How slo-mo workouts can take your fitness further
Dialling down your speed when you exercise may bring more benefits than you realise. Here’s how to make the most of slow resistance training.
We are used to hard and fast workouts, but the latest in exercise trends is slowing things right down.
Resistance training at snail’s pace is said to intensify the exercise experience as without the help of momentum your muscles are doing all the work.
Here is what you need to know.
What is slow resistance training?
There might be some buzz around slow resistance training of late but it’s not a recent phenomenon.
Developed in the 1980s by Ken Hutchins, the SuperSlow program was initially created as a way for women dealing with osteoporosis to be able to do resistance training.
Research on the program found participants ended up with a 50 per cent gain in strength when training slowly for 8-10 weeks.
Essentially, slow resistance training involves either lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises at a slow speed, which in turn is said to use and fatigue muscles more.
Why speed matters when you train
So, what really happens to the body when you train slowly versus when you train fast?
“You’ll feel the muscles shortening or contracting and then lengthening a lot more throughout the process,” University of Sydney exercise and sports science lecturer Dr Daniel Hackett says.
“A person will feel that it’s harder just because the movement is slowed down and the muscle is more consistently under tension.
“That’s where a person would, probably, feel a bit more discomfort when performing exercises at a slower speed compared to at a faster speed.”
It is also a more mindful way of exercising.
Doing exercise moves quickly can often mean we are just going through the motions, but being forced to slow down allows for more concentration on technique.
Dr Hackett says there is also a greater focus on the muscles that you are using and “that can have a good benefit towards your understanding of how the body functions”.
Flow Athletic director Ben Lucas says this style of training will increase your strength and should improve your muscle tone.
“There is also much less risk of injury, as when you are moving that slowly you are likely to be paying more attention to your form,” Ben says.
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How slow training gets results
While how quickly you are performing each movement matters, there is one thing we should not forget.
“Load is a critical element as well,” Dr Hackett says.
“So, it’s not just about the speed. It’s about how heavy the weight is that you’re lifting.
“Essentially, in order to make progress with your resistance workouts, you need to gradually make them harder.
“If you’re not progressively overloading, and if you’re not challenging the muscles, then the muscles are not going to adapt, and you won’t see much improvement.”
Ben recommends incorporating this style of strength training as part of a varied workout routine. “Research shows that you would only need to do this style of training session 1-2 days a week to get results,” Ben says.
“However, you should definitely be training more than 1-2 days a week, so include some running, power walking, cycling and maybe a few fitness classes into your schedule just to make sure you are doing enough daily activity.”
Written by Tania Gomez.
