Negative repetitions versus normal repetitions.
Both require good form
And both work well
But is one better than the other?
You see when performing an exercise, you want to make sure you are doing the exercise properly.
You want to ensure you are controlling the tempo
And you want to make sure you are creating a good mind to muscle connection and pressing from the targeted areas.
I have said all these 100 times before and will keep saying it
But when it comes to the rep movement, which has to do with your tempo as well, are negative reps better?
In a simple nutshell, yes.
Moving slower will have more stress on the muscle and over time causes more growth.
So, therefore, incorporating negative movements into our routines will help.
However, when you combine them with a normal rep movement you can get added benefits as well.
For example, as I have said before in a lot of my videos, starting off slow and performing negative for the first few reps pack a lot of blood into the muscle.
Then after May 4 or 5 reps, you speed up the tempo slightly.
You keep your form strict with a touch more speed and rep out to 12 or even better, 15 repetitions.
Great way to really put the muscles to work.
And this works on any body part.
Whether it's your back, legs, shoulders, it works on any body part with any exercise.
But you know what's even better than just doing negatives with normal reps?
Going slow on the eccentric and concentric motions.
The eccentric motions are what you call lengthening of the muscle or when you are doing a negative.
The concentric motion is the other way when you shorten the muscle.
So for example when you are doing a bicep curl and you are doing a negative that’s eccentric.
But when you curl the bicep and contract that’s concentric.
So going slow both ways for the first few reps in an exercise will cause even more tension than just doing negatives.
This is what I do to really stimulate my muscles well.
And then after doing this for a few repetitions, I pick up the pace a bit and max out my reps.
But you have to make sure your form is good.
You of course want to ensure your getting the most out of the exercise.
And if you can’t handle the weight when moving slowly both ways and you start to lose your form.
Then get lighter weight.
Drop set the weight and continue.
This will also build more strength because you’re not only controlling the movement both ways,
But you're making sure your form is going to stay strict when will increase the intensity.
So doing negatives will undoubtedly help with your muscle growth over time
But if you ask me, I would get used to moving controlled both ways of the exercise.
And gain the benefits of the concentric and eccentric movements.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist. This is all from the experience I have gained through myself and through schooling. Through my videos, I share my personal and educational experience that I have acquired over the past years of training individuals through fitness and nutrition.
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