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Anyone given super slow an honest try? If so, what were the results?

Yes. Results depend upon the TUL. If the TUL exceeds 80 s, I don′t gain in size/strength because the weight is sufficiently taxing. When I kept the TUL to 40-60 s I was able to handle heavy weight, and by doing this, I was able to increase workout intensity and make gains.

Hey Transformingpower,

Well, I don′t think this is classified as super slow, but here I go. I found with doing regular reps, taking 2 sec. to raise and lower the weight, my upper back was NOT growing or getting sore. I soon changed the TUL to taking around 5-6 sec. to raise and lower, with a 2-3 sec. hold at the top of the range of motion. The results: I grew VERY quickly, and got VERY sore.

Later

Garrett & Searcher – Found both of your inputs interesting. Searcher, I would tend to agree with your observation about shorter TUL. Still want to be able to handle decent poundages after all.

Regarding what is actually ′super-slow,′ I notice some of the more prominent super slow advocates are going to a rep cadence closer to 5/5, rather than 10/5 with good results.

I′ve never given super slow an honest shot, but based on what I′m hearing it does work. So I am going to try it out myself now. Though the reduced poundages will be humbling, I′m sure.

I′m interested in SS, because I feel it may not only work better than the traditional HIT rep speed of 2/4, but also from a safety point of view.

Of course, young HITers tend not to think too much about safety. But I am almost 40 and I train people for a living as well. You can disregard your own safety all you want, but if you train athletes or others, you had best not injure them! And at 40, I know I can injure myself easier than when i was 20.

So the possibility that SS may work as advertised; i.e. better results AND better safety, that gets my attention.

My only concern with clients, is that SS may be so hard, that long-term compliance becomes an issue. Because no exercise program is effective if people won′t do it. I′ve tried SS before, for like one workout, and noticed it produced quite a lactic acid burn very quickly. I did not even have to be under load for long, for the burn to hit me.

Good gosh…I am rambling again. Must be the serotonin all that Christmas stuffing has stimulated.

The trick to superslow is to use a weight that honestly takes you 5-10 seconds to raise, not grab a light weight and intentionally slow down your rep cadence. This is the main point that most people miss.