The speed you lift the weight/ tempo you use is the primary factor when addressing your goals even if they are fat loss, muscle gain, sports performance or conditioning. It is important to note that you can use the same weight and increase the tempo of an exercise to make it harder as a mode of progression before adding reps/sets to their programme.
Force = Mass x Acceleration
You can use the same weight on an exercise (for example a bench press), but if you accelerate it faster, then you essentially work harder/produce more force!
What makes tempo so important is that it determines the outcome the person gets/goal they achieve.
A recent study carried out on 2 groups of people revealed some interesting results. They lifted the same percentage of their maximum strength, the same exercise selection and the same set/rep scheme. The only difference was; group 1 were instructed to lift explosively in the concentric phase and 'control' the eccentric phase. The other group were given the generic 4-0-2-0 tempo. I.e. lower the weight for 4 seconds and lift for 2 seconds. Group 1 saw greater decreases in fat mass than group 2 and the study concluded that to lose fat fast you have to lift fast.
Time under tension and super slow eccentrics (lowering of the weight) may be of use for people seeking muscle size... but a lot of the 'muscle gains' are simply oedema and this settles after a while. However, there will be excessive muscle damage and subsequent repair so the muscle will grow as a result.
Lifting a sub maximal weight or at submaximal speeds is not going to tax the highest of the HTMU (high threshold motor units or type llb fibres) Training the smaller lla fibres is a more likely consequence, but these muscles have very little growth potential. There are arguments suggesting that lifting velocity should be maximal and the set should be terminated when the tempo slows appreciably but in my experience a certain amount of muscular failure is necessary for muscle gain, in addition, maximal velocity lifting will result in fast eccentric concentric coupling and in essence create a plyometric effect (elastic) at that portion of the lift. To put it practically, when emphasising lifting speed, control the eccentric portion (lowering) a little to slow down the eccentric-concentric coupling so that the stretch shortening cycle (elastic mechanism of the muscle) isn't helping through the lift.
Looking to improve an aspect of sports performance i.e. punching power is a different situation. The movement will have to include an explosive concentric movement with NO eccentric preload. For example a split jerk. Starting position is assumed with knees slightly bent as if in a fighting stance and then after holding for a second THEN execute the lift explosively i.e. mimicking the concentric nature of a punch with no 'preload'.
For a sprinter you would do the opposite with drop jumps etc fast eccentric-concentric movement to simulate/minimise ground contact time, etc.
In summary:
Someone seeking fat loss should use a fast tempo. If seeking muscle gain, then a mixture of both lifting speeds is applicable including both high speed lifting and slow time under tension work. Sports performance is different again. Fast lifting but this will depend entirely on the type of movement being trained, whether to include a pre-load or explosive aspect/ type movement in the lift.
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So, "How much weight should I lift and how many reps should I do?"
To answer this specifically, you need to look at what you want to accomplish...
To become lean and lose body fat:
Strength training can really help you lose Body Fat because after a strength training workout your body burns calories at a faster rate for up to 24 hours. So, you are still helping your body lose fat for hours after your workout. To lose body fat, you need to burn more calories than you eat. However, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not eating enough protein. You need to eat fewer calories that come from sugar or carbohydrates, but make sure that you continue to eat enough of protein. In a nut-shell, Protein helps you build lean muscle.
One good way to weight train for fat loss is to do circuit training. In circuit training, you move quickly from one exercise to the next with little or no rest between sets. Because you are not taking a rest between sets, do not try to lift a lot of weight during each set (use a weight that is 40% to 60% of your 1RM for each exercise). So, for example, if your 1RM for leg curls is 100 pounds, then you should use 40 to 60 pounds for each set. Do 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise. Rest no more than 30-60 seconds between sets.
Women shouldn't worry so much about the idea that lifting weights will make them gain weight and get bulky. Since muscle takes up much less space than fat does, women who weight lift will start to notice their clothes fit more loosely. Also women are less likely to gain muscle size compared to men who lift weights, because women have much lower (nearly 20 times) testosterone levels then men. Testosterone helps increase muscle growth.
To gain muscle size:
If your goal is to gain muscle size, then nutrition is very important. To build bigger muscles you need to eat more calories than you burn. You want to make sure you gain quality weight (lean body muscle) versus body fast. You do this by eating enough quality protein (such as lean red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and nuts) and by following a proper training program, otherwise you will just gain fat.
To gain muscle size, you need to focus on progressing from one workout to the next. You can accomplish this by changing up some of the training variables, such as, increasing the amount of weight you lift, performing more or less reps & sets, changing up the rest periods between sets - The more rest you take between sets, the more you'll allow your muscles to recover, so that you can lift heavier weights - Lifting Heavy weights are one of the greatest ways to add muscle.
Try to train in the 4 to 8 rep range per set, using a weight that is somewhere between 60% to 80% of your 1 rep max for a given exercise. So if your 1RM for bench press is 200 pounds, you should lift between 120 and 160 pounds for each set. Do 3 to 5 sets and rest about 1 to 3 minutes between sets - 1 minute for moderately heavy weight and 3 minutes for HEAVY weight.
There are many types of training programs. Ask a certified strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer to design a program that will work for you. If you would like me to design a quality strength training or overall fitness routine (weight training workout, cardio regimen, diet, stress-less protocol, etc) for you, contact me and we'll discuss.
Both Bryan Kavanagh & James Villepigue Cscs are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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