If you want to become very strong, you have to lift weights heavy enough to make your muscles burn. It doesn't make any difference whether you move the weights slowly or rapidly; you just need to exercise intensely enough so your muscles feel sore the next day. The soreness indicates that you have injured the fibers. When they heal, they will be stronger than before you injured them. But muscles heal only when you let them rest. If you put great pressure on a muscle that is already sore from a previous workout, it cannot heal and will tear. Then you are injured and will not be able to lift at all.

When you move very slowly with a weight, your muscles fatigue and weaken so that the weight feels much heavier than it is. Lifting a weight slowly causes the same muscle damage as lifting a heavier weight more quickly.

Lifting lighter weights slowly is far less likely to cause injuries than heavy lifting. This is particularly important for older people, since they take longer to heal. You can become just as strong using the slow lifting technique, and you are more likely to stay injury-free.

One problem with slow lifting is that many sports require fast movements and training is specific. You have to exercise against resistance moving fast to be able to use your muscle fast when hitting a baseball, throwing a half court pass in basketball and hitting someone in football. So slow lifting can make you strong, but it is not the best way to prepare you for fast-moving competitive sports such as tennis, ping pong, basketball and volleyball.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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