Negative Reps Are Great For Building Muscle!

While lifting weights, it's common to concentrate on the positive rep (the lifting) and let the weight drop on the decline.

Keep in mind that the second part of the rep is just as important as the first. If you want your muscles to be strong and fully developed, then there is a definite advantage to lowering your weight in a slow and controlled motion on the lowering phase. The negative rep, as it's called hits just as many muscle fibers as the positive and a fully completed rep, equals a fully developed muscle!

An exercise I really like the compound bicep curl. To do this one, start with your palms facing your thighs, with your elbows locked in to your sides.

On the positive rep you will be lifting with your forearms by doing a reverse curl. At the half way point, when your palms are facing away from your shoulders, turn your wrists so that they are facing and slowly bring the weights back down by using your biceps.

I like this exercise not only because it works both biceps and forearms but because it helps focus on the negative rep during a bicep curl, which is the most neglected negative rep of them all.

Try It!

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