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Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

ecu.edu.au

51–60 of 219 posts

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#51

> The team, which also included researchers from Niigata University and Nishi Kyushu University in Japan and Brazil’s Londrina State University, had groups of people perform three different types of dumbbell curl exercise and measured the results. First of all, I've been lifting for many years and I haven't done dumbbell curls in a decade. And to be honest, you probably shouldn't be doing isolation exercises unless y…

I don't think your arguments are a fair critique of this study: > First of all, I've been lifting for many years and I haven't done dumbbell curls in a decade. The study authors aren't arguing that dumbbell curls should be the center of your workout. And they are are presumably using an isolation exercise because it is more straightforward to test improvements to strength when you are just examining the effect on a s…

Not only that, people are using their bias and "expertise" in this thread to make claims which are total BS too... The top comment talking about how calisthenics are the best because thats what they do, this guy doing the same thing. "this lift bad, my lift best, that machine bad, swoll bros laugh at you if you use that." This guy acting like the leg press is bad is another dumb thing ive read on this website. The best workouts are the ones you enjoy and can stick too. Curls (dumbbell, barbell, concentration, reverse, preacher) are a great exercise for growing and strengthening biceps and forearms.

If you read hacker news for exercise science youre in the wrong place.

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#53

So, what, am I supposed to get my butler to lift the weights up for me so that I can just lower them back down?

Opinions vary, but solo alternative is to cheat the up phase with momentum, and then control the down phase.

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#54

I find Japanese society to be adverse to weight training in general, weight lifting (Olympic) is almost exclusively practiced in college only. Women are on average afraid they will be seen as too masculine / strong so wouldn't touch weights. Things are certainly changing thanks to cross fit becoming cool Given all that, I find it interesting this study is partyl published from researchers based in Japan :) It's almos…

About 10 years ago pretty much nobody was jacked, but things have changed. There are a LOT of very muscular Japanese people nowadays, deep into steroids, protein, etc. It's not yet as commonplace as in Western society but it's pretty common.

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#55

Yeah, well. Here's a concept: Every single researcher who wants to conduct these kinds of experiments needs to, as a prerequisite, read Starting Strength [0] and then go to a certified gym for a year or more before even remotely being able to say anything useful about the subject. Yes, sure, Starting Strength isn't perfect. I am not presenting it as the sum of all knowledge and the one-and-only true anything. However…

You're just presupposing the researchers don't know anything about strength training, any basis for that other than some lazy guess?

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#57
post #33
post #15

I used eccentric muscle contractions to gain enough strength to do pull-ups when I was too weak to do even one. I stood on a chair to get into the top position, then lowered myself as slowly as I could. The exercise was effective, and after a few weeks I could do full pull-ups without the chair.

Thanks for this tip! I am trying to build upper body strength and pull-ups kill me

Upper body strength is a lot more than pull ups. To me, pull ups are a back exercise (lats), upperbody is a lot more than that. Chest, delts, traps, tris, bis, forearms. Very different workouts when your prioritize a muscle group. This was my goto for years. https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/?

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#58
post #15

I used eccentric muscle contractions to gain enough strength to do pull-ups when I was too weak to do even one. I stood on a chair to get into the top position, then lowered myself as slowly as I could. The exercise was effective, and after a few weeks I could do full pull-ups without the chair.

Doing "negative" pullups also helped me build up from zero to a max of about ten regular pullups in one set. Unfortunately I took a long break from strength training and can now barely do 1-2. Was just thinking of going back to negatives to start rebuilding my strength.

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#59

From my personal experience, for the majority of people, I would recommend to stay away from classic body building weight trainning. I trainned that way for several years in my early twenties (back then, I was even a certified body bulding trainner) and the overload in my joints was a recipe for disaster + the kind of body I developed was disfunctional for activities other than weights themselves. The excercises I've…

But is your version better for aesthetics in addition to being better for wellness?

Well, that's a subjetive question but for giving you an idea, with weights I had a bigger body (as a result of the muscular hypertrophy) that was heavier, slower and had to develop and maintain with a strict diet whereas now I am ripped (no fat, well defined, six pack etc)

Re: Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

#60
post #15

I used eccentric muscle contractions to gain enough strength to do pull-ups when I was too weak to do even one. I stood on a chair to get into the top position, then lowered myself as slowly as I could. The exercise was effective, and after a few weeks I could do full pull-ups without the chair.

The best thing I did for my pullups was lose weight. It's amazing what a difference losing 20 lbs will do for your ability to do pullups.
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