When I observe people training with weights or doing resistance training, I notice that the majority do the exercises with fast movements.

I often wonder if these people realise that the faster they move, the more different muscles they use, and the more different muscles they use, the less they stress the specific ones that they're trying to work.

For example, if you move quickly when performing a biceps curl, you're likely to shrug your shoulders, bend your legs and arch your back. And the more you do, the less involved your biceps will be in the lift. Conversely, when you move slowly, the muscles you target do more work. Not only that, but you're less apt to suffer from tears and overstressed joints.

Feeling your way

Working out slowly also has meditative effects. As you focus on moving slowly, you'll be more conscious of how you feel, and paying attention to how you feel is going to improve your results.

It's considerably harder to focus when you lift weights at a rapid speed. When your mindset is "loose" about being positioned correctly and about how movements feel, your mind is more likely to wander (which makes you more vulnerable to getting hurt). You will also tend to miss details that are critical to your success ? for example, stabilising your joints and avoiding momentum when starting a lift.

In addition, I've found that when people do weight-training workouts at rapid speeds, they finish them feeling fatigued, but not in the right way.

For example, they're frequently out of breath and complain about pain in their joints. Instead of feeling the muscles they've targeted, their whole body feels tired and sore.

Making it count

How slowly should you move, then, to achieve your best results? In general, the lifting phase should be four to six seconds long. The lowering phase should always be about six to eight seconds long (this will vary depending on how far you have to move; for example, the greater the movement range, the longer each movement will take). Presumably, this is much slower than the two/four count you usually use when training, so expect it to feel a bit awkward at first (as well as a lot more intense).

With practice and patience, however, you will adjust to the rhythm and flow, and once you do, you'll come to appreciate why this approach is advised.

In case you're wondering why I consider this cadence best, it's mainly because it has worked better than the other approaches I've tried. This includes lifting a weight to a count of 10 (as some super-slow proponents suggest) and also moving far more quickly.

The key, is eliminating the momentum from every lift. You don't need to move so slowly that you risk being bored to sleep, but you need to move slowly enough to ensure the right muscles are maximally stressed. Unless you are specifically working on explosive lifts, you also need to move slowly enough to avoid stressing your joints. If you have pain in your elbows, shoulders or knees, it's a sign to slow down.

When lifting weights at a rapid speed, there's more chance that muscles will tear. This happens much like a rubber band frays when it's pulled and released very fast (pull and release it slowly, though, and you'll see that it doesn't fray at all). When a muscle fiber frays or tears, the result can be quite severe: Scar tissue builds, adhesions form and muscles become very tight.

Throwing it all away

When most people train, they technically aren't "lifting" weights. In fact, I see more weight "throwers" than I do "lifters" at the gym. Weight throwers move very quickly using the heaviest weight they can, failing to work their muscles throughout a maximum movement range.

In order to train more slowly, you will have to use less weight. Start by using 60 percent of the weight you normally use. Remember, it's not how much you use; it's how well you use it! If you can't do at least six reps with perfect form, reduce the weight. If you're able to do 10 reps with perfect form, increase the weight.

Patience is a virtue

Slow-movement training takes discipline, but the payoff is great. Even if slower lifting doesn't really appeal to you, you might still want to incorporate this type of approach into your periodization program and observe the results.

With more than 10 years of using and studying this technique, I have all the proof I need that training this way leads to greater gains. Granted, it's not for everyone. Many folks aren't patient enough, and some people simply prefer how it feels to lift at a faster speed. If this describes you, my suggestion is this: Slow down as much as you can. You should find that it helps you to focus and leads you to faster and greater success.