If you’d like some help implementing this strategy in your own training, click here to contact me for coaching.
If you’re not familiar with the idea of super slow training, you’re not alone: it fell out of popularity quite a while ago, and for good reason. Super slow training grew out of the high-intensity protocols Arthur Jones used to train Mike Mentzer and Casey Viator back in the 1970s. The idea behind super slow training is simple: lift and lower a weight as slowly as possible. In theory, the level of control required for and time under tension generated by super slow training allows a lifter to push harder, stay safer, and build more strength and muscle than he could using traditional protocols.
In practice, that’s not the case. Lifting with an extremely slow tempo requires lifting relatively light weights — too light to maximize results. Plus, it gets pretty boring. The honest truth is that super slow training on its own is not very effective.
On the other hand, super slow techniques used as part of a well-designed powerlifting program can take your training to the next level. In the rest of this article, I’ll give you some suggestions on how to do exactly that.
The Benefits of Super Slow Training
You have to understand the unique benefits of super slow training to properly apply it to your training. In my mind, super slow training offers three advantages over more traditional powerlifting methods.
Improved movement patterning.
Rushing a lift is the single most common technique fault I see in the lifters I coach — and it’s a particularly frustrating one, because rushing a lift typically results in technique breakdowns in multiple areas of a lift at the same time. For example, divebombing a squat might cause a lifter to lose balance in the hole and shift his center of gravity backward; and bouncing a bench might result in early elbow flare. (In competition, an advanced lifter might intentionally employ a fast eccentric to create a strong stretch reflex, but most beginner and intermediate lifters haven’t developed enough of a groove to take advantage of that technique.)
Slowing a movement down with super slow training requires that a lifter prioritize balance. It also creates the time needed to remember and apply new verbal cues. While not foolproof, in my experience, that combination is often enough to correct any technique faults in just a handful of sessions.
Decreased loading.
Earlier in this article, I mentioned one drawback of super slow training: it requires the use of relatively light weights. In the context of a powerlifting program, that drawback can become an advantage. Grinding on near-maximal weights week in and week out can beat a lifter up pretty darn quickly, and occasional use of super slow training can significantly mitigate the fatigue generated during a hard mesocycle. Take a look at these two hypothetical 4-week scenarios:
Lifter 1
Week 1: comp squat x1@8, 85%x3x4
Week 2: comp squat x3@8, 90%x3x2
Week 3: comp squat x2@9, 95%x2x1
Week 4: comp squat 5RM
Lifter 2
Week 1: comp squat x1@8, 85%x3x4
Week 3: comp squat x3@8, 90%x3x2
Week 3: comp squat x2@9, 95%x2x1
Week 4: super slow squat x5@7, x5@8, x5@9
I’d be willing to bet that lifter 1 will need a deload after this mesocycle, but lifter 2 will be able to keep pushing for another few weeks of productive training.
Increased resilience.
Maintaining a super slow tempo during a hard set requires quite a bit of discipline, and that discipline can carry over to your main lifts. You can almost think of it as the opposite of speed training: lifting a light load slowly can help you learn to stick with a heavy load when it inevitably slows down. I call this “learning to grind,” and it’s one of the most important principles I try to teach in my Unf*ck Your Program course. I talk more about learning to grind in this Youtube video.
Using Super Slow Lifts in Your Training
When you’re using super slow methods in your own training, I recommend giving yourself a good bit of flexibility with your tempo. In my experience, counting seconds per rep is more distracting than productive. Remember, your goal is not to maximize your super slow lifts — it’s to improve your competition total. Tempo in and of itself is worthless.
It’s worth trying out some super slow assistance lifts. One of my favorite protocols involves supersetting a regular-tempo lift with a super-slow version of the same lift. For example:
Superset
Lying Hamstring Curl — 20 reps, light
Super Slow Lying Hamstring Curl — add 20 pounds, AMRAP
3 rounds, 90 seconds rest between rounds
If you’re struggling to develop a good mind-muscle connection with a particular muscle group, give this strategy a shot!
Finally, don’t overuse super slow training. I suggest performing at most two or three super slow exercises per week (regardless of whether they’re main lifts or assistance movements).
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