Is Super Slow Training For You?

Every time you turn around someone is touting another better way to stay in shape, and super slow training is one of those ways.




How slow do you go?


The basic principal here is to lift the weight you are using for a certain exercise slowly, anywhere from 10-20 seconds per set.

The goal is to fatigue the muscle with one set and not use momentum, or swing the weight.

Moving slowly reduces the risk of injury and fatigues a greater number of muscle fibers than lifting as a faster pace.

Some people say this is a very boring way to workout, and does little to promote a higher level of fitness.

Others say it is the only way to workout to build greater strength.

So a study was done to test the theory of which is a better way to workout, super slow, or traditional resistance training.

One group trained for 8 weeks doing the super slow method, doing 4-6 reps taking 14 seconds to complete each rep (10 seconds lifting, and 4 seconds lowering).

The other group also trained for 8 weeks doing a traditional method 8-12 reps, taking 6 seconds to complete each rep (2 seconds lifting 4 seconds lowering).

The results showed that the super slow trainers gained more strength than the traditional training method.

So you may be thinking that the super slow method is the best way to work out?

Well you may want to think twice, depending on your intended fitness goal.

A second study showed that metabolic and cardiovascular stimuli were low with super slow training. Simply meaning that they burned far fewer calories and did little for increasing stamina, and endurance.

If your only goal is to get stronger super slow training will help take you to that next level, if you are looking to build lean muscle and burn that excess body fat than the traditional method of training works best.

If you truly want to be a well-rounded fitness wise it is best to incorporate different styles of working out every once in a while to keep you body from adapting, and progress coming to a halt.

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Full Range Of Motion

This has to be one of the most common mistakes people make when working out that keeps them from developing bigger fuller muscles



Do you use full range of motion?


Full range of motion (ROM) is something that most people don’t use when they should, and do use when they shouldn't.

When you are trying to fully shape your muscles working through a full ROM is necessary because it allows you to hit all the muscle fibers involved from all the possible angles.

This increase in volume helps develop bigger, fuller muscles. This is why power lifters look nothing like bodybuilders.

When doing heavy, mass building exercises (multi joint) make sure you do a long ROM but don’t be concerned with locking out your elbows, knees, or squeezing or holding the contraction.

If you were doing the bench press and used a full ROM you would be working your pectoral muscles to lift the weight. When you lock out at the top of the rep you use your triceps, and deltoids. This will cause your triceps to fatigue earlier and take away from your chest training.

Now there is a big difference between not locking out at the top of a rep and doing a sloppy rep (poor form), which is something a lot of people do.

Poor form is when you bounce, or swing the weight. You simply are not in control of the weight. This is usually due to trying to move more weight than you can handle properly.

I see so many people do their whole work out consisting of poor form; this is an absolute waste of time unless you just want to circulate your blood and get limited results.

A partial rep is when you do only a partial ROM; you either perform the set from start to mid range, from mid range to top contraction, or never going to bottom or top of range staying mid range.

There are only a few times when you should every do partial reps, one is at the end of your set when you can’t lift anymore doing proper form and you need to break through a plateau.

The other is doing 21’s to help shock you muscles and break out of a training rut. 21’s are a more advanced method of training that challenges the working muscle group in three different ranges of motion within a single set.
This used to be only for biceps, but it can be applied for all different body parts.

Instead of doing a full ROM you do 21 continuous reps consisting of 7 partial reps in the lower half of ROM, 7 partial reps in the top half of ROM, and finish off with 7 full ROM reps to burn the muscle you are working.

Since you are doing a higher volume of reps you will need to use a slightly lighter weight to complete the set. But you can achieve a tremendous burn, and pump when attempting this routine.

This is something you only want to do every once in a while since you are going to be putting tremendous stress on your muscles. And if you trying this for the first time only do this at the end of a normal set, unless you don’t care if you can move the body part you just worked out the next few days.

When doing single joint exercises isolation exercises like bicep curls, leg extensions, triceps use a full ROM. It is very important to use a full stretch at the bottom and a full contraction at the top where you are squeezing the muscle.

Again this is where most people fall into poor form simply because they are trying to use more weight than they can handle for correct form.

Without correct form you only have motion!

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The 12 Basic Rules Of Working Out

Each individual is different, thus not every system of training works for everyone. The combination of speed, intensity, and duration will dictate the outcome.



How do you train?


I haven’t really written much about working out because I thought that there was plenty of information out there over the years that covered that subject.

