Mike Carruthers

And there's a link to his book at Amazon in the show notes.

Doug, thank you.

People who lift weights, and really we should all be lifting weights, often wonder if how fast you lift makes a difference.

Is it better to move the weight quickly or slow it way down?

Well, it turns out it really doesn't matter that much.

Research shows you can build muscle with a wide range of lifting speeds as long as you're using enough resistance and really pushing the muscle close to fatigue.

That's what really counts.

Then your tempo doesn't have to be perfect.

A controlled pace, about a second or two up and a couple of seconds down, works just fine.

Where speed does matter is your goal.

If you're trying to build strength and power, moving the weight as fast as you can with good form seems to help.

If your goal is muscle size, slowing down just enough to really feel the muscle working can be beneficial.

So the takeaway is simple.

Don't obsess over speed.

Focus on good form, enough resistance, and actually challenging your muscles.

And now let's roll the credits.

This podcast is produced by Jennifer Brennan, Jeffrey Havison, and the executive producer is Ken Williams.

I'm Mike Carruthers.

Thanks for listening today to Something You Should Know.

I know you like interesting and thought-provoking conversations and ideas because you listen to something you should know.