I keep hearing about the slow burn, slow method, of weight lifting. Apparently it’s 1 set, low reps, high weight, 10 seconds to lift and 10 seconds to lower, lift to fatigue, one 20 minute session a week, all on machines[sup]*[/sup]
Anyone know anything about this? Tried it? Seen other people at your gym doing it? What do you think? I like the time saving aspect but it sounds odd.
[sup]* Especially the all machines. I was always taught that you wanted to lift freeweights because it would keep one side from getting stronger than the other and build the stabilizing muscles. Is using all machines a good thing?[/sup]
I have had good luck with this method, although I do 3 sessions a week. I have seen an increase in both muscle and strength AND I am finding that the pain in my joints seems to be going away (slowly.) It is very gentle on my joints.
Hereis a pretty good article on the subject. Basically, it seems that it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For bodybuilding, slow is good. For performance, fast is better.
Forget about free weights keeping you symetrical. When I was lifting, all we used were free weights and a friend of mine got a very lopsided chest after about 3 months of cheating, both with dumb bell flys and bench press because he was doing too much too fast before both sides reached equal strength. His right pec was quite visibly larger and sharper than his left, and his left shoulder was much more defined than his left. If you cheat, be it on free weights or machines, you’ll go lopsided someplace. Best to drop 10 pounds of weight and do it right rather than worrying about your image in the gym.
The technique works. Anything that taxes your muscles to a ‘burn’ is working. This however is usually considered an advanced technique. People use this to get past plateaus and stimulate growth. If your not used to heavy weights or are new to training, I wouldn’t reccomend it. You couls injure yourself.
Using machines where this is concerned is preferable. The weights will not crash down on top of you if your muscles suddenly give out. It is a safety thing. For general weightlifting, I prefer free wights. I like the pump, they make you use proper form and the fact that it does haelp build ‘stabilizer’ muscles. I also love the feel of the knurled steel bar in my hands.
I don’t like the rigidness of machines, although they can be a nice part of a full workout.
his left shoulder much more defined than his right… his right shoulder.
Lot’s of stuff on the cult of HIT (high intensity training) here:
http://www.cyberpump.com/index.shtml
A lot of people I’ve talked to or read about have experienced a loss of muscle mass when using a slow cadence. You still have to try it and decide if it’s for you.
I felt like I was losing strength in my legs and elsewhere. You have to lower the weight from what you normally use to effectively use this method, and I found that I couldn’t lift as much when I went back to normal. I’m more of a fast-twitch muscle fiber guy anyway.
slight hijack…
If I’m doing spot training on just certain muscles, do I burn fat from that area spcifically, or do I just burn fat from whichever is the easiest store?
(eg, I working on my pecks in the hope of trying to drop a few cup sizes. Is this actually gonna work, or am I more likely to burn fat from my gut cos it’s easier to access?)
ta!