Fast is not always better!
When doing body weight movements (pull ups, push ups, handstand push ups, air squats, box jumps, etc) you can typically move quickly through the movements and get through them well. But, when doing barbell work, sometimes slowing down will improve your lift.
This is especially true when doing overhead squats. There are a lot of factors that play into a successful overhead squat, including thoracic, shoulder, and ankle mobility, but if you try to rush the movement, you will fail every time or get injured trying. It is important that you focus on keeping your core tight, shoulders rotated outward, and initiating the motion with getting your hips/butt backwards first. (Think trying to shut a car door with your butt.) If you don’t slow down and make sure those three things occur first, you will never be able to drop your hips below your knee crease and get a successful rep.
With other lifts, such as cleans and snatches, slowing down in the beginning to make sure you hit all your positions in the path is important to improve your lifts. Backing down the amount of weight on the bar and focusing on a perfect bar path will get you a PR without really even trying. Quality over Quantity will truly get you the success and results you are looking for in the gym.
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