How do you like your reps?

[Tweakle]

I've been thinking about this for a while, people post up their poundages but never really say how they're lift the weight.. be it explosive, slow, squeezing each rep or whatever each style makes a big difference to the amount you can lift.

Personally I adopt a 'whatever it takes' attitude to getting the weights up, which usually involves an fast but non-explosive positive with a 2-4 second negative on each rep (with absolutely no cheating or bouncing). It works pretty well for strength but maybe it's not optimal for hypertrophy.

How do you take yours?

 

[wannabebig1]

I change them up often to help with muscle growth.. ill go slow for a few weeks , then fast then back ,....

 

[General Sus]

Low and Heavy Bro Low and Heavy!

 

[Cuthbert]

I try to push out my reps as fast as possible. IMO training slow will make me less explosive.. and I can't afford that.

 

[WalkingBeast]

My rep speed varies depending on the exercise, or how I feel that day. I like to switch it up. Deadlifts are always done with as much explosiveness as possible, trying to get them up as quickly as possible, and I often drop the weight , sometimes Ill control the weight down more. Some days Ill just jerk the hell out of the weight. Like with dumbell rows, or even barbell/dumbell curls. I try to keep them pretty strict, but I like to power the weight up. I wont hesitate to use momentum if need be to complete a set, or get a few extra reps. I do so many sets overall though, so I get alot of variety. Ill do sets of curls for example, where I move the weight very slow and controlled. As for bouncing, Ill use it sometimes. When doing partial deadlifts off the power rack, sometimes Ill bounce the bar off the pins for some extra reps. Also, when going for rep PR's on flat bench, Ill bounce out the last few reps to get them, if need be. Not a full bounce, but definately a little impact at the bottom. Makes up for my weaker days. When Im stronger, I have more control and can balst the weight off my chest from almost a complete stop and get the target reps. I never pause the weight on my chest intentionally though. My goal is to get a rep PR by any means.. Hope that helps

 

[needsize]

for me everything is pretty slow and very much in control, often with pauses, ie, I do a slight pause at the bottom of every squat

 

[Dave949]

for me everything is pretty slow and very much in control, often with pauses, ie, I do a slight pause at the bottom of every squat

Ditto. Ditto.

Although I do not "explode" when coming out of the hole, I do try to "accelerate" , so its not exploding nor is it going slow. A controlled explosion perhaps.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

I've been thinking about this for a while, people post up their poundages but never really say how they're lift the weight.. be it explosive, slow, squeezing each rep or whatever each style makes a big difference to the amount you can lift.

Personally I adopt a 'whatever it takes' attitude to getting the weights up, which usually involves an fast but non-explosive positive with a 2-4 second negative on each rep (with absolutely no cheating or bouncing). It works pretty well for strength but maybe it's not optimal for hypertrophy.

How do you take yours?

sounds more like HIT- slow speed, very consistent/ controlled lowering & raising the weight vs. MS/PT which is more explosive movements. I use a combination of the two.

 

[coolcolj]

depends on where in the training cycle I am, but concentrics are usually explosive

I have pauses at the bottom for strength phases, with controlled slow eccentrics, and when working on power fast up and down. And off course somewhere in ebtween when working on speedstrnegth and strength speed
During limit strength phases, I lift in a way as to get the heaviest weights up in good form - no tempo control

 

[kiloamp]

I lift as explosive as possible, keeping good form and not with excessive speed as to stress joints for non-ballistic movements such as squats, bench etc.

 

[onerepmaximum]

There's a reason Needsize looks the way that he does. Slow and in control for me too.

 

[Lord_Suston]

hmmm, my major lifts are 2 sec down and maybe 1.5-2 sec up with a slight pause at the bottom of each move, my accessory lifts have a slower negaitve and faster concentric. My isometric are done either for 5 or 10 secs

 

[Tweakle]

Interesting set of replies guys, thanks.

There's a reason Needsize looks the way that he does

If needsize's physique is a testiment to the effictiveness of slower reps then I'm certainly going to experiement with a less forceful positive once this bulking/strength period is finished

 

[coolcolj]

slower concentric = less tension on muscles

if you have 100lbs on the bar to move it fast requires more than 100lbs of tension, the faster you move it, the more so.
If you move it slowly then you are only recruiting just enough fibers to keep the bar moving. If you move it fast as possible, acclerating as hard as possible, you are using almost as much voluntary force as a 1 rep max - that means more fibers recruited

The eccentric is what you want to slow down if your after size gains. A faster concentric will allow you to use move weight, so you can load the eccentric better

 

[protobe]

mine varies as well i think you need to vary it to work different parts of the muscle. Ive seen videos of Lou Faregno and he did it differently too, the ones i saw he was pushing that shit fast. if i'm going to failure and do drop sets i'll just push push push but if i'm working on total conraction i'll go slow and hard.

 

[gymtime]

Slow and controlled on all lifts, even squats. I always put form ahead of weight, which means I lift quite a bit less than other guys of my size and experience. I'll cheat a little on the last rep or two, but that's about it. Lucky for me I lost my "gym ego" several years ago.

 

[needsize]

I find with my old injuries I have to go really slow, if I do they dont really bother me, but when I go fast everything hurts

 

[guldukat]

I like my reps just fine, thanks

Oops, no I don't. I want MORE!

Seriously, it sounds like an oxymoron, but I try to explode through the positive in a "controlled" manner. The speed of negatives varies greatly depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes, like if my joints are bothering me, I'll slow them down significantly, but they're already pretty slow.

I tend to not pause at the top of many movements, save calf raises. I'll only pause at the bottom of presses and such long enough to avoid a bounce.