Tempo Training: What Is It & Why Is It Valuable
As a coach and athlete myself, one of my favourite things to do is to explore and immerse myself in various training methodologies as it allows me to find new ways to improve as an athlete as well as apply what I learn to become a better coach.
One training technique I've become a big fan of is called 'Tempo Training'.
Considering we incorporate quite frequently, I wanted to share a little more about what tempo training is, and why it can be beneficial for everyone - regardless of fitness level.
Simply put tempo training is the manipulation of the time it takes to complete a given exercise.
This can be done for a range of purposes and can be used for many different styles of movements but is generally utilized for barbell training and bodyweight exercises.
When “tempo” is prescribed it is typically going to look something like this: 3131.
You may have seen these before and wondered what the heck it meant… lol
Well… these numbers each refer to a specific part of the movement and correlate with the speed in which it is to be performed.
These prescriptions always follow a specific order:
The first number is the down phase (or eccentric) part of a movement
The second is the bottom of the movement.
The third is the up phase (or concentric) part of the movement.
And the fourth is the top of the movement.
It can seem complicated but once you understand this it becomes quite simple to read!
Lets break down the above prescription (3131) using a back squat as an example.
It would read like this: 3s on the down phase, 1s pause at the bottom of the squat, 3s on the way up, and 1s at the top between reps.
Now the beauty here is that these numbers can be manipulated to get a desired effect or stimulus.
Here are just a few ways tempo can be used:
Position/Mechanics/Control
Tempo is an excellent way to create control and proper mechanics by purposely slowing down more complex movements.
Slowing movements down allows us to 'feel' and better understand where our bodies are in space.
This can be very beneficial for beginners learning the mechanics of various barbell exercises.
For example, if an individual has difficulty with a barbell deadlift, we can slow the tempo down to ensure the mechanics of each segment of the movement are being performed properly.
Muscle Activation
For those who are new to fitness, it takes some time to develop proper muscle activation as our bodies have to learn how to efficiently connect the signal from the brain to the firing of a muscle (referred to as neuromuscular adaptation).
Unfortunately (at least in the fitness realm), our bodies are very smart and will find a way to complete a task even if we aren't properly firing our muscles which can often lead to undue stress on our joints and ligaments.
By adding a tempo to a movement, we can both increase the awareness of a certain muscle group that should be firing, as well as train the neuromuscular system.
Muscle Fibre Recruitment
By adjusting the speed of an exercise we can alter the stimulus for a desired effect or goal.
For example, if we want to increase force of a contraction, we can add a pause before the concentric (or up phase) of a movement.
If we paused in the bottom of a back squat, force would need to be produced at a higher rate from a static position vs the typical 'stretch reflex' or 'bounce' we tend to use when squatting.
Alternatively, if we wanted to focus on hypertrophy or muscle size, we could slow the tempo down throughout the entire movement creating a sustained time under tension.
And there you have it, those are just a few of the reasons why adding a tempo to your training may be just what you need to take your training to the next level.
If you are a beginner and struggling with your mechanics or activation, or you are an experienced athlete and you just feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your training, this can be a great way to mix things up and see improvements.
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