How Important Is it to Accelerate?

Training Bodybuilding
1

I always go to failure on my exercises.

However, it seems like if I focus on pushing up as fast as possible I can lift more weight, for squats for example. I can maybe do 1 extra rep.

If I slow down on the way up, I go to failure more easily. However, the exercise is just as hard if not harder.

Anyways, I am asking because it seems that on the last rep I unconciously slow down. Anybody else? Your thoughts?

I always try to give my all on every set and question myself afterwards as to whether I could have done an extra rep or not.

2

i always end up slowing down on the last 1-3 reps (i work around 6-15 reps for all my exercises), i think it’s a common occurence

i try to be careful with that “i can always do one more rep” mentality because it is easy to go past failure on one set, rest a minute until the next set and then have 20% of the previous reps on this next set because you blew all your energy

3

Thibs had an article on here about high threshold muscle fiber recruitment, and how accelerating on the positive portion of the lift will end up working more fibers (it was actually a very cool article). Still, I think most folks will just lose a little steam towards the end, and no matter how hard they try, the bar will just slow a bit compared to the earlier repetitions.

S

4

[quote]cyph31 wrote:
i always end up slowing down on the last 1-3 reps (i work around 6-15 reps for all my exercises), i think it’s a common occurence

i try to be careful with that “i can always do one more rep” mentality because it is easy to go past failure on one set, rest a minute until the next set and then have 20% of the previous reps on this next set because you blew all your energy[/quote]

Rest pause anyone?.

As long you’re under control I believe in explosive positives and if you’re not slowing down by the end of a set it isn’t the end of the set.

5 
                                         Just wanna point out that performing slow, very controlled reps does boost levels of growth hormones and insulinlike growth factor -1. So there are advantages to working slow as well. Just use variety in your rep speed, don't always keep the same pace, it keeps your body guessing and recruiting more fast-twitch fibers.
6

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
cyph31 wrote:

i try to be careful with that “i can always do one more rep” mentality because it is easy to go past failure on one set, rest a minute until the next set and then have 20% of the previous reps on this next set because you blew all your energy

Rest pause anyone?.
[/quote]

Haha, yeah I was thinking the same thing Tirib. But, what does “it is easy to go past failure” mean? It’s pretty damn hard to go past failure, you must either decrease the weight, rest briefly, or have someone spot you for forced reps or negatives, and it’s not something that’s going to happen by accident.

[quote]
As long you’re under control I believe in explosive positives and if you’re not slowing down by the end of a set it isn’t the end of the set.[/quote]

Yup.

7

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:

if you’re not slowing down by the end of a set it isn’t the end of the set.[/quote]

the sound of approval resonating from the crowd

8

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Thibs had an article on here about high threshold muscle fiber recruitment, and how accelerating on the positive portion of the lift will end up working more fibers (it was actually a very cool article). Still, I think most folks will just lose a little steam towards the end, and no matter how hard they try, the bar will just slow a bit compared to the earlier repetitions.

S
[/quote]

Wasn’t that CW’s article? Or did they both write one.

Ya if you intentionally go slower, it will be harder, but harder doesn’t mean better. It just means your using less motor units and thats why its harder.

9

Actually, you’d also find a lot of BBers who train in this way whether they realize it or not. I recall Yates talking in an old article about how he would alays try to ‘explode’ on the positive portion and then slow down the negative… and he looked pretty solid. Maybe it worked.

S