The SFS Workout
By
Dr. David Ryan, Dr. David Sandler, and Alia Anor Swart
If you are looking for something new to try, the slow-fast-slow (SFS) workout
is your next step. Most bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts are familiar with
the concept of 21, where you do seven reps on the bottom half of the range of
motion, seven reps on the top half of the range of motion, and seven reps in the
full range of motion.
In several of the articles I have written, the use of various training
formats have surfaced. The SFS technique is a completely different concept and
comprises several formats of different exercises. It will result in muscle
soreness and upper energy response. This is a technique that has been utilized
throughout professional sports training for many years. If you have a child who
is participating in football, soccer, or tennis, this is the training they
should be doing at a young age.
Most sports require a period of moderate energy to a level of explosive
energy. This process repeats itself again and again throughout the course of any
sporting event. Training to become sports specific is the goal of any good
conditioning program. The SFS format of training is directly geared toward
conditioning an athlete to perform better in that protocol.
Getting started
Take a curl bar and choose a weight that you can perform thirty reps with. Lift
the bar for ten reps at a normal speed of two seconds up and two seconds down
(concentric and eccentric respectively). Without stopping, perform the next ten
repetitions as fast as you can, making sure that you cover the same range of
motion as you did in the previous set.
Now, finish with a final set of ten slower reps and attempt to contract the
muscle in both directions as you move the weight. You’re performing a total of
thirty reps without taking a rest. Don’t cheat because we aren’t there to baby
sit you.
Repeat for three sets and use at least three different exercises. Get ready
for the “pain train” because it will hit you head on. This type of training also
helps bullet proof your muscles from strain type injuries associated with
sporting activities that call for a high level of exertion.
This type of training is adaptable to calisthenics, weightlifting, swimming,
running, and more. Your limitations are only controlled by your imagination.
WARNING: Multiple sets of this exercise will cause extreme muscle soreness and
maximum conditioning.
Dr. David Ryan is a certified speed and agility coach with StrengthPro.com
and an editorial advisor for Muscle and Fitness magazine. Dr. David Sandler is
the president and co-founder of StrengthPro.com. Alia Anor Swart is a certified
personal trainer, former NPC figure competitor, and teacher and founder of the
Spartan Camp.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.