Many lifters never really bother to consider that not all reps are the same. If you want to be specific, you can place reps into different types and be aware of what type of reps provide you with the most benefit for your goals. In this article, I will be discussing four different types of reps including:
- Lazy reps
- Slow Reps
- Forceful Reps
- Explosive Reps
Lazy Reps vs. Intentionally Slow Reps
Lazy Reps
Lazy reps are reps in which a lifter does not exert nearly as much force as they are capable of when lifting a weight. The reps are slow and may even be sloppy. A lot of people believe that slow reps are the best kind of reps for weight training. If you are doing slow reps for a good purpose, that’s one thing; but if you are doing slow reps because you are lazy, and stopping a set before your muscles have been sufficiently worked, that’s a different matter. For the most part, lazy reps do not produce a significant training effect.
In the video below, you will see a lifter doing dumbbell curls at about nine seconds into the video. He lacks commitment to lift with any real intensity and is engaging in lazy lifting. It’s a clip from the movie Pumping Iron. Most likely the lazy lifter is an actor who has a background part to provide a little comedy, and to accentuate the apparent difference between the way a lazy lifter trains and a committed lifter like Lou Ferrigno trains.
Slow Reps
When someone intentionally does slow reps to make it harder to complete each rep, slow reps can be beneficial. In addition, if a lifter does slow reps to increase the total time under tension of a set in order to increase the training intensity, then slow reps can be a productive strength and muscle builder. However, I think it should be noted that slow reps are used much more by bodybuilders to develop muscle size as opposed to powerlifters who primarily endeavor to develop strength.
Scott Tousignant is an excellent natural body builder who often performs his reps in a fairly slow deliberate manner, but he uses this method to put his muscles under more stress, not less stress. In the following video, he starts out with a moderately slow rep speed; especially when lowering the weight. If you watch far enough into the video, you will see that he adds weight for his second set and does his reps even slower to feel the stress of the weight. He makes the most out of performing reps at a slower pace by pushing hard enough without pushing to ridiculous extremes of straining and grinding.
Forceful Reps vs. Maximally Explosive Reps
Forceful Reps
Most lifters who want to build strength perform their reps forcefully. This does not mean that they push with an absolute, all-out effort on every rep, but they are definitely pushing hard into the bar. The majority of top bodybuilders push forcefully, and nearly all top powerlifters push forcefully when using heavy weights. Many lifters use an automated rep pace which means that they lift with approximately the same rep speed as they work their way up in weight from set to set. Of course if they are lifting heavy enough, the bar speed will start to slow down, but they are still attempting to push into the bar with a high degree of force.
Phil Heath is an excellent example of a bodybuilder who performs his reps in a forceful manner. This is evident in the video posted below:
Explosive Reps
The final type of reps that will be discussed consist of explosive reps. Explosive reps are purposely done with an all-out effort to impart as much force as possible into every single rep. The amount of reps per set is usually low in order to avoid the fatigue that develops when several consecutive reps are performed. The avoidance of fatigue allows lifters to lift with maximum force and explosive power on every rep. Some lifters respond to this type of training really well when endeavoring to gain strength. The following video is an example of explosive lifting.
The main point of discussing various types of reps is to encourage you to be aware of what type of reps you are performing.
Lazy reps are unproductive.
Slow reps are designed more for building size than strength, and are used most commonly by bodybuilders.
Forceful reps are excellent for building both size and strength.
Explosive reps are primarily used to promote strength and speed.
In the next article, I will discuss the difference between quality reps, marker reps, and grinder reps. Best of training to you.