Slow movement exercise, also know as slow-motion, involves performing movements in a deliberate and controlled manner, often emphasizing the eccentric (lengthening) phase of the exercises. This type of training offers several benefits:
1. Muscle Engagement and Time Under Tension: Slowing down the movement increases the time the muscles are tension. This can lead to greater muscle fibre recruitment, leading to increased muscles strength and growth.
2. Increased Strength Gains: Slow movement training can lead to significant strength gains, particularly in the eccentric phase. This is because the eccentric portion of an exercises can handle more load than the concentric (shortening) phase.
3. Enhanced Mind-Muscle Connection: Slower movements encourage a stronger connection between your mind and the muscles being worked. You become more aware of the muscles contraction and can focus on proper engagement.
4. Mindful Practice: Slower movements encourage a more mindful approach to exercises. You can play closer attention to your form, breathing, and overall technique.
5. Improved Control and Balance: Moving more slowly allows for better control over your body and its movements. This can be especially important for exercises that require stability and balance.
6. Reduced Joint Stress: Rapid movements can sometimes put unnecessary stress on joints. Slow movement exercises are gentler on the joints, reducing the risk of injury.
7 Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: Slow movement exercises are often recommended for injury prevention and rehabilitation. They allow for controlled low-impact movements that can help rebuilt strength and stability in injured areas.
8. Reduced Momentum and Cheating: Rapid movements can freely on momentum, making it easier to cheat by using other muscle groups or improper form.
9 . Adaptability: Slow movement exercises can be adapted to suit various fitness levels. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner, you can adjust the intensity and difficulty of the exercises to meet your needs.
10. Neuromuscular Re-education: Deliberate, unhurried motions enhance the connection between the brain and muscles, aiding in the re-establishment of proper movement patterns.
It is important to note that the slow movement training doesn’t mean every exercise should be done at a snail’s pace. Incorporating a variety of tempos into your workout routine can be beneficial for well-rounded approach to fitness. It is now gaining popularity over all over the world, especially with weight training.
The basic taijiquan form is done slowly to build the internal power/strength and correct alignment of the body. Only when the practitioner has achieved correct mastery of the first form, she/he should progress to the second forms with faster moves and jumps, and weapons training which is used as for overall strengthening of the body because practising with weapons will force you to use stabilizer muscles.
You can read a research paper published by PubMed “Effects of Regular and Slow Speed Resistance Training on Muscle Strength”. Super-slow training resulted in about 50 percent greater increase in strength for both men and women than regular speed training.
Why slow repetition exercises are good to build muscle strength
The muscles do more of the actual work. This can improve your overall strength and muscular size. Both slow and fast twitch muscles fibres are recruited, imparting gains in both. At the start of a slow repetition set, slow twitch fibres are predominately used.
Slow Squats
Slowing down the tempo of the exercise puts the muscles under tension and strained for longer period of time. This allows for more muscle growth and more strength gains. Full squats slow motion is a squat fundamental exercise. Gluteus, Quadriceps and hamstrings are mainly strengthened during this lateral movement.
This article was compiled using various sources from the Internet.