If you're new to working out and do leg exercises where you lower the weight slowly and quickly, doing it at a speed of 180 degrees per second might give you the biggest strength gains after 8 weeks — faster eccentric moves might just be the secret sauce for getting stronger.

If you're new to lifting weights, doing slow eccentric moves (like lowering a weight slowly) at a slow speed might build more muscle than doing fast concentric moves (like lifting quickly), but not more than slow concentric moves — so speed matters differently depending on whether you're lowering or lifting.

If you're new to working out, doing elbow curls by slowly lowering the weight (eccentric) faster than you raise it (concentric) might make your biceps grow bigger than doing the same movement slowly or just lifting fast.

We don’t have enough proof to say whether lifting weights slowly or quickly, or pushing down vs. lifting up, is better for building stronger or bigger thigh muscles in young, healthy guys after 12 weeks of working out.

If you're new to lifting weights, doing exercises where you lower the weight slowly (eccentric) might make your biceps grow bigger than exercises where you lift the weight up (concentric), after 8 weeks of training.

You can get just as strong by pushing weights up as by lowering them slowly—even if lowering them doesn’t make your muscles sore or damaged.