Q & A

Q: What is to be gain by doing a slow set concentrating on muscles and then following with the same exercise but doing a fast set?

Answer:
Whenever you do a perform a repetition quickly, you create momentum. This happens because as you increase the speed of a heavy object (in this case a weight), it does not stop when you decide to stop - it keeps on going. This momentum takes pressure off of the working muscles and actually helps you complete the repetition. If you are performing a set of an exercise with the goal of fatiguing a muscle so it will eventually get stronger, then using momentum to help you along each repetition is going to retard your rate of progress towards your goal. For that reason, I would never recommend doing a "fast set." Not only is there nothing to gain by it, but you actually slow down the rate by which you will get stronger. I hope this answers your question, Jeff

Q: Since I spend incredibly amount of my time sitting studying my butt off... my butt has suffered the consequences. I am pretty thin, but the lack of exercise has taken a toll on the back of my thighs. What can I do to strengthen them?? one word.... cellulite!

Answer:
There is no definitive answer as to what actually causes cellulite. Some scientists theorize that it is the result of fat cells which have somehow mutated and that the mutation is related to estrogen (which would explain why it is more prevalent in women than men). Others theorize that the connective tissue that holds a woman's fat cells in place is different than a man's and results in cellulite. Really, no one knows for sure - not yet, anyway...
Burning more calories than you eat is the only way you are ever going to tap into the stored fat in the back of your thighs and thus decrease the size of the fat cells back there. - Jeff

Q: How fast to lift? I read somewhere to lift slowly, like a 4 count up & 4 down. But last night at the gym, I spotted a group of guys that were just pushing out reps at full-blast speed,... it took counting to 1 for them to lift and lower total. Are you supposed to go THAT fast, or more slowly, or mix it up?

Answer:
Whenever you do a resistance exercise quickly, you create momentum. Momentum actually eases the strain on a working muscle, thus assisting in the completion of a repetition and allowing you to move a greater amount of weight... I would advise incorporating as little momentum as possible in your routine.
However, they too can be more effective in tearing fibers if performed at a slower rate per repetition. Naturally, this would require the amount of resistance to be adjusted. - Jeff