REP speed..

[the shadow]

can plz any one tell me that wich type of rep speeds produce best muscle growth fast or slow.i have a tendency to rep really fast on few exercises..so can any plzz tell me are fast reps ok or should i rep slower.someone plzz tell me this..

[pumpster]

This is controversial and is also related to strictness; there is no exact answer. IMO the most generally effective form is fairly strict, at conventional speed; after reaching failure use a slight cheat that is just enough to get the weight moving the sticking point that otherwise results in failure.

Some guys though find that using a slight cheat works all the way from the beginning of the set.

A smaller number use very strict form which involves slower reps-i'm not sure whether this is more effective when factoring in the additional consideration of psychological appeal-if it seems better but is gruelling it might not work in practice over time.

Try every variation, then consider both the effectiveness and your ability to continue to do this-will it appeal? If not, maybe that alternative can at least be used short-term as a shock. HIT's a good example in which for some it's effective but physically unappealing.

A variation of super-slow would be negative reps; according to some theories this is effective in development, and heavier weights can be used for the negatives.

Therefore try each type, decide which one satisfies both in terms of physical effectiveness and mental appeal-there may be a divergence so decide based on both.

[the shadow]

This is controversial and is also related to strictness; there is no exact answer. IMO the most generally effective form is fairly strict form at conventional speed then after reaching failure use a slight cheat that will allow the weight to keep moving through the sticking point that otherwise results in failure. Some guys though find that using a slight cheat works all the way from the beginning of the set. A smaller number use very strict form which involves slower reps-i'm not sure whether this is more effective when factoring in the additional consideration of psychological appeal-if it seems better but is gruelling it might not work in practice over time. A variation of that would be negative reps, in which only the return portion of the ROM is super-slow-according to some theories this is effective in development, and heavier weights can be used for the negatives.

Therefore try each type, decide which one satisfies in terms of both physical effectiveness and mental appeal-there may be a divergence so try and decide based on both.

hey man like for eg when i do flat bench press i tend to go very fast.its more like an up and down motion.i have tried it lifting slower but i tend to loose balance on it.this is the same case when i do militray presses.its like an up and down motion going down fast and coming up fast.my fuckin gym trainers don't tell me that wich reps are good for growth.so i am jus going by my instincts.there are alot of pros who go really fast reps such as ronnie coleman,warren,johnnie jackson,shawn ray.i once read in flex mag rep seps does not matter that much,the thing thats matter the most is the pump.so whats right then??

[ozman]

so what's right ?


the one that gives you more growth

i find i have to change it up all the time

rep speed

set's

volume

everything

[WOOO]

i've always found it rewarding to slow my rep speed as a set progresses (using heavy weight sort of forces you to do this anyway)...

i think rep speed is irrellevant as long as you control the weight during the reps...

[pumpster]

hey man like for eg when i do flat bench press i tend to go very fast.its more like an up and down motion.i have tried it lifting slower but i tend to loose balance on it.this is the same case when i do militray presses.its like an up and down motion going down fast and coming up fast.my fuckin gym trainers don't tell me that wich reps are good for growth.so i am jus going by my instincts.there are alot of pros who go really fast reps such as ronnie coleman,warren,johnnie jackson,shawn ray.i once read in flex mag rep seps does not matter that much,the thing thats matter the most is the pump.so whats right then??

As long as you're feeling it in the muscle (or pump, as they said) and aren't getting injured, go with what feels right. Just make sure you warm up well first, and keep the reps in the moderate 7-10 range so that you won't get injured.

If you're not feeling it in the muscle, or just want to try other things to see if there's something better, try slowing it down, try negatives, try cheats under control-a whole range of training methods, then decide.

[GoneAway]

I think Arnold said go the fastest you can go whilst maintaining the best possible form. That's what I try to do. For things like leg curls, I can rep it pretty fast and maintain good form as it's not hard for me, plus I need that "animal-type" attitude to get through the sets, which in turn makes me rep fast. For things like shoulder press, I would hate to rep that out fast as I see it as a potential injury.

