I think Lifting and lowering the weight in such a way as to reduce momentum is a good thing
As most of my training is on moderate weights with short rests, my focus is on smooth movements through each exercise and feeling of muscle being targeted doing the most work to ensure maximum involvement. For example, if I am doing squats, I am more concerned with the feeling the muscle being activated and worked rather than just getting the weight up. Latter would require more weight and poorer form.
That is about it for me.
In contrast, when I do my occasional heavy sets or weeks, there is little thought beyond getting weight up according to my skill and leverage strengths.
But it is the lighter work with much greater focus on form and working the muscle that will always be most important if I am to make further gains.
The squat is a key exercise, but one exercise where Like the deadlift are not IMO effective muscle biulders.
It's an isometric muscle builder
Slabs of muscle on the lats and traps for sure
Maxic got pretty fat just flexing the shit out of this muscles
I think the general speed of the movement is important. The more advanced I get the more I am trying to feel the movement out, which is basically just moving it at such a speed at various points
Silverback-
You know, you got to work through the full ROM, this is not possible without the proper negative movement, even safer when moved twice as slow as the positive.
Your statement in the "dip" thread got me thinking, it was a very important comment to make.
I reckon a flexible muscle is a *strong* muscle, if the negative portion of the rep was not *emphasized or not present, then there is no opportunity for the muscle to be safely stretched under load.
You know, you got to work through the full ROM, this is not possible without the proper negative movement, even safer when moved twice as slow as the positive.
I think TUL is important and a good method of judging progression, because we tend to make the rep quicker and the rep shorter as we fatigue and to get that last rep, thinking we have progressed, but in reality we have not.
A super slow negative diminishes the stretch-shortening cycle, thereby diminishing power production, stimulation of fast twitch muscle fibres and ultimately the amount of weight lifted. It will induce more soreness (not necessarily correlative with more growth or strength improvement) and stimulate slower twitch fibres.
I also think that it inhibits a proper movement pattern as you have to create unnecessary tension to be able to control a weight super slowly in a bench press or squat. When performing a movement with a natural rhythm, it is much easier to ensure the right muscles are tight and the right muscles are relaxed.
It is not necessarily safer to slow down the negative. Assuming you are able to keep good positioning, the stretch reflex allows lots of power production in the most mechanically disadvantageous position of the movement and get you out of there quicker, reducing the loading on joints, tendons, ligaments etc.
A slow negative might be better for hypertrophy overall, but you are much more likely to end up big, slow and useless, then if you lift weights more dynamically and in a way that allows you to use the greatest load possible (and safely).
Olympic weightlifters barely perform any negatives. Ring gymnasts mostly hang out in isometric positions. They have no trouble with growth whatsoever, but are obviously considerably stronger than most much bigger bodybuilders who spend all their time under eccentric tension.
Silverback said About the rest of your garbage, opinions will vary.
"Super slow" is another animal.
About the rest of your garbage, opinions will vary.
As I stated this is not about sport and the movements used, it is about exercise.