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Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution
Fitness expert Adam Zickerman presents a revolutionary exercise program – slow strength training – that will forever change the way people work out.
The Power of 10 seems to contradict nearly everything we're accustomed to hearing about exercise. Forget hours on the treadmill, and forget daily visits to the gym. This new program offers 20 minute workout sessions, once or twice per week, with an alluring emphasis on rest and recovery on your days off. The principle behind The Power of 10 is simple: by lifting weights in slow motion, making each rep last 20 seconds (10 seconds lifting and 10 seconds lowering) instead of the typical 7 seconds, you can maximize muscle transformation. The short workouts are so effective that your body will need days to recover and repair properly. Studies have shown that such routines can increase lean body mass, help burn calories more efficiently, and prevent cardio–vascular disease more effectively than aerobic exercise alone.
The Power of 10 seems to contradict nearly everything we're accustomed to hearing about exercise. Forget hours on the treadmill, and forget daily visits to the gym. This new program offers 20 minute workout sessions, once or twice per week, with an alluring emphasis on rest and recovery on your days off. The principle behind The Power of 10 is simple: by lifting weights in slow motion, making each rep last 20 seconds (10 seconds lifting and 10 seconds lowering) instead of the typical 7 seconds, you can maximize muscle transformation. The short workouts are so effective that your body will need days to recover and repair properly. Studies have shown that such routines can increase lean body mass, help burn calories more efficiently, and prevent cardio–vascular disease more effectively than aerobic exercise alone.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2002
171 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 21, 2017
In 2004, I joined a gym, hired a trainer, lost a bunch of weight and got healthy. Then my trainer moved to a gym in the east end of the city and I switched to a different gym closer to home in the west end. I wanted to keep up with weight training and eventually bought this book as it sounded similar to the principles that Yvette had been using with me ... heavy weights and slow reps.
Then life got busy, I got lazy and gained weight back. The book has sat on a shelf for years. The pages of my workout log are still tucked inside the book so I can see I used it about 15 times. Since July, I've been back on track and have lost 55.5 pounds (as of two weeks ago) with about 15 pounds to go. I feel that it's time to get back into weight training again (I've just been doing cardio).
The principle behind this book is reducing the speed of each repetition to a cycle of 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down, with no rest between. According to Zickerman, when you slow down repetitions, your muscles are forced to work harder, unable to rely on momentum to propel movement. And because your movement is less jerky, the risk of injury is reduced. When you can't do another rep, you keep pushing for another 10 seconds to ensure muscle fatigue.
There are three "pillars" in the book and each is explained:
* Exercise (once a week)
* Nutrition
* Rest and recovery (four to seven days)
The routines are clearing explained and there are pictures of every exercise in the routines.
Blog review post:
Then life got busy, I got lazy and gained weight back. The book has sat on a shelf for years. The pages of my workout log are still tucked inside the book so I can see I used it about 15 times. Since July, I've been back on track and have lost 55.5 pounds (as of two weeks ago) with about 15 pounds to go. I feel that it's time to get back into weight training again (I've just been doing cardio).
The principle behind this book is reducing the speed of each repetition to a cycle of 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down, with no rest between. According to Zickerman, when you slow down repetitions, your muscles are forced to work harder, unable to rely on momentum to propel movement. And because your movement is less jerky, the risk of injury is reduced. When you can't do another rep, you keep pushing for another 10 seconds to ensure muscle fatigue.
There are three "pillars" in the book and each is explained:
* Exercise (once a week)
* Nutrition
* Rest and recovery (four to seven days)
The routines are clearing explained and there are pictures of every exercise in the routines.
Blog review post:
September 28, 2025
This is a useful fitness manual. However, it makes its case in about fifty pages, then bulks out the rest with “how to use Nautilus machines” - type instruction.
September 12, 2016
People who read the Slow Burn Fitness Revolution read this one too, so I thought I'd better. I've been doing the Slow Burn workout for about a month now and I really like it a lot. They don't talk as much about nutrition as this book does, though and I think I need to be a bit more conscious about that part as well as the workout. Also, they don't talk about not stopping the motion of the weights, so I think I'll add that in; and they don't talk about the ten seconds of "burn" after you reach muscle failure. So I will add those elements. But all in all, I'm DIGGING this once a week slow weight routine. I really CAN do this for the rest of my life and feel like I'm adhering to my workout routine. I love it!
