I have a new kayak with outriggers, now. It's called a Tri-Balance and you can even stand up in it! How'd you like my pretty kitty? We've had him for about two months now and he is just getting to the point where he'll jump up in your lap for petting. He's an addicted "playboy", every hour or so he comes and meows at me and then goes and looks at the closet where his cat "teaser" toys are. :-)

[quote:8525e4a7bd] I was a biology major at Harvard and took college physics (and lots of biology courses) in the course of getting my degree, there. Physics will tell you that doing a weight movement slower or faster does not effect the amount of work done. It takes more Force to move (accelerate a weight to a higher speed) but the amount of Work done is the weight (mass) moved times the distance it's moved against the force of gravity. [/quote:8525e4a7bd] Well, pretty close. Work is actually FORCE x distance, and the force applied is manifested as the amount of weight moved. However, as John pointed out on the old forum, if you hold a weight statically (as in isometrics), you are still performing work even though there is no movement. Your muscles are still producing the force to move the weight, but gravity is pulling the weight down with exactly the same amount of force at exactly the same rate and hence the movement is neutralized.

Dave, [quote:c06aeaf6c4]I have a new kayak with outriggers, now. It's called a Tri-Balance and you can even stand up in it! How'd you like my pretty kitty? We've had him for about two months now and he is just getting to the point where he'll jump up in your lap for petting. He's an addicted "playboy", every hour or so he comes and meows at me and then goes and looks at the closet where his cat "teaser" toys are. :-)[/quote:c06aeaf6c4] Perhaps I need a better link to your website. I went to the site on the bottom of your emails and the photo of you on your kayak was tiny - but your attractive beard was huge :lol: So I didn't see your kitty on the kayak or anywhere else - and I love furry cuddly playful frisky fluffy fun loving kitties. :D I've had many cats in my past. BTW, this will be a silly question - so be forewarned: From the small pic of you, you appear to be a husky guy. Are you? I've been told many times that SS will not make me bulk out. But I want to be sure. I have seen many women at the gym that look a bit bulky (and I'm not talking about professional body builders). For example, many people who 'spin' get fairly sizable legs. Exercises differ in how they build muscle. And all I want is to stay firm with sculpted definition - but no bulging biceps :shock: Say meow to your kitty for me, Idelle

[quote:8ad38de3a6="rosebud101"] BTW, this will be a silly question - so be forewarned: From the small pic of you, you appear to be a husky guy. Are you? I've been told many times that SS will not make me bulk out. But I want to be sure. I have seen many women at the gym that look a bit bulky (and I'm not talking about professional body builders). For example, many people who 'spin' get fairly sizable legs. Exercises differ in how they build muscle. And all I want is to stay firm with sculpted definition - but no bulging biceps :shock: [/quote:8ad38de3a6] I know your question was addressed to Dave, but I have to say this because you seem misinformed regarding the contributions that exercise can and cannot make to your appearance. Muscle "definition" depends mostly on the thickness of the subcutaneous FAT layer covering the muscle. The less fat covering the muscle, the more "defined" the muscle will look. Weight training, SuperSlow or otherwise, only makes the muscle BIGGER. There is no such thing as "toning" or "firming" exercises. These terms were invented by salespeople who know nothing about exercise but want their products/services to hold appeal for women. Also, nobody ever got muscular legs from spinning. The spinners you see with muscular looking legs either a) were born with them; b) got them from weight training; or, c) do not really have muscular legs at all, rather they just have well-defined muscles because they lack body fat. Trust me, appearances are decieving unless you know exactly what you're looking for. With all of that said, if you want to achieve a moret "firm, toned" look, your #1 priority should be to lose body fat without sacrificing muscle mass. Eat the zone diet, restrict your calories, and keep strength training. Whether you use SuperSlow lifting, SuperFast lifting, or anything in between does not matter with regard to how "defined"you will look