But to my surprise while searching the web there is some new stupidity being touted about working out. Nothing bothers me more when I see someone giving training advice that one workout works for all.

That’s like saying one diet works for all. If this were the case the debate about nutrition would have been over years ago.

Depending on your Physical condition, diet, work schedule, and results you are looking to obtain will dictate how you proceed. Each person’s unique physiological makeup will determine the type of program best suited for his or her needs.

The 12 basics rules of lifting weights:

1. Always stretch and do a warm up light set before you start your lifting program. This will get your blood pumping and helps prevent muscle soreness, and injury.

2. Never do the same routine twice in a row, instead of starting with the bench press start with incline or decline press.

3. Alternate your rep range every three weeks, if you have been doing a 4to 6 rep range, change to 8to 12.

4. Increase or decrease your pace every 3 weeks, if your rest periods are 2-minutes between sets, change to 30 seconds between sets use a lighter weight if needed.

5. Muscles grow in response to greater stress, always look to add more weight.

6. Use compound movements for overall strength and size gains to build a solid core; compound movements use multiple muscles at one time. Bench press, barbell squat, dead lift, bent over rows, close-grip chin-up, military press, etc.

7. Use isolation movements for targeting a specific muscle to get maximum size and definition. Isolation exercises use only one muscle at a time, preacher curls, dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, and dumbbell lateral raise, etc.

8. Always use proper form, this will help avoid most injuries and get you maximum results.

9. Eat a proper diet for the fitness goals that you are looking to achieve; your diet is paramount. Without the proper nutrition your just going through the motions.

10. You must continually change your training program or your body will adapt, and progress will stop. Never do the same program for more than a month.

11. Have a plan before each workout; know exactly what you are going to work out, and how.

12. Enter your work out with the proper mindset, don’t just go threw the motions. See it, feel it, want it.


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Mind Body Connection, And Your Fitness Goals

The majority of people think that all they have to do is show up in the gym, do some exercises and they will get the body they desire. I watch these people go year after year to the gym with no noticeable changes.





Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the mind body connection. Most people look at working out as a chore and will look for any excuse to get out of it, or they just go through the motions when exercising.

Your probably asking yourself what do i mean by going through the motions isn't that the point of working out, moving something ?.

Well you get out of bed every mourning, eat food every day. These are simple motions or task that anyone can do without any degree of difficulty. Rarely do you ever see anyone fail to be able to do a simple task in life because it requires no great effort in mind, body, or serous commitment.

Now how many people have you seen fail on a diet ?
Fail to build lean muscle on a exercise plan ?

Millions fail, even though they attempted to do so with all the best intentions, so why do they fail ?.

It all comes down to the mind body connection.

I hate to break the news to you but getting in shape is tough, takes a lot of discipline, hard work, and conviction. If it didn't everyone would be in shape, it requires the proper mind set to take your body to another level. Saying no to eating certain foods, and have a never quit attitude when things get tough.

When faced with a difficult task like altering your body, you can find a 100 reason, or a thousand excuses as to why you didn't achieve your fitness goal. If you believe in them, you have just sold yourself short.

To Believe Is To Achieve

To truly understand this watch the picture Rudy, he refused to believe that he couldn't realize his dream, and when faced with failure he didn't quit but worked harder. That's the mind set it takes to achieve your fitness goals.

Pure Desire, See It , Feel it , Taste it, Want It !

The simple act of attempting something never means you will achieve your end goal without pure desire.

How many times have you started something in your life and never finished it ?.

How many times have you attempted something and failed, vowing not to attempt it again ?

How many times have you said to yourself, well i guess its wasn't meant for me ?

How many times have you said, i cant do that ?

How many times have you said, i will do it tomorrow ?

Failure Is Not An Option !

Each and every time you start your work out you should approach it with the attitude and intensity that your life depended on it, simply because it actually does !

I listen to people who are overweight, or just out of shape. They tire easily saying they don't have the energy, or time to exercise. Energy is created, and we all have 24 hours in a day. They only lack proper focus and commitment ( proper mind body connection ). What could possibly be more important then your youth, vitality,longevity and quality of life ?.

Exercise can increase your levels of endorphins, a feel-good chemical that can help you relax and feel more excited about life in general

Have you ever heard the term used being in the zone ?. This is an exercise state of mind when your body is releasing high levels of the feel good endorphins. People think im nuts when i tell them about this, but trust me its the greatest high your body will ever experience. Greater then sex, alcohol or drugs !

