Build Muscle in Croydon: Why Speed Matters More Than Weight

Walk around the weights area at King's Gym Croydon, and you will see the same mistake happening on every machine.

People are piling on the plates, huffing and puffing, and throwing the weight up and down as fast as possible. They think that "heavier" equals "better."

But if you have been lifting for months in Purley or Sutton and you still don't see muscle definition or "tone," the problem isn't the weight. It’s the speed.

The Problem: The "Fast Rep" Trap

When you move a weight quickly, you often use momentum rather than muscle.

If you swing a dumbbell up, your bicep only works for the first split second. Momentum does the rest. You might feel tired, but your muscle fibers haven't actually been under tension long enough to grow.

As I tell my clients: "Your rep speed is the remote control for your results." 

The Solution: Tempo Training (Week 6)

In Week 6 of my 10-Week System, we stop just "lifting" and start "training." We focus on Tempo.

To build dense muscle and shape, we slow it down. We use a specific count:

3 Seconds Down / 1 Second Up. 

The Descent (3 Seconds): This eccentric phase tears the muscle fibers (in a good way) to trigger growth.

The Lift (1 Second): This concentric phase builds explosive power.

By simply slowing down the lowering phase, you make a light weight feel heavy. You force the muscle to work through the entire range of motion, without momentum helping you out.

Client Success: Breaking the Plateau

Most people hit a wall because they just try to lift heavier every week with worse form. Jakub, a client here in Croydon, was stuck on a plateau for years before we fixed his tempo and activation.

"I broke through years-long plateaus just by learning to activate the right muscles. The weekly strength improvements have been massive." — Jakub Sk, Client at King’s Gym 

Jakub didn't need to live in the gym. He just needed to slow down and make every rep count.

Stop Swinging, Start Growing

If you are tired of putting in the effort without seeing the definition in the mirror, it is time to change your speed.

I have 3 spaces left for my 1:1 Personal Training program at King's Gym this month. We will strip back your form and teach you how to train for actual results.

https://www.jcactivity.co.uk/contact Click here to book your Free 1:1 Consultation.

Control the tempo. Control the outcome.