What is TEMPO in training?
How and why to use TEMPO for weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting and body weight movements in exercise
WHAT IS TEMPO AND WHY ARE WE USING IT?
You will often see a series of 4 digits used next to set and repetition counts in our programming. While we have been touting the benefits of tempo for a while you may still be wondering about some of the benefits and applications in training.
However before we get into that, why would we even want to use it to begin with? Tempo, or what is also time under tension (TUT) can be extremely valuable as a training tool not only for beginners in learning and developing proper motor patterns, but it can also be a great way for even advanced athletes/trainees. It allows us to not only get better control and learn, but also get more time under the bar which can translate to more beneficial tissue adaptations. Tempo can help us focus on mechanics and position, get better control, progress a movement or pattern and even better develop absolute strength. In its essence it is a very simple method that can translate to great results regardless of your experience or perhaps inexperience.
TEMPO DEFINED
Tempo is the rate at which a movement is performed and can be broken down into phases. As written, it represents how long the muscles and tissues or groups are under tension. Changing the tempo can change the intention of the movement as programmed and serve to focus on some of the elements to be manipulated mentioned above
To better understand tempo it is also important to understand muscle contractions that are focused on during the phases as laid out in the 3-4 digit tempo prescription.
MUSCLE CONTRACTION TYPES AND PHASES OF TEMPO:
ISOMETRIC: Force is applied and the muscle contracts with NO CHANGE in joint angle and muscle length (e.g. Top and bottom hold/pause in squat or push-up/plank etc.)
ECCENTRIC: During contraction the muscle ELONGATES while under tension with the opposing force (like that of the bar or your bodyweight) greater than the force generated by the muscle contraction (e.g. lowering in a squat, lowering in a pull-up).
CONCENTRIC: During contraction the muscle SHORTENS while under tension with force generated by the muscle(s) greater than the external force or load (e.g. standing back up in a squat against the weight of the bar, pulling the body up in a pull-up).
HOW DO I READ TEMPO (or WRITE IT)?
Tempo is typically written as either a 3 or 4 digit series of numbers like @3102 or @31X2
FIRST Digit Is the eccentric portion or first part of the movement (often the lowering portion)
SECOND Digit Is the isometric bottom portion of the movement (like the bottom of the squat or hanging in a pull-up)
THIRD Digit Is the concentric portion of the movement (often the upward movement portion)
FOURTH Digit Is the isometric top or end portion of the movement (like the top of the squat when you reset or chin at/above bar in a pull-up)
As mentioned, how the tempo is written can dictate the intention of the movement in order to drive a specific stimulus or adaptation for an athlete or trainee.
Position & Mechanics – When a movement is intentionally slowed down, it allows more time for awareness around where the body is in space and what each muscle or groups of muscles are doing. This can help when learning a movement, correcting a movement fault, or simply trying to better the quality of the movement. In essence, different phases or qualities of the movement can be better focused on.
Control – Assigning a particular tempo rather than moving without regard requires every every muscle (and groups) to work hard to maintain control in various positions/phases/shapes of the movement. By remaining in control the required muscles used will also be stimulated to develop in order to maintain further/better control.
Metabolic Demand – As total time under tension increases, the amount of work required also increases, and thereby increases the metabolic demand for those contractions. For instance @5312 is much more time under tension than the to @20X1.
Progression – Tempo can also be used as a progression tool in programming by gradually increasing load as time under tension decreases. It could also be increased with the load remaining the same. Time under tension, of course, then could also be held constant to reinforce mechanics while progressing load. In the first progression example, time under tension decreases to allow weight/load progression and could go as follows: @5010 to @4010, @3010, @20x1 with the last being an attempt at a maximal load with the intension to EXPLODE (X) in the concentric phase.
QUICK SUMMARY:
Tempo can be a great tool for many different applications and intensions in progressing along training in the following ways:
Develop requisite motor control and proper movement mechanics in novice and even advanced trainees new to a movement
Recruit specific muscle fibers
Increasing force development
Force recruitment of higher threshold motor units
Make a movement more “metabolic” by increasing demand on tissues
Increase muscle strength, size (hypertrophy)
Create greater efficiency in movements
Drive adaptations and improve performance
We like to use tempo quite a bit in our programming and you will see it used for all the instances above and in many different progressions throughout RB Build. Whether you are novice or experienced, we think it is one of the best prescriptive tools to use and far too underutilized.