Going Super Slow

Slow lifting isn't just for the infirm or the soft of stomach. A number of professional sports teams have adopted the drill, and body-builders are discovering that they too can gain by slowing down. The question is whether this is all the exercise a person needs to stay healthy. Ken Hutchins, the Florida-based trainer who founded the Super Slow movement (and patented the name), claims adamantly that it is. In screeds with titles like "Why NOT Aerobics?" and "Aerobics Is Dead," he dismisses anything beyond purely recreational running, jumping or dancing as joint-killing lunacy. "By performing [aerobic] activities on your off days," he says, "you compromise the progress you could be making." Few experts go that far. Any form of exercise is harmful in excess, they say, but aerobic activity has known cardiovascular benefits. It may turn out that 20 minutes of slow torture is the ultimate prescription for fitness. But until all the evidence is in, moderation is surely the best policy. Push those weights until your limbs quiver. Then strap on your helmet and ride home on your bike.

KAREN SPRINGEN

© 2001