've been bothered by joint/tendon pain lately. Obviously judging by your avatar pic and your workout weight, slowing down means lighter weights because you obviously can do much higher at a normal rep speed than you posted in your routine.

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by StartinOver-68

Hmmmm.... Maybe I'll give that slow stuff a try, I've been bothered by joint/tendon pain lately. Obviously judging by your avatar pic and your workout weight, slowing down means lighter weights because you obviously can do much higher at a normal rep speed than you posted in your routine.

I usually do incline dumbells with the 130's, but there is no way you can train slow using heavy weights like that.
at first i thought i'd be wasting my time training lighter, but slower makes EVERY thing work harder, if i were training normal speed and light, it would do nothing....and the great thing about it is, my tendons on joints DO NOT bother me, and i'm getting big from it.

[StartinOver-68]

Would slow reps favor the slow twitch as opposed to the fast twitch explosive muscle fibers ? Or is that slow/fast twitch muscle theory a myth?

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by StartinOver-68

Would slow reps favor the slow twitch as opposed to the fast twitch explosive muscle fibers ? Or is that slow/fast twitch muscle theory a myth?

forget myths...just try it.

if you love training...you'll love this....try it for 3 full weeks

[Feelinthepump]

Thanks for the info! I'll have to try the 4 sec up 4sec down routine. I like the idea.

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by Feelinthepump

Thanks for the info! I'll have to try the 4 sec up 4sec down routine. I like the idea.

since training this way, you might want to use more machines....let me know how it works out.

[jmc53]

I might try that on some exercises also. I'm one of those with shoulder issues, and swinging heavy dumbells into place and back to the floor is a problem - dropping back weight for slower moves would be an ideal way to deal with it.

[StartinOver-68]

Originally Posted by VGalanti

forget myths...just try it.

if you love training...you'll love this....try it for 3 full weeks

OK, I'll give it a try. I'm just coming off a 5 week creatine regimine and a week off. This would be a good time to change my routine. Thanks.

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by StartinOver-68

OK, I'll give it a try. I'm just coming off a 5 week creatine regimine and a week off. This would be a good time to change my routine. Thanks.

you got it...good luck with it.....when in doubt, go slower...

[Plato458]

Does the 4 up/down apply to compounds as well if I was feeling brave/stupid - thinking ATG squats mostly?

Can't imagine attempting to slow down my rise that much with just my bodyweight and a feather duster - am I being a total weakling or just sensible

Px

[jspirate]

Originally Posted by VGalanti

I have been training with a much slower tempo that last few weeks, with a 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down tempo...not concerned about the weight as much as getting the muscle very pumped....never feel any tendons this way.

i'm bigger now, closer to 40 , than when i was in my 20's and 30's....i used to be 210 in the offseason, and compete at 198 at the nationals, but now i'm 224, and leaner than i usually am in the offseason.

anyone ever train like this, and have the same experience?

Kinda... every so often I throw in a slow negative and then an explosion back into position. The explosion is not a quick change in direction though. For example when I do leg extensions I start with relatively low weight and I take three seconds to lower the weight and another second or so to change direction and then gradually speed up through about 75% of the upward motion. I then finish in my normal position and start it all over.

I do it more as a change-up than anything, but I believe it has helped my strength. That being said I have along way to get to where you are

[empresscat]

Originally Posted by Plato458

Does the 4 up/down apply to compounds as well if I was feeling brave/stupid - thinking ATG squats mostly?

Can't imagine attempting to slow down my rise that much with just my bodyweight and a feather duster - am I being a total weakling or just sensible

Px

A lot of people use the momentum at the bottom of a squat to get back to the top. This is more functional strength... however, stopping at the bottom, holding it half a second, and then going back up slowly does chellenge the muscles more. I tend to do them this way, but I'm only doing 120 right now (5 reps)...

I do all my exercises slow and controlled, but as a newbie, I am very focused on form, and feel like I need to go a little slower to maintain form.

I intend to alternate with more explosive movements when I switch up my routine.

[NJBodybuilding]

I agree with Vinny, I have always trained slow and controlled and never worried what weight I used . Thats the way I was taught in my young teens.I go for the pump and reps

And actually I use more machines then free weights now because of the direct discipline of the exercise.

