The Difference Between Slow and Fast Weight Training

Just like the beats of reggae versus merengue, your weight-training rhythms—a.k.a. the tempos at which you perform your reps—don't affect your body the same way. Look around the weight room and you'll see folks doing everything from long drawn-out movements to Energizer bunny-style repetitions. So who's got the right idea? As with many fitness questions, it's not so hard and fast. We talked to two trainers with different takes to get the lowdown on slow and quick strength-training speeds:

Should You Slow It Down?
The trainer: Ellington Darden, Ph.D., weightlifting guru and author of The Body Fat Breakthrough
The argument: It's great for building strength, and safer for beginners.