Fast is Slow….Slow is FAST

4 min Read

Fast is Slow, Slow is FAST…..this is a concept that though, I may not say it that way all the time…is a principle that I use daily. This is also similarly known as the Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast moto used with the Navy SEALS.

Recently I’ve been using it this way with more of my youth athletes, but as I thought about it realized that I actually use it with almost everyone I see, regardless of age or training level!

Why we Rush
What I see typically are people rushing through movements to “get it over with” I’m always asking them to slow down. You need to own the movement, be able to control it at slower paces in order to do it well quickly. If you are learning a new movement no matter what age….slow is the only way to go! 

Think about other tasks that are new to you, like learning an instrument or just a new song on that instrument, me trying to edit IG posts, at first you move through it slowly and once you get the hang of it you can then begin performing it quicker. Same/same here.

Speed As Compensation

Another reason people move fast through movements is because they don’t have the balance and coordination. They “need” to move through it quickly because their body literally can’t handle the movement. My best example of this are people who take short quick steps while walking (usually slightly older folk) They have started to lose their balance so they actually don’t want to be on one foot for very long so they quickly switch or “fall” onto their other foot. When asked to slow down you can visible see just how unstable they are and how they tend to lose their balance quite a bit! So this is exactly what we do! We slow their movements down and really make them learn to control all phases of their walking gait. 

Here’s the kicker, when people try to move too fast, they often end up injured—or simply take longer to learn the movement properly. Either way, progress slows down.

How This Works in Practice

Recently I was working with an athlete that started to have some low back pain while squatting. One of the first things I noticed was how quickly he wanted to move through each rep. He wanted to drop quickly down and shoot back up as fast as he could. When we slowed his movement down the exercise became much harder for him to perform! The other thing that was noticeable was how unstable he really was doing this movement. Squats, when done well, are a powerful way to build strength and core stability. But when done quickly, without control, they can lead to issues—like low back pain. (To be clear: squats aren’t dangerous, but poor form under load can be.)

So how did we work through this? We worked on negative reps. We used a lighter weight than what was usual for him and then had him perform as slow and controlled as he could moving into the bottom position (just past parallel) pause at the bottom, and then rack the weight at the bottom. He then came out from under the bar and we then re-racked the bar to the starting height again. No bounce no rush. By isolating and emphasizing the eccentric (lowering) phase, we engaged his entire system—core, coordination, and even his nervous system. Over time, his stability and control improved dramatically. And with that, his low back pain improved.

Why? Because his brain felt safe. He now owned that movement. So when it came time to add speed and load again, his body knew it could handle it.

Same in Rehabs

The same is true for the rehabs that I work with, particularly when we are working on relearning a skill or movement. I am constantly saying that I only want “good” reps. Sloppy reps just to get to a specific number doesn’t do the person any good. Racing through reps doesn’t do them much good either. Intentional, focused movements are the best way to learn and regain movements and skills!

Slowing down means you’re building a foundation that can handle more—more strength, more speed, more intensity—without breaking down.

Fast is Slow….Slow is FAST

Ready to slow down so you can move forward faster?
Whether you’re rehabbing an injury, struggling with nagging pain, or just want to move better and feel better—slowing down might be exactly what you need. Let’s find out together.

Book a free discovery call and let’s talk about what’s going on, what’s getting in your way, and how we can build a plan that actually works—for your body and your goals.

Let’s get you moving with confidence again.