TEMPO – The Secret To Success

In my opinion Tempo or Time Under Tension is the secret to your success.

So why is it most people I see exercising in the gym seem to think the faster they work the harder their working and the quicker they’ll get results!

Well you may be surprised to know that the slower and more controlled the exercise is completed with the better the results you will see.

Most personal trainers will monitor  the basics reps, sets and load or weight. Most don’t even monitor rest periods, and very few prescribe tempos correctly within their workouts.

So here are 5 reasons why you should be using tempo as part of your training regime to maximise your results.

#1 Use Tempo to Get Better Results

Using a tempo means you choose how long you will spend on the concentric and eccentric phases of the lift. You can also include a pause at the top or bottom of a lift. Remember programming the amount of time your muscles spend under tension is just as important as programming reps, sets, loads and rest.

You might think that a longer tempo is always superior, but this is not always true. Try to vary and progress your tempos as much as possible

#2 Vary Tempo to Get Stronger

It is heavily researched that to get stronger you need to lift heavier loads. Moving a heavy weight fast, as with Olympic lifts, jump squats, or bench throws, will bring about more central nervous system developments, but so will moving an even heavier weight more slowly, as with near maximal squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. By varying the amount of time the muscles spend under those loads, you can recruit higher amount of motor units in the muscles.

#3 Benefits of a Slow Tempo

Slower tempos with lighter weights are an especially useful tool for beginners because such exercise tempos still produce neuromuscular and hypertrophic results without being dangerous or compromising technique with loads that are too heavy.

They are also a staple of programming when recovering from injury to increase blood flow to the injured area, gain strength, and focus on getting the muscles to fire effectively.

#4 Time Under Tension to Lose Fat and Get Stronger

One of the best results you will get from using a tempo in you programming will be greater improved body composition and fat loss.

When you train under a longer temp your EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) is increased sufficiently. If your EPOC has been increase your metabolism has been elevated by a significant degree — which means your body continues to burn calories at a greater rate for up to 48 hours after an intense workout.

#5 Program Rest Periods to Lose Fat

Using a slower tempo, such as 4010, will bring about more metabolic responses. You’ll experience increases in energy stores like creatine phosphate and muscle glycogen, but it will also produce a hypertrophic and fat burning response.

The 4010 tempo was more metabolically taxing, meaning more growth hormone will be released, which is the principal hormone you want to elevate to lose fat.

A simple way to produce more growth hormone and burn fat is to use shorter rest periods between sets or sprint repetitions. 60 seconds will result in significantly more growth hormone release than 90 or 120 second rest periods

Personal Fitness Coach

Angelo De Chiara 🙂