Incorporating tempo training into your strength routine can be an effective way to stimulate muscle growth, enhance muscular endurance, and reduce the risk of injury. However, to glean these benefits, it is crucial to understand what tempo training is, why it matters, and how to integrate it into your workout regimen effectively.
What is Tempo Training?
Tempo training, also known as time under tension training, refers to the speed at which you perform an exercise. It is usually denoted by a 4-digit number sequence that represents the time (in seconds) you should spend on the eccentric phase (muscle lengthening), pause after the eccentric phase, concentric phase (muscle shortening), and pause after the concentric phase, respectively. For instance, a 4010 tempo on a squat means you take 4 seconds to lower your body, no pause at the bottom, 1 second to rise, and no pause at the top.
Why Tempo Training?
Tempo training is an excellent tool to manipulate training variables to achieve specific fitness goals. Here’s why:
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Improved Muscle Tension: Slowing down the eccentric phase increases the time your muscles spend under tension, which can stimulate more muscle growth.
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Enhanced Muscular Control: It helps you improve your form, control, and awareness of your body’s movements during strength training.
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Reduced Risk of Injury: By controlling the speed of movement, you can reduce the likelihood of injuries caused by poor form or jerky motions.
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Increased Workout Intensity: By increasing the total time under tension, you can add intensity to your workouts without necessarily increasing the weight lifted.
Integrating Tempo Training into Your Strength Routine
Now that we understand the what and why let’s explore how you can integrate tempo training into your workout routine.
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Start Slow: Begin with a slower tempo (like 3030) on a few exercises to get used to the idea of controlling your speed.
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Vary Your Tempo: Different tempo prescriptions can help achieve different goals. For hypertrophy, consider a slower tempo (like 4010), which increases time under tension and promotes muscle growth. For strength, a faster tempo (like 2010) might be more appropriate.
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Use Appropriate Weights: When you slow down your reps, especially during the eccentric phase, you’re unlikely to lift as heavy as you usually do. Adjust your weights accordingly to maintain good form.
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Don’t Neglect Rest: Tempo training can be taxing. Be sure to rest adequately between sets to recover.
Tempo Training and Autoregulation with MyoFactor
MyoFactor’s minimalist approach to strength training naturally aligns with tempo training. The app’s autoregulation feature allows you to adjust your training based on your body’s daily performance. This is particularly beneficial when employing tempo training, as the intensity can vary significantly depending on the prescribed tempo.
For example, if you’re doing a challenging tempo workout, you might find that you aren’t able to complete as many reps or lift as heavy as you initially planned. Instead of sticking rigidly to your plan, MyoFactor allows you to adjust your workout on the fly based on your body’s feedback, ensuring that you’re training effectively without risking overexertion or injury.
Also, MyoFactor’s simplicity and focus on the essentials make it an ideal tool for integrating tempo training into your routine. Instead of getting bogged down in complex programming, you can focus on the key variables that really matter: your exercises, your weights, and your tempo.
Wrapping Up
Tempo training is a versatile and powerful tool that can be easily incorporated into your strength routine to help you reach your fitness goals. Whether you’re looking to build muscle, increase strength, or reduce injury risk, manipulating your exercise tempo can provide a new stimulus for your body to adapt to. And with MyoFactor’s autoregulation feature, you can seamlessly integrate tempo training into your workouts, adjusting your training intensity based on your body’s performance and recovery needs. So, why not give tempo training a try in your next workout? You might be surprised at the results.