The Study
Intentionally Slow Concentric Velocity Resistance Exercise and Strength Adaptations: A Meta-Analysis
This study looks at many smaller studies combined together to see if fast or slow weight training is better for getting stronger. It shows that fast training seems to work better, but it can't prove for sure that fast training causes more strength because some of the studies didn't randomly assign people to groups.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Lifting weights faster makes you stronger than lifting slowly, especially for women.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 552 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, the difference is meaningful for improving strength, particularly in women.
- 2Fast lifting gave 3.65% more strength gain than slow lifting.
- 3Women got much stronger with fast lifting (95% better effect), but men did not see a big difference.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2023
Authors
Matthew J. Hermes, A. Fry
Related Content
Claims (6)
Lifting weights faster or normally gives you more strength gains than lifting weights very slowly, especially for healthy adults.
When women do fast weightlifting exercises, they get much stronger compared to slow lifting, but men don't see much difference between fast and slow lifting.
When scientists looked at all the studies together, they found that some were missing, making the results look smaller than they really are. After fixing this, it seems fast training works better than they first thought.
Whether you're new to lifting weights or experienced, how fast you lift doesn't really change how much stronger you get. Both groups got a tiny bit stronger with fast lifting, but it wasn't a clear or big difference.
Whether you're young or old doesn't really change how fast or slow weight training affects your strength gains. Young people might get a tiny extra boost from fast lifting, but for older folks, it doesn't make much difference either way.
Doing slow, gentle weight training can build muscle and make you just as strong as lifting heavy weights quickly.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.