Are your 2012 New Year's fitness resolutions a distant memory?
Have you been frustrated by years of yo-yo dieting, fad diets and exercise crazes?
Do you dread going to the gym after a long, stressful day at work?
If you answered YES to any of the above, then SuperSlow workouts could be the permanent solution you're looking for. SuperSlow training is not entirely new, it was first popularised in the early 1980's by Ken Hutchins, a researcher at The University of Florida Medical School. SuperSlow is once again seeing a massive resurgence in interest thanks to the successful studies carried out by Dr. Doug McGuff in the United States. His trials have shown this type of training to be so effective, that results can be achieved in just one or two 15 minute sessions per week... YES that's a total of 30 minutes per week!
SuperSlow training is, unsurprisingly, the practice of lifting weights really slowly. Each repetition takes around 15 seconds to complete, roughly 10 seconds down and 5 seconds up. This is much slower than more conventional training methods! The emphasis is on lifting very slowly, using correct technique, and really feeling the weight as you lift it. This style of training prevents any cheating i.e. swinging the weights with momentum, and means ALL the work is done by your muscles alone. Lifting weights in this fashion is incredibly hard, leading to complete muscle fatigue in just one set of between 4 and 8 repetitions!
SuperSlow workouts aim to target the entire body in one session, using five different exercises that cover the upper body, lower body and core. As in a circuit class, each exercise is performed one after the other, but crucially with NO rest in between. Such is the fatigue at the end of the sequence, there is no need to repeat the exercises, and 12 to 15 minutes is a realistic time frame. While this may sound ridiculously short, once you've tried it, you will realise that it's really all you can manage! To ensure optimum recovery and guarantee improvements in fitness and strength, you should work out a maximum of twice per week.
Try the sample workout below, which I have been following twice a week for the past month. In 4 weeks I have added 20 kilos to my Bench Press, and lost 2 inches from my waist! If you don't have access to a gym, you can use alternative exercises like press-ups, lunges and squats. Pick a weight you can do a maximum of 4 to 8 reps with, and remember it's the SuperSlow speed and quality of the movement that is important!
1.Lat Pulldown
2.Chest Press
3.Seated Row
4.Shoulder Press
5.Leg Press
What does SuperSlow training do?
•Rapidly increases strength and muscular endurance
•Improves muscle tone and bone density
•Turbocharges your metabolism enhancing weight loss
•Reduces injury due to slow repetition speed
Who would benefit from SuperSlow training?
•Virtually everyone, male or female, regardless of age or fitness levels
•Individuals who have hit a training plateau with more conventional workouts
•People recovering from muscular injuries, particularly those aggravated by fast movements
•Time-strapped individuals who have little spare time for working out
•Gymphobics who hate the gym, but could manage 10 to 15 minutes of exercise
For more of the science behind SuperSlow training, visit Dr. McGuff's body by science website.
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