Brian is right in what he says about muscle definition, toning, firming, etc. Low body fat is what gives that "cut" look. Extended aerobics typically results in loss of muscle rather than any bulking up effect. Heavy weight/resistance training causes muscle hypertrophy (growth). Increased strength improves endurance somewhat, but extreme bulk can impede speed and flexibility. Back about 20 years ago, when I was training police in the carotid restraint, I had a student who couldn't do it at all because he couldn't get his arm around the throat or bend it enough to apply pressure to the carotid arteries. His biceps and forearm muscles were so big that they met and prevented further movement before his elbow got to a 90 deg. angle. re. my web site, to see the various animals you need to look at the "companion animals" section. Most of the site is kayaking and marine mammal pictures, but there's a section with a picture of my German Short Haired Pointer, who was suddenly lost to cancer, a couple of Bengal cats, mine and another that I met behind where my wife works, and a cute pic of a Moose and a cat that a friend sent me. Yes, I'm "husky" in the sense that I'm a broad shouldered, no neck, guy. I'm also fat. I'm getting thinner, slowly, from approximating the zone diet. On the kayak I look even rounder than I am because I'm wearing a wet suit, a personal flotation device, and a paddling jacket. Fair winds and happy bytes, Dave Flory

With respect to getting "bulky" from weight training, is muscle belly length to be considered, with longer length providing a greater opportunity for large muscles? Leaving hormones aside, it is my understanding that most females will not get bulky from weight training because their muscle belly lengths are shorter.

Dave, [quote:9e9fe98bde]Check out the whales, dog, Bengal Cats @ <http://homepage.mac.com/dflory/Menu5.html> [/quote:9e9fe98bde] I checked out your website a couple of times. I need a better link. The first time, (when I located the photo of you on your kayak), I had to scroll down several pages under your last name to even view the tiny photo. And that was after going back to the homepage from the address on your link. If I go straight to the link w/o changing the web address, I connect to a message board. Try going to the link you have listed on your posts and you will see what I mean. Good luck with the diet. Just don't zone out on me :roll: Idelle

Brian, [quote:1dd44f6226]The spinners you see with muscular looking legs either a) were born with them; b) got them from weight training; or, c) do not really have muscular legs at all, rather they just have well-defined muscles because they lack body fat. Trust me, appearances are decieving unless you know exactly what you're looking for. [/quote:1dd44f6226] Thanks for your response Brian. I will in faith test out SS and see what happens. However, the reason I referred to spinners is that I have consistantly seen bikers with very big legs. It's hard for me to accept that they all were genetically inclined to build big muscles. Many spinners I know choose to spin strictly for the high intensity calorie burning workouts. However, like I said, I'll see what happens as I pursue SS. And I do agree that losing fat while maintaining muscle is my goal. Idelle

Scott, [quote:78ebb7847d]With respect to getting "bulky" from weight training, is muscle belly length to be considered, with longer length providing a greater opportunity for large muscles? Leaving hormones aside, it is my understanding that most females will not get bulky from weight training because their muscle belly lengths are shorter.[/quote:78ebb7847d] What if a woman is long waisted (as I am)? Then again, muscle belly length may be a different matter than being long waisted. :lol: I still contend that I see big muscled women (and I'm not talking about women as big as body builders - but bigger than I'd like to look nevertheless). However, like Brian states, we all have different genetics. So I'm testing out SS to see how it affects me. Ironically, I hope it doesn't work as well as normal weight training with faster reps. I already have muscle. I want to maintain as I lose 10 pounds. Idelle

[quote:1eb04df937="rosebud101"] Then again, muscle belly length may be a different matter than being long waisted. :lol [/quote:1eb04df937] By muscle belly length, I am referring to the length between the point of origin (ie, the shoulder for the biceps) and the point of insertion (the forearm for the biceps). This is not to say that tall people have longer muscle bellies, as the tendons attaching the muscle can be long, effectively shortening the belly length. My terminology might be a little off here, so hopefully Brian/Dave or others can clarify.