Does lifting fast or slow make your legs stronger?
Comparison of the Effects of Eccentric, Concentric, and Eccentric-Concentric Isotonic Resistance Training at Two Velocities on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No difference in muscle volume gains between any training modalities or velocities.
Common fitness lore claims eccentric (lowering) movements cause more muscle damage and thus more growth — but this study found zero difference in quadriceps volume across all groups.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to build leg strength, pick any isotonic leg extension pattern you enjoy — fast, slow, push-only, or lower-only — and stick with it consistently for 12 weeks.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No difference in muscle volume gains between any training modalities or velocities.
Common fitness lore claims eccentric (lowering) movements cause more muscle damage and thus more growth — but this study found zero difference in quadriceps volume across all groups.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to build leg strength, pick any isotonic leg extension pattern you enjoy — fast, slow, push-only, or lower-only — and stick with it consistently for 12 weeks.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2020
Authors
Gürcan Ünlü, C. Çevikol, T. Melekoğlu
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Claims (4)
If you lift and lower weights quickly or slowly, as long as you do both phases the same way, your muscles grow about the same amount—speed doesn’t make a big difference.
If young, healthy guys lift weights for 12 weeks, their muscles get stronger at moderate speeds — like kicking or swinging — and they can generate 13% to 32% more force, no matter how they did the lifting.
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 young, healthy guys do strength training for 12 weeks using different types of muscle contractions—whether slow or fast—they’ll get significantly stronger in their thigh muscles, no matter which style they pick.