The Debate: Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Building Muscle

🏋️ There are various factors to consider when lifting weights, including rep schemes, rest, and tempo.

⏱️ The speed at which you lift can affect muscle growth and fatigue.

💪 Slower reps increase time under tension, potentially leading to greater muscle growth.

🏋️‍♂️ Slowing down the negative portion of an exercise can lead to greater muscle growth and strength adaptations.

💪 Eccentric contractions are responsible for muscle tears during lifting, activation of recovery-induced satellite cells, and the release of phosphatidic acid, all of which contribute to muscle growth.

📚 Research on time under tension and its impact on muscle growth is inconclusive.

💡 Greater time under tension with slower reps may not provide significant benefits for building muscle.

🏋️‍♂️ Using lighter weights with slower reps may lead to failure or muscular fatigue sooner.

📚 Studies highlight the importance of volitional failure in maximizing muscle growth effectiveness.

💡 Faster rep speeds allow for lifting heavier weights and recruiting more muscle fibers.

💪 Slower reps mainly target smaller muscle fibers, while faster reps target bigger muscle fibers.

🏋️‍♂️ Reaching muscular fatigue and increasing total work volume are vital for muscle growth.

💪 Slow rep training may not recruit as many muscle fibers simultaneously as faster reps, hindering muscle growth stimulation and strength.

🏋️‍♂️ Slower reps result in lower weights, total volume, and gains, but they are not completely useless.

🔥 Eccentric-focused sets, known as 'negatives,' can be used as finishing sets to enhance gains and control the weight during the lowering phase.

🏋️‍♀️ A slower rep scheme is good for beginners to work on form and prevent injury.

⚖️ Controlling your speed during reps allows you to control the weight.

💪 If lifting faster or slower works for you, stick with the speed you are used to.