October 14, 2015
Reduced Speed Fitness Classes May Be The Next Big Thing
I'm assuming you've heard by now, high intensity interval training has been the way to train for several years now. But, like most things, the fitness world may have, once again, come full circle.
This year's new trend is "slow exercise". Including everything from slow yoga to slow spinning to slow weights, it seems that going slow is taking hold!
Rev5 is a brand new exercise concept in Britain. Like Tabata, it claims to get you fit in a minimal amount of time, but instead of placing the emphasis on the heart, it focuses on specific muscle groups.
"A 15-minute training session will leave you feeling as though you've been working out for 90 minutes in the gym," says Angela Steel, co-founder of the concept, "The key is to tap into a type of muscle fibre which daily activities or a daily weight training session wouldn't."
The workouts include five different exercises, lasting two minutes each. These exercises are performed at a slow pace, using increasing weight levels. The theory is that your body will have to adapt to a higher level of performance each time. "When you push the muscles to a point of failure, then a backup is called upon, triggering a stimulus for the muscle to upgrade its strength," explains Steel.
You can see this approach reflected elsewhere as well. The Iyengar Institute, for example, uses slow speed yoga that utilizes the reduced pace to focus on precise and correct alignment.
Even spin classes, like those at Boom Cycle, that are generally a safe haven for those looking to ramp up the pace, is starting to slow down. The focus becomes a low pedaling cadence with greater resistance on the wheel. "Our workouts are formed around riding to the beat of music," explains BOOM Cycle spokesperson Naomi White. "So this enables us to slow down the pace using slower, more intense tracks for the riders, and then up the resistance to work on all rounded training. "
Matt Roberts, a personal trainer, has noticed this shift in speed and believes that variation is the key to any good workout. "Tempo changes in training are as old as the hills," says Roberts. "Varying the pace of exercises, whether it is lifting a weight, running, doing yoga or anything else simply provides a different stimulus to the body. Training styles and techniques should always be varied in a routine"
But he cautions, "whilst the current trend towards slower movements is happening off the back of a backlash against high-intensity training, it does not mean that going slow is the best way to go all of the time. The body responds best when it is surprised by what is coming at it next. Yes, use slow training programmes, but not exclusively."
So don't give up your fast-paced, heart pumping HIIT just yet!
What do you think of this trend? Is it something you would consider adding to your routine?
Source: The Telegraph
"A 15-minute training session will leave you feeling as though you've been working out for 90 minutes in the gym," says Angela Steel, co-founder of the concept, "The key is to tap into a type of muscle fibre which daily activities or a daily weight training session wouldn't."
The workouts include five different exercises, lasting two minutes each. These exercises are performed at a slow pace, using increasing weight levels. The theory is that your body will have to adapt to a higher level of performance each time. "When you push the muscles to a point of failure, then a backup is called upon, triggering a stimulus for the muscle to upgrade its strength," explains Steel.
You can see this approach reflected elsewhere as well. The Iyengar Institute, for example, uses slow speed yoga that utilizes the reduced pace to focus on precise and correct alignment.
Even spin classes, like those at Boom Cycle, that are generally a safe haven for those looking to ramp up the pace, is starting to slow down. The focus becomes a low pedaling cadence with greater resistance on the wheel. "Our workouts are formed around riding to the beat of music," explains BOOM Cycle spokesperson Naomi White. "So this enables us to slow down the pace using slower, more intense tracks for the riders, and then up the resistance to work on all rounded training. "
Matt Roberts, a personal trainer, has noticed this shift in speed and believes that variation is the key to any good workout. "Tempo changes in training are as old as the hills," says Roberts. "Varying the pace of exercises, whether it is lifting a weight, running, doing yoga or anything else simply provides a different stimulus to the body. Training styles and techniques should always be varied in a routine"
But he cautions, "whilst the current trend towards slower movements is happening off the back of a backlash against high-intensity training, it does not mean that going slow is the best way to go all of the time. The body responds best when it is surprised by what is coming at it next. Yes, use slow training programmes, but not exclusively."
So don't give up your fast-paced, heart pumping HIIT just yet!
What do you think of this trend? Is it something you would consider adding to your routine?
Source: The Telegraph