The idea of being extra deliberate with your movements during a workout session has been proven to make a more efficient and effective for elongating muscles. Your whole movement is important.
The idea of slow and steady exercise is not just about the outside appearance of your body from training, its about improving heart and lung function, as well as building strong bones and joints.
Dr. Azma Masood is the director of the Rev5 clinic in Windsor and said in The Sydney Morning Herald, that slow exercise also engages the slow-twitch fibers in our muscles – fatigue-resistant and good for endurance training – which store the most glycogen in the body. “That glycogen then gets mobilized and used as energy, rather than being stored as fat. Plus, when you exercise muscles slowly, it means you are not risking injury. You can also perform the movements precisely to gain maximum benefit. She further states that slow exercise is not an easy ride, however. Dr Masood adds: It is harder. To be effective, you have to get to the point of muscle fatigue. My trainer pushes me to the stage where I can’t move my muscles any more – even if my life depended on it. Afterwards, you feel spent.
You always hear body builders talk about doing slow and steady cardio for decades in order to drop body-fat while maintaining muscle. That cardio heart rate increases with the with the slow, steady and controlled movements.
I have found over the years that a combination of slow and steady training along with HIIT training to really hit my cardio is the perfect combo to build lean and long muscles but also keep my energy up and my metabolism burning fat.
When you train, don’t forget to focus on your movements. I’d love to hear if you can see or feel the difference after a few weeks.