Beware it is very addictive LOL

Lets Look At Desire and Conviction:

Scientists say that the chemical dopamine is very important when it comes to habits. Dopamine teaches our brain what it wants and then propels us to get it. Dopamine doesn't distinguish between good habits and bad habits.

Dopamine influences memory, desire, decision making. We know that dopamine is stimulated by learning in the brain. If something unexpected happens, the dopamine learning circuits are engaged. They are in essence telling us to get what you need, to break this cycle of bad habits we need to encourage new habits.

Eating a healthy diet, and following and maintaining a proper exercise plan has to become a habit. Bad habits can be traded for good habits with desire and conviction.

Proper Mind Set !

Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times.

I personally believe i cant get sick, and i don't.

Cortisol prepares our body to confront a threat, for example by raising our heart rate and increasing blood flow to the extremities. It also triggers the release of neurotransmitters called catecholamines, in particular, epinephrine, better known as adrenalin.

Next time you are working out think about something that gets you mad, your blood pumping. I personally use the Rocky theme music, once i turn on my music its time to go to work. Then i use that adrenalin to push myself to that next level.

Stop Negative Thoughts

Chronic stress can reduce levels of serotonin, which can cause depression, anxiety and carbohydrate cravings. It can result in hypertension, which can constrict blood vessels and overstress the heart. It can cause increased susceptibility to illness and infection by lowering white blood cell counts.

It can also result in gastrointestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut syndrome, which can adversely affect energy level, metabolism, and diet.

As you can see proper mind set is critical for your over all health.

So pick yourself up, write down your short term and long term fitness goals on a piece of paper. Attach a picture of someone your would like to resemble fitness wise to the paper. Write on that paper in bold letters at the top, Failure is not an option. And i can do this.

Post it on your refrigerator, and look at it every day and read the top line every morning.

Failure Is Not An Option, And I can Do This !


P.S. What do you do to motivate you ?

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Loose Fat Gain Lean Muscle

Every time i go to the gym 95% of the people working out are all making the same mistake. They just swing the weights from point A to B, or their bouncing the weight off their chest in order to lift more weight.

The biggest misconception is that motion or movement translates into muscle definition and true strenght. Year after year i see the same people working out not looking much different then when they first started, sometimes they look worse.





Don't get me wrong you will see some progress doing this at first,but you will never build any true muscle definition or strenght. Doesn't it make sense if you are going to workout to get the most results you can in the time you are there ?.

Never ever Swing or bounce the weight, ask someone to help you, this is called asking for a spot. When you have someone spot you, you are doing forced reps to take the muscle past failure. It is very dangerous to get into the habit of swinging or bouncing the weight because as you try to lift heaver weights sooner or later you will pull or rip a muscle.

When you work out with weights you need to be in control of the weight from start to finish, next time you do dumbbell curls look at your bicep as you curl the weight upward making sure your elbow is stationary. The best way to learn this technique is to use a preacher curl bench, or an incline bench to support your arm when using dumbbells.

You will notice a few things when doing this, one that you actually can feel the bicep as its working, and a burning sensation in the bicep as its breaking down. Next you will notice you wont be able to lift as much weight as you did before. Congratulations you have just reached muscle failure.

No matter what body part you are working always concentrate on form, without form you are just wasting valuable time.

Want To Know More ? see - Mind Body Connection

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Get Lean Muscle with L- ARGININE

If you are into working out one of the greatest things is to get your muscles pumped in the gym, and to see the veins bulging from your arms. But when you leave the gym in a few hours that pump will disappear, this is one main reason i here people say they like steroids to have that pump all the time.

This is one reason Nitric Oxide Supplements have become the rage, they are legal, safe, but a little pricey for most. One way to safe some money is just supplement with L-Arginine you wont get that extreme pump that the Nitric Oxide supplements provide but you will get some exciting extra benefits.

The benefits and functions attributed to oral ingestion of L-arginine include:

Precursor for the synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO)

Stimulation of the release of the most important anti-aging hormone in the body, growth hormone.

Improves immune function

Reduces healing time of injuries (particularly bone)

Reduces risk of heart disease

Increases muscle mass

Reduces adipose tissue body fat

Helps improve insulin sensitivity

Helps decrease blood pressure

Alleviates male infertility, improving sperm production and motility

Increases circulation throughout the body, including the sex organs

If you are a diabetic Arginine may increase blood sugar levels, so it shouldn't be used by people with diabetes unless under a doctor's supervision.

Pregnant and nursing women and children should not use supplemental L-arginine, as it's safety has not been established.

People with genital herpes should not take L-arginine because it may aggravate their symptoms.

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