By: Dr. David Ryan, Dr. David Sandler, Alia Anor Swart

The SFS Workout

If you are looking for something new to try, then the SFS workout is your next step. Most bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts are familiar with the concept of the 21; where you do 7 reps on the bottom half of the range of motion, then you do 7 reps on the top half of the range of motion, and finally finish with 7 reps doing a full range of motion.

The SFS technique requires you to complete 10 reps at a slow and controlled pace, then blast away doing 10 reps at a very fast pace, then finally you will complete the last ten reps at a slow and controlled pace once again. 21's and the SFS technique are very unique on the type of energy load that they require.

Click To Enlarge.
21's Using The Curl.
First 7 Reps - MPEG (297 KB) - Windows Media (88 KB)
Next 7 Reps - MPEG (247 KB) - Windows Media (78 KB)
Last 7 Reps - MPEG (1.1 MB) - Windows Media (277 KB)

In several of the articles I have written, the use of various training formats have surfaced. The Slow-Fast-Slow technique is a completely different concept and comprises of several formats of exercise. It will result in a deep soreness to your muscles and upper energy response.

SFS 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 type of training they should be doing at a younger age.

Click To Enlarge.
If You Have A Child Who Plays Football, Soccer, Or Tennis,
This Type Of Training Should Be Done At A Younger Age.

A good rule to follow is a child should never be lifting more than their bodyweight until they have reached or passed both parent's height.

If you are a personal trainer looking to spice up this week's workout, SFS is your answer. Be sure to tell the trainee to use precise form on the slower reps and encourage them to explode during the fast part of the exercise. It is okay to use some cheating during the speed reps.

It is VERY important to encourage them to flex and squeeze the muscle in both the concentric and eccentric motions during the final 10 repetitions. If you have beginners, it is possible to train this technique using a 5-5-5, and if they are a power lifter then a 3-3-3 is likely more applicable.

Most sports require a period of moderate energy that needs to transition to a level of explosive energy. This process repeats itself again and again throughout the course of any sporting event.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Encourage Them To Flex
& Squeeze The Muscle.

Training to become sports specific is the goal of any good conditioning program. The SFS format of training is directly geared towards conditioning an athlete to perform better in situations that requires changes in energy loads.

Getting Started

Take a simple curl bar and choose a weight that you can perform thirty reps with.

1. Lift the bar and perform ten reps at a normal speed of two seconds up and then two seconds down (concentric and eccentric respectively).
2. Without stopping, perform the next 10 repetitions as fast as you can, making sure you do as much range of motion as you did in the previous set.
3. Now finish with a final set of 10 slower reps and attempt to contract the muscle in both directions as you move the weight.

You will do a total of thirty reps consecutively without taking a rest. Don't think you can cheat, because we aren't there to baby-sit you.

This type of exercise is easily adaptable to many different forms of training. It is possible to use this type of training with calisthenics, Kettle bells, free weights, machines, water exercises, etc.

Repeat this technique for at least three different exercises and do three sets of SFS for each exercise you choose. Get ready for the "PAIN TRAIN" cause 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 require this type of exertion.

Injury Prevention Articles:

• Keep Back Pain From Taking Over Your Life! - By Christopher Mohr
• Back Pain: How Exercise Can Help. - By David Robson
• Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain. - By Jesse Cannone
• Other Injury Prevention Articles...

This type of training can be diversified many areas of fitness including calisthenics, weight lifting, swimming, running, etc. Your limitation is only controlled by your imagination.

A simple workout can be fitted together as follows. Begin with larger muscle groups and perform 3 sets of each of these exercises. For a leg SFS workout, complete squats, lunges, and a giant set of leg extension coupled with leg curls. You can even add a twist for the calves and do 20-20-20, but make sure that you flex those calves for every single rep AND you complete the final 20 slowly.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Dr. David Ryan: "Your Limitation Is Only
Controlled By Your Imagination."

This technique is even be used in running, by jogging the long ends of the football field and then sprinting across the end zone. This was commonly known as "Jog's and Gasser's." In most cases, you will probably find that doing a typical format of exercises at the beginning of your routine and then lead into a progression of the SFS workout towards the end will work the best for you.

Conclusion

It is important to stress that various muscle groups need to be contracted in both directions. The trainer is advised to actually touch the client's major muscle group areas being trained, to assist in their concentration and to enhance their ability to contract that muscle.

Breathing during these exercises can become difficult for many beginners. Several individuals will try to hold her breath during the speed portion of the exercise. It is important to stress to pant like a dog, when performing the speed portion.

FORUM THREAD
[ Click To Join The Thread. ] Proper Breathing? What is the proper way to breath while doing your set? Inhale on the positive or exhale.	Started By: Wcustom

It is also advised that when training someone they should only perform one set at a time utilizing this type of exercise format until they have acclimated to this form of training.

Warning: Multiple sets of this exercise will cause extreme muscle soreness and maximum conditioning.

Dr. David Ryan, Dr. David Sandler, Alia Anor Swart

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