The Reps You Rush Are the Reps You Need Most

Why Slowing Down Changed My Strength (And My Confidence)

Rushing sets to get them done.

I used to do that all the time.

And honestly? It only made me feel unsure of my strength.

I was progressing in weight.
Numbers were going up.
But inside the set especially during my one set of 20 back squats — I didn’t feel confident.

I felt rushed.
A little unstable.
Like I just wanted it to be over.

And that’s when I realized something:

Rushing wasn’t building strength. It was building panic.

So I changed something simple, but powerful.

I slowed down.

What If the Goal Isn’t to Finish the Set… But To Control It?

Whether it’s one set of 10 or one set of 20, the goal isn’t just to survive it.

The goal is to stay in control the entire time.

Inside a longer set (especially a 1x20), there are phases:

• The first few reps? Pretty manageable.

• The middle reps? That’s where it starts getting uncomfortable.

• The last few reps? That’s where confidence is built.

But if you rush through them, you skip the very thing you’re trying to develop.

Control.
Stability.
Confidence under the bar.

Why Rushing Feels “Unsafe” (Especially If You Sit All Day)

A lot of us live desk-life heavy routines.

Tight hip flexors.
Limited mobility.
Unfamiliar patterns.

When your body feels unstable, it tries to get out of the position quickly.

So you rush.

You might even notice:

• Your breathing gets weird mid-set

• Your form shifts

• You lose tension

• You feel chaotic instead of strong

And that chaos doesn’t just show up in the gym.

It shows up when:

• You bend down to pick something up

• You lose balance unexpectedly

• You react quickly instead of intentionally

When the body feels unsafe, it wants to escape.

So instead — we train it to stay.

The 3–2–1 Tempo That Changed Everything

Here’s the exact shift I made in my back squat:

3 seconds down
2 second pause at the bottom
1 second up with control

Not lighter.
Not easier.
Just more intentional.

Step 1: Set Your Stance

Feet shoulder-width apart.
Big breath in.
Brace your core like you’re about to lift groceries or a box.
Strong before you move.

Step 2: Lower for 3 Seconds

Sit down and back slowly.
Knees track over toes.
Chest stays tall.

I literally count in my head:
One… two… three.

Lower like you’re placing something fragile on the ground.

Step 3: Pause for 2 Seconds

Own the bottom.

Feel your feet.
Feel your hips.
Feel your core.

Not sitting forever — just long enough to say:
“I’m stable here. I can do this.”

This is where confidence starts.

Step 4: Stand Up for 1 Second

Push through your whole foot.
No jerking.
No panic.

Stand tall — controlled and calm.

Step 5: Reset

Every rep gets the same respect.
Every rep gets the same intention.

That’s where the shift happened for me.

What I Noticed After Slowing Down

I had been feeling plateaued.

Like I wasn’t recruiting the right muscles.
Like my form wasn’t fully locked in.
Like I was strong… but not confident.

After slowing my tempo:

• I felt my glutes actually working.

• I felt more stable at the bottom.

• I stopped panicking in the last few reps.

• I increased my weight twice in six weeks.

• And I hit 21 reps at a heavier weight.

Not because I rushed.

Because I stayed.

The last reps became less about survival and more about rhythm and control.

The Last Reps Are the Practice for Real Life

The final reps of a hard set?

That’s your pressure cooker.

That’s where you ask:
“Am I panicking? Or am I staying present?”

Last year I learned something in real life too.

When things get heavy — not everything is mine to carry.

Sometimes it’s about staying calm under pressure.
Sometimes it’s about surrendering what isn’t yours.

In the gym, slowing down taught me this:

Control first.
Confidence second.
Load later.

That applies under the bar.

And outside of it.

Try This This Week

Pick one lift.

It could be:

• Back squats

• Bodyweight squats

• Overhead press

• Bent-over rows

• RDLs

And apply a 3–2–1 tempo.

Up to 20 reps is the goal.
But if your form breaks at 10? Stop there.

Next week, aim for 12.

We don’t build confidence by rushing.

We build it by being present.

Rep by rep.

If You’re Ready to Train This Way

This is exactly what I teach inside my 1x20RM Confidence Cycle.

It’s not just about lifting heavier.

It’s about:

• Building control

• Improving balance

• Strengthening mobility

• Feeling confident under the bar

• And translating that confidence into real life

Because confidence isn’t created in chaos.

It’s created through intention.

And the reps you rush?

Those are usually the reps you need the most.

If you try a different tempo this week, let me know which one works for you. I love 3–2–1, but tempo always depends on your goal.

And remember:

We don’t build confidence by rushing.

We build it by being present.

Rep by rep.

—
Deonah Symone
The Superhuman Method 💙