Question: do you release/involve more testosterone by repping fast and hyping yourself up more (so to speak) during the exercise? If so, is it a good thing?

[the shadow]

I think Arnold said go the fastest you can go whilst maintaining the best possible form. That's what I try to do. For things like leg curls, I can rep it pretty fast and maintain good form as it's not hard for me, plus I need that "animal-type" attitude to get through the sets, which in turn makes me rep fast. For things like shoulder press, I would hate to rep that out fast as I see it as a potential injury.

Question: do you release/involve more testosterone by repping fast and hyping yourself up more (so to speak) during the exercise? If so, is it a good thing?

i pretty much do the same.today i did some delts and i kinda slowed my rep speed today on the shoulder.earlier i used to rep really fast in the military press.but still can't get this that why the hell my speed is lighting fast in the bench press.its like the heavier the weight on the bar the faster my reps become.jaut see pro bodybuilders like warren,coleman,johnnie jackson,shawn ray the heavier they lift the more faster the rep speed becomes.but i have heard this alot of times that its best to workout with feeling the pump with slower reps..but as pumpster said as long as you fell the pump its all ok

[GoneAway]

i pretty much do the same.today i did some delts and i kinda slowed my rep speed today on the shoulder.earlier i used to rep really fast in the military press.but still can't get this that why the hell my speed is lighting fast in the bench press.its like the heavier the weight on the bar the faster my reps become.jaut see pro bodybuilders like warren,coleman,johnnie jackson,shawn ray the heavier they lift the more faster the rep speed becomes.but i have heard this alot of times that its best to workout with feeling the pump with slower reps..but as pumpster said as long as you fell the pump its all ok

It's all about getting the muscles to do the work. If they're contracting and the weight is under control (less chance of injury) then it's all good. I don't think fast negatives are a good idea, but that's because it's what I've read at different places and haven't heard any different. If it's working for you and you're feeling fine, then can't argue with that. Just be careful and listen to your body. Also read up on how to perform exercises properly if you have any doubts.

[JPM]

BB'ing muscle growth will best adapt to a faster rep scheme with shorter (45-60 seconds) rest between sets. You want the greater degree of tension in the shortest period of time. Anyway that's the main theory about getting muscle size, though it may not be the best option for everyone. This does not always mean light to moderate weight, with by the book perfect form. Most very large BB'ers (and Pro's) use very heavy weights with short range reps, at a very fast pace. Maybe 1/2 to 3/4 reps, never full ROM's.

Art Jones and others had the idea of having a slower duration on a working muscle. Curl and chins for example. Maybe 30 seconds up and 30 seconds down (negative) in perfect form. You are going to get a whacked out pump and extreme muscle soreness from this. But a pump or soreness is never a gage that muscle growth will follow. A pump is just that, a gorging and backing up of blood in muscle tissue., not muscle growth. Though it does give a feeling that your accomplishing something and are getting bigger.

Then you have power lifters who, at a slower rep pace, might do sets of 2's or 3's with lot's of rest between set's. Now they don't have the pretty muscles like most BB'ers but they do have massive muscle size. And they are very, very strong. Olympic lifters preform very fast, quick lift with those set's of 2's & 3's. Lot of rest between attempts. They are also very massive men.

Take your pick and see what will match your genetic code. Some guy's will get big doing just about any style of training. Most will have to experiment to see what best fits their needs for muscle size for the fastist results. Good Luck.

[Mr. Intenseone]

Tempo training.......4-0-1 or 5-0-1!

[barnabas]

Tempo training.......4-0-1 or 5-0-1!

IMO this is the best way, slow on the way down/negative and then explode up/positive.  There isn't just one way or a best way.  I think you should switch up your tempos once in a while.  But the most effective for me has been 4-0-1.