August 30, 2010
This book is okay. Concentrates on slow motion exercises. The routines are full body, but most need weights. I was looking for weight free exercises. This was not too useful to me.
April 28, 2021
This was recommended to me by someone I trust about health. I wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise.
I have just barely started the workouts, but it is very appealing to me. It only requires about 20 minutes of workout time 1-2 x/ week which with my current life situation is really hopeful. I don’t agree with all of the nutrition recommendations, mostly because the protein is almost all meat based and we try to eat meat pretty irregularly (not 2-4x/day like he recommends.) but there are ways around that. Just google plant based protein sources and there are lots of options. Also, his explanations of why this system works and what it has the potential to do are well laid out and easy to understand. I don’t really appreciate his style of humor and his tendency to be a salesman of the program. I already picked up the book after all.
The last thing that I would say about it is that there are several pictures of women in bikinis and the abs explanations have a guy without a shirt on. Black construction paper and glue took care of the uncomfortable photos. :-)
Oh yeah, one last thing, there are lots of explanations about using machines at a gym with a few exercises to do at home. There are 2 home workout routines that just use dumb bells, (1$/lb at Walmart or amazon) and a travel routine that doesn’t use anything. Many of the machine exercises can be done with a set of exercise bands. I don’t think you need a gym membership to make this book very useful.
I have just barely started the workouts, but it is very appealing to me. It only requires about 20 minutes of workout time 1-2 x/ week which with my current life situation is really hopeful. I don’t agree with all of the nutrition recommendations, mostly because the protein is almost all meat based and we try to eat meat pretty irregularly (not 2-4x/day like he recommends.) but there are ways around that. Just google plant based protein sources and there are lots of options. Also, his explanations of why this system works and what it has the potential to do are well laid out and easy to understand. I don’t really appreciate his style of humor and his tendency to be a salesman of the program. I already picked up the book after all.
The last thing that I would say about it is that there are several pictures of women in bikinis and the abs explanations have a guy without a shirt on. Black construction paper and glue took care of the uncomfortable photos. :-)
Oh yeah, one last thing, there are lots of explanations about using machines at a gym with a few exercises to do at home. There are 2 home workout routines that just use dumb bells, (1$/lb at Walmart or amazon) and a travel routine that doesn’t use anything. Many of the machine exercises can be done with a set of exercise bands. I don’t think you need a gym membership to make this book very useful.
November 3, 2023
This book was easily and quickly read.
This exercise protocol is based on the work and findings of Arthur Jones and Ken Hutchins. One set slowly to failure does work. A better book for explanation of this concept is BODY BY SCIENCE by Doug McGuff and John Little.
This book included several testimonials from people who had success with this method, but so many of them were in their 20s and 30s. I would have liked to see anecdotes from older people, as in 60s, 70s, 80s. It was with older (even elderly) people that the discovery of this method was first made.
I would have liked to see more useful dumbbell and barbell exercises in the examples.
This exercise protocol is based on the work and findings of Arthur Jones and Ken Hutchins. One set slowly to failure does work. A better book for explanation of this concept is BODY BY SCIENCE by Doug McGuff and John Little.
This book included several testimonials from people who had success with this method, but so many of them were in their 20s and 30s. I would have liked to see anecdotes from older people, as in 60s, 70s, 80s. It was with older (even elderly) people that the discovery of this method was first made.
I would have liked to see more useful dumbbell and barbell exercises in the examples.
August 29, 2022
I am intrigued by the author’s ideas of a short-but-intense, slow movement training regimen done only once per week inside of 30 minutes or less, one set to failure per exercise. Seems hard to believe this could yield much in the way of results, but it might be worth a try. I like the concept of avoiding injuries the best, as I have suffered a number of serious injuries lifting weights in the past.
September 24, 2017
Out of 3 pillars - The nutrition pillar falls flat through the recommendation of low-fat albeit non-sugar diet. Not convinced by the constant tempo of each rep which suggests a one-size fit all approach. While it may help complete newbies, but not convinced if this is sustainable for long-term as one increases his fitness/skill levels.
August 15, 2023
Good method
Outdated nutritional advice
Outdated nutritional advice
January 21, 2025
Contained a lot of junk info that bumped up the page count, when the book is mostly a list of gym workouts. Does give at home workouts, but I'm not sure how effective they'd be....
March 18, 2015
Interesting book...interesting concept.
Do the weights but slowly....10 seconds out....10 seconds in. Ideally, use machines over free weights.
