Most people lift weights way too fast, but some athletes do what's called super- slow weight training. Rather than do three sets of eight to twelve repetitions so quick that their muscles hardly know what's happening, they do one set of four to eight repetitions per exercise. And it's called super slow for a reason.

You're supposed to take about ten seconds to contract your muscles, then five seconds to extend the muscles. Super slow weight training results in more strength and larger muscles, as well as more effective loss of body fat and provides a better aerobic workout too.

You may have heard about this super slow stuff. While you're right that most people do indeed lift too quickly, risking injury, as well as perhaps cheating themselves by jerking or bouncing the weights, there is little scientific evidence that lifting super slowly is more beneficial than regular weight training. It's recommended that you take two seconds to contract your muscles, pause for a second, then take four seconds to extend your muscles.

Consider that if you lift super slowly, the amount of weight you're able to lift is less than with traditional weight lifting. This and other factors contribute to the evidence that traditional weight training increases oxygen-consumption, heart rate, metabolism, and strength over super slow weight training. Of course, lifting weights, however slowly, is better than no strength training at all.