Yeaaaahhh… not entirely but that’s the gist of it.
The need for a recovery period is not only to clear out metabolites but also to reduce the risk of central fatigue.
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This was a very helpful read. I for one would be very interested in a similar article dealing with TuT and ligaments, tendons, etc.
What about real time under tension…30 sec up then 30 sec down? That’s 2 reps 2 sets getting 4 minutes of tension in a 4 1/2 minute focus. . Easy to get 20 minutes of tension in a 30 minute workout. It’s intense to feel the muscle fibers transitioning as the weight moves so slowly.
It’s a different stimulus and can certainly work IF your sets are taken to the point that it is very hard to complete your rep. I wouldn’t say that it is more effective than traditional lifting, but when you first introduce it, it can give you a boost simply because of the unusual demands.
PERSONALLY I use loaded stretching for 60 to 90 seconds/set for 3-5 set to get a similar effect (plus some other benefits). I just finished writing an article on this topic and will send it to the editors shortly.
PERSONALLY, at the moment almost all of my assistance work is done this way.
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Thank you. YES, contrary to new TUT HIT guys who recommend 90-120s TUT with a weight that is light enough that you don’t need to warm up on, the number of reps has been CLEARLY demonstrated to impact the effects of a set. At a given weight, reps matter.
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How about setting the record straight by making a “The truth about SuperSlow” thread @Christian_Thibaudeau? This would most likely provoke a heated debate - even more so if you were to provide evidence that is has any merit. Personally, I use SuperSlow as another tool for variation. Does the slow negatives involved compensate for the slow positives, in your opinion? (On second thought, please save this question for such a thread).
Here is one issue I have with “relatively slow” reps for time. I use these on lying leg curls and sometimes on pulldowns and machine curls. TIME is supposed to the factor that you try to increase with this type of training, or eventually you want to use heavier load for the same time, but REPS are not considered to be a factor, however I find it easier to do for example 4 reps with continuous tension for 60s than 6 reps with continuous tension for 60s, that is to say, I can handle 10% more weight doing 4 reps, 15s each than 6 reps 10s each so it seems clear to me that repetitions do affect fatigue.
I am going to write an article about it in my “Training methods on trial” series.
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