You need to do it once for 20 minutes/week. And you'll see the effects in 2 weeks.
I tried this. I watched the clock. 10 seconds in....10 seconds out. It had an effect at first and then nothing.
I am now back to my classes with free weights....and ow I hurt!! I like the idea of 20 minutes/week...but when it doesn't work....it's not worthwhile.
Oh and there are recipes which I know I am not going to make and follow!!
Back to weightlifting classes and dance. (And walking several times/week)
Do the weights but slowly....10 seconds out....10 seconds in. Ideally, use machines over free weights.
You need to do it once for 20 minutes/week. And you'll see the effects in 2 weeks.
I tried this. I watched the clock. 10 seconds in....10 seconds out. It had an effect at first and then nothing.
I am now back to my classes with free weights....and ow I hurt!! I like the idea of 20 minutes/week...but when it doesn't work....it's not worthwhile.
Oh and there are recipes which I know I am not going to make and follow!!
Back to weightlifting classes and dance. (And walking several times/week)
April 19, 2011
Written with! So much! Enthusiasm! This is going to!! Change my life!!
No cardio! Only weight lifting! And rest! (check-already do that one) And a healthy diet!(um, maybe someday!)
I started five weeks ago, but have gotten to the gym 1x a week more than 2x. Although the book says once a week, you have to build up to that over months of going 2x a week. Currently my only cardio is my walk 3 blocks up hill my bus stop. Over the course of this five weeks of no cardio, that walk has become increasingly hard.
No cardio! Only weight lifting! And rest! (check-already do that one) And a healthy diet!(um, maybe someday!)
I started five weeks ago, but have gotten to the gym 1x a week more than 2x. Although the book says once a week, you have to build up to that over months of going 2x a week. Currently my only cardio is my walk 3 blocks up hill my bus stop. Over the course of this five weeks of no cardio, that walk has become increasingly hard.
May 1, 2012
I don't feel like the other reviews listed do this training method justice. Another book similar to this one called "Body By Science" provides a better scientific rationale for this slow motion, high intensity training. I felt like this book gave more application techniques and incorporated more on nutrition and rest, which was helpful. I have been doing a form of this once a week training, and I am a ton stronger and am seeing more muscle definition.
October 7, 2012
Chapter one: you'll be told this is a great way to train, and if it wasn't, thousands of people wouldn't be learning it. Thousands of people are undoubtedly learning Zumba, and P90X, and TRX, and any number of other crap forms of recreation calling itself exercise.
This book has more problems than that, to be sure. Not recommended.
May 23, 2008
Lifting weights in this way feels like a combination of isometrics and traditional resistance training. There are lots of routines given so you don't get bored. It's quick enough that I can do the 2x a week workouts before each swim, so I get maximum efficiency out of my trips to the gym.
March 16, 2014
Interesting concept, filled with testimonials of people who tried this type of weight training and have succeeded. This is written in an easy to understand manner without sounding like an infomercial.
Worth trying for yourself if you have the equipment and or gym membership.
Worth trying for yourself if you have the equipment and or gym membership.
February 19, 2009
I tried it out and felt the burn, so we'll see after a few weeks if the 20-minute, once-a-week workout (with appropriate food choices and rest) makes me more fit.
August 20, 2009
Similar to slow burn 30 minute workout. this one is geared more toward the gym with little examples of workouts at home
September 4, 2011
Clear and practical instructions. Time will tell if it works for me. Nutritional advice is just conventional wisdom, which my recent reading makes me doubt.
June 24, 2013
Written well, good idea.
May 21, 2014
I love the idea of working out only a few times a week. I've actually tried it, and it works well enough for me.
July 21, 2015
old but gold book. basically make your lifts up to 20 seconds and lift until failure
March 29, 2016
I'm going back to high-intensity training. Better results, more time efficient.
October 22, 2016
Love it
I just started but so far it's wonderful. Warning. He moved his website and joined others so the link doesn't work.
I just started but so far it's wonderful. Warning. He moved his website and joined others so the link doesn't work.
January 18, 2017
A good adjunct to Slow Motion weight training which I read earlier today. Combine this book with the exercises from Slow Motion and you should be good to go.
January 24, 2017
This all made a lot of sense to me, so I am now putting it to the test. We shall see. I personally know of people who do the slow burn method and have received great results from it.
July 3, 2012
The technique works
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews