Is lifting weights with momentum considered cheating? If I lift weights fast (with momentum), I can get more reps in and just keep doing them until I get to failure. I feel more sore the day after rather than doing them slow. When I lift weights slowly I get much less reps, but it feels much harder lifting them.
lifting weights with momentum?
- Thread starter abcd
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What do the numbers mean? How do you use them in practice? (Is 201 2 seconds up 0 seconds hold, 1 second down?)
Also, I'd think that if you're lifting with momentum you're not getting as much benefit as you would without it, since it's the momentum (and not you) that's getting the weights up.
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Exactly, When done 'to' can fast physics comes into play and can help the lift and not to mention the faster you do the movement the less muscle fibers you work.
Though that said, it doesnt mean you should never do a movement with some speed. However the Majority of the times you want a fuild movement, not to fast not to slow. But if Physics are lending you hand then you are going way to fast.
The reason I was asking was the other day I started lifting weights faster than usual, and I was sore for 2 days. I didn't feel it the day after but on the 2nd day I really felt it. Usually I lift slow (not too slow), try to get good form and never felt that sore. Do you think it's me getting tired quicker when I lift slow? So I stop quicker? Whereas if I go right in and lift fast then I feel adrenaline. If you lift to failure momentum shouldn't make a difference should it? If it's cheating, maybe your first 6-8 reps won't count, but since I feel pumped from the adrenaline I can get in another 8 reps or to failure. Whereas if I was to lift slow I would only be able to get in 8 reps. I'm wondering, since after trying it for the first time, I'd rather lift fast, the adrenaline keeps me from getting tired (In my mind when I'm counting reps., I feel like I'm trying to finish my set and it feels like it takes forever). If I lift fast, I feel like I just keep going until I can't anymore and want to get in as many possible. Although it would be easy for me to get injured like this, but I'm not lifting heavy weights. I can't lift heavy weights, my dumbell is 30 lbs., and I'm benching 40 lbs.
abcd,
what probably happened is you were incorporating more endurance muscle-fibers, which you weren't used to, so they easily became sore.
and please remember that feeling sore is not the goal. you should know by the time you leave the gym if you got a good workout or not. stiffness, soreness or pain the next day is not an indication of anything except a lot of muscle tissue damage.
what probably happened is you were incorporating more endurance muscle-fibers, which you weren't used to, so they easily became sore.
and please remember that feeling sore is not the goal. you should know by the time you leave the gym if you got a good workout or not. stiffness, soreness or pain the next day is not an indication of anything except a lot of muscle tissue damage.
how can you not be sore after living heavy weights or lifting to failure? do you have a link to this information? When I feel sore the next day or two it makes me feel like I had a good workout.
After working out on the same routine for a while, you probably won't feel sore the next day, not as strong - sure, but not hurting anyway.
You really should be able to tell when you walk out of the gym, as Malkore said.
You really should be able to tell when you walk out of the gym, as Malkore said.
Speed
Remember that to move weight faster you have to recruit more muscle fibers. Swinging and using a "cheating" exercise technique is not the way to go.
Having 2 days per week dedicated to increasing the speed of a lift will teach your nervous system to recruit muscle fibers in a shorter period of time. Many powerlifters and strongmen use speed training to increase their lifts. Also the Olympic lifts need to be done fast in order for them to be done properly.
There is a difference between momentum and speed.
Remember that to move weight faster you have to recruit more muscle fibers. Swinging and using a "cheating" exercise technique is not the way to go.
Having 2 days per week dedicated to increasing the speed of a lift will teach your nervous system to recruit muscle fibers in a shorter period of time. Many powerlifters and strongmen use speed training to increase their lifts. Also the Olympic lifts need to be done fast in order for them to be done properly.
There is a difference between momentum and speed.
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How would I know if I'm lifting from speed or momentum? If you lift quickly won't that automatically create momentum? unless if you stop when you bring the weight down.
If you are lifting from momentum, some movement unnatural to the lift is occuring. When doing a lift with speed, you are simply doing it with more explosion. As goergen1 said, you want muscle fibers that come into play when lifts are done quickly and powerfully...
To elaborate a bit, the difference between an explosive lift and one that relies on momentum is that in an explosive lift you are (usually) following strict form and tempo and in a momentum lift you're (usually) not.
Here's a quick hypothetical situation outlining the difference in the two approaches:
You're bench pressing, you have the bar off the rack and you're holding it at arms' length.
Explosive lift - You slowly lower the bar to your chest over a period of 2 seconds, you pause for a second to ensure that all motion has been completely arrested, then you push the weight back up to arms' length as fast as you can. You allow the bar to rest there for a second before beginning your next rep. You do all this with perfect form.
Momentum lift - You drop the bar down as fast as you can, allow it to bounce off your chest and shove it back up as fast as you can. You immediately begin your next rep. Your form starts off good but mutates into something that barely counts as a bench press between the start and finish of your rep.
These are two exaggerated examples, one at near perfect tempo and form, and one using nothing but momentum to lift with poor form.
However, given the two approaches outlined, it's really quite commonsense which one is a fuller (and safer) development of strength.
Here's a quick hypothetical situation outlining the difference in the two approaches:
You're bench pressing, you have the bar off the rack and you're holding it at arms' length.
Explosive lift - You slowly lower the bar to your chest over a period of 2 seconds, you pause for a second to ensure that all motion has been completely arrested, then you push the weight back up to arms' length as fast as you can. You allow the bar to rest there for a second before beginning your next rep. You do all this with perfect form.
Momentum lift - You drop the bar down as fast as you can, allow it to bounce off your chest and shove it back up as fast as you can. You immediately begin your next rep. Your form starts off good but mutates into something that barely counts as a bench press between the start and finish of your rep.
These are two exaggerated examples, one at near perfect tempo and form, and one using nothing but momentum to lift with poor form.
However, given the two approaches outlined, it's really quite commonsense which one is a fuller (and safer) development of strength.
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