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by NJBodybuilding

I agree with Vinny, I have always trained slow and controlled and never worried what weight I used . Thats the way I was taught in my young teens.I go for the pump and reps

And actually I use more machines then free weights now because of the direct discipline of the exercise.

Thanks Joe, I actually trained this way when I was a teen too, but ya get caught up in training "heavy" like..how much can you bench, whats your squat..

i was stupid, now i'm almost 40 and wishing i trained this way the lat 25 years...lol

but winning 3 national titles and top 5 in 6 out of 9 npc nationals wasn't so bad....lets take all this experiece and bring it to the masters nationals.

[NJBodybuilding]

[QUOTE=VGalanti;13493240]Thanks Joe, I actually trained this way when I was a teen too, but ya get caught up in training "heavy" like..how much can you bench, whats your squat..

i was stupid, now i'm almost 40 and wishing i trained this way the lat 25 years...lol

but winning 3 national titles and top 5 in 6 out of 9 npc nationals wasn't so bad....lets take all this experiece and bring it to the masters nationals

Yes sir brotha,,, Not bad for training heavy..lol you have a great resume'

[Baldsnake]

Time Under Load

Agree with slow does it. If injured SO68 try what is called Super Slow. 5 sec. contraction, 10 sec. negative. Use 60% of maximum weight. I have linked Ken Hutchin's current site. Site is soft core and directed at couch potatos. He wrote a book in the mid 80s incorporating SS into competetive bodybuilding. Part of the regimine was to DOUBLE your caloric intake. (Dante's DC training on downers) I did it for six weeks and was so exhausted I took a week off to repair.

http://www.superslow.com/

[joed]

I agree. When I started lifting again a couple of years ago as part of my rotary cuff/shoulder rehab I read lots of books. Did variations of the 'superslow' approach & found I could make good progress without any injuries. I'm sold on the controlled movements, although now I'm more in the range of ~3 seconds up & another 3 down.

[Mark1T]

Vinny, with this program, or technique using lower weights but slow temp, do you still progress in weight or reps? Still you have to challenge the muscles to do more in order to grow, so just asking what you do.

Thanks

[glvfmly]

I Might Try This Also, But Im New To Lifting, And Shouldnt I Lift Fairly Heavy To Help Gain Mass? Slow Sounds Good . Help To Avoid Injury...since I Started Training Late, Anything To Help Gains Sounds Good!

[bodyrokk]

Dude arent you pro?i remember reading about you in the mags a few years back!

[NJBodybuilding]

Originally Posted by bodyrokk

Dude arent you pro?i remember reading about you in the mags a few years back!

he should be , trust me on that !

[VGalanti]

Originally Posted by bodyrokk

Dude arent you pro?i remember reading about you in the mags a few years back!

dude....wheres my car

[bodyrokk]

seriously i thought you got your pro card..not that it matters..just asked..

[Most Muscular]

I have also incorporated more slow reps into my routine during the last couple of years and have felt it has done wonders for my tendons. I read an article awhile back that stated you can build up your tendon strength by involving slower reps into your routine so I started lifting that way.

It also makes the weight appear much heavier than pumping the weight up and down quickly. I've always said "that the only thing momentum builds is a big head". You can get much more out of a lighter weight and make it seem much more difficult to the muscle if you start to slow everything down a bit.

Some people tend to believe in having an explosive positive and a slow negative and while my positive is typically faster than my negative it is not as fast or explosive as I did it in the past. If you concentrate hard on the muscle being worked and try to "flex" the muscle to move you will start to understand the feeling of that muscle and learn to direct the exercise to achieving the most intensity and efficiency for that muscle.

nuff said...

[StartinOver-68]

Many years ago there was a training method called dynamic tension. It in fact pitted one muscle against another without the use of weights. I believe it was promoted by Charles Atlas.
Example: grab your left wrist and try to curl against your oposing arm. Obviously your tricep will defeat your bicep, but you are to slowly allow the bicep to win. That takes quite a number of seconds to do.

[VGalanti]

this type of training is no joke, you have to have a lot of patience to go from start to finnish with it.