For most people, getting into sharp means hours spent in gyms and aerobi

c classes and on treadmills. But what if you could get the same results with a 20-minute workout once or twice a week?

　　This is the claim made by Ken Hutchins, the creator of the Super Slow exercise system. While this method is controversial, it is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the US.

　　Super Slow involves lifting weights extremely slowly—10 seconds up and four seconds down. Each exercise (leg press, bench press, shoulder press, etc.)is done until you can’t do it anymore, and you move from one machine to the other without any breaks in between. You end up doing a very intense and short workout—usually lasting less than 20 minutes.“When you do this right,”says one Super Slow trainer,”a brief workout is all you can stand.”

　　Studies have found this method to be effective. Dr. Wayne Westcott found during a 10—week study that the Super Slow method was nearly 50 percent more effective than regular weight training. Nearly a dozen NFL teams have started using Super Slow as part of their strength training.

　　But what about jogging, aerobics and cycling? Hutchins dismisses all of these exercises as inferior and the cause of many joint injuries.”By performing [aerobic] activities on your off days,”he says ,”you compromise the progress you could be making.”

　　However, Dr. Westcott disagrees, believing a balance between weight lifting and other kinds of exercise is the best path to fitness.

　　“This is where I part company with Super Slow,”he said.“They are totally against aerobic exercise, period.”