Light and slow v heavy and explosive

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Bagpuss

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Always been one for maxing out on every exercise....Shoulder surgery due to this taught me nowt and I continued this.....Im now old (40s) and no longer give a flying fuck about the ego lifting......So am currently working light and very very slow with really deep stretches into the muscles, stretches that would not be possible with heavy weights.

In short think this is deffo the way forward, the DOMS suggest that the muscles are being broken down just as much if not more than they were and it is great to really feel the exercise rather than throwing it around.

Most important bit though, no injuries and loving lifting even though the young uns undoubtedly walk past thinking Im a soft twat lol.......Anybody else light and slow or all big lifters?
 


In terms of what? You're not going to get much benefit from constant tension incline DB press for sets of 12 if you're trying to peak for a powerlifting meet.

Clearly both have their place but when absolutely huge lifters like Eric Lilliebridge train in the 1-3 rep range most of the time it clearly speaks to the fact that squatting heavy regularly is a good strategy for gaining size.
 
I'm 45...same boat and a 7 month trained newbie.

Google the net. Studies have shown lifting light or heavy makes no difference to muscular hypertrophy/gains but lifting heavy adds strength.

Consensus I work to is to mix it up. What I read is to go for a mix strategy of "Volume" i.e. lower weight, lots of reps, "Time under Tension" i.e. slow and steady and "Progressive Overload" i.e. lift heavier. Since I switched up the volume in particular I have seen slightly better progress. But I aint no expert.
 
I'm nearly 45 and I doubt that I'll ever be very strong so I try to avoid injury whilst maintaining what muscle I have.

I vary StrongLifts 5x5 so that my limitations with flexibility and slight tweaks don't result in injuries.

Most exercises are 4 sets of 6 reps but if I do feel a twinge I switch to 3x8 on a lower weight for a few weeks. The overall volume lifted tends to be equal anyway.

Yesterday I increased the weight on bench press by a massive 1.5kg but did 5x5 as I thought I may struggle with the 6th rep on 4 sets, I doubt that it matters in the long run.

As the OP suggests I don't have anything to prove so I try to lift with a good technique.

If I struggle with one of the StrongLifts compound bar exercises I do something else - I'm shite at squats so I use machines or do goblet squats.
 
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