Today I want to share with you one of the most crucial aspects of a training program, which is TEMPO!
Tempo is not commonly used and seen in training programs, but it can change your entire results after a 6-8 week program
and is very important for individualising exercises to your weaknesses and strengths
If you're new to TEMPO and this is the first time you're hearing about it, then the best way to grasp it is to think of a metronome..
A metronome is a pace setter for music and tempo in a strength and conditioning program, is how we set the pace and rhythm for different parts of the movement..
Next I will answer the following..
- What tempo looks like in a program
- How to write a program with tempo
- Example of tempo and exercises
What tempo looks like in a program..
Tempo is 4 separate numbers that define 4 different points of the movement and will appear like so..
3.0.1.0
1️⃣ The 3, represents the eccentric part of the movement where gravity is on your side
For example, this will be the lowering part of a squat, where less effort is required to lower down.
Which means, you would take 3 seconds to lower down into the squat.
2️⃣ The 0, is the change between the eccentric and concentric part of the movement, as the muscles switch from lengthening to shortening.
In a squat, this would be the bottom position and the 0 would mean no pause in the bottom of the squat before coming back up.
3️⃣ The 1, is concentric or when working against gravity. In the same squat example, it means you're pushing up for 1 second.
4️⃣ The second 0, is the change between the concentric and eccentric, otherwise known as the top of the squat and would mean you start the rep again straight away, going back to lowering for 3 seconds and restarting the tempo.
How to write a program with tempo
Tempo dictates how long you complete each rep and the time under tension spent during your sets.
Which changes your results and program and can literally be the difference between building muscle or not!
So the first thing before writing tempo for an exercise, is asking these 3 questions.
1️⃣ Where is my greatest weakness in this exercise?
2️⃣ Am I focused on muscle, strength, power or mobility?
3️⃣ What intensity am I planning to work at?
Each of these questions dictate how long each part of the movement should take and decrease risk of injury and increase results.
For example, to develop muscle and mobility, moderate intensity of 65-80% and a moderate time under tension of 40-90 seconds will be more beneficial in the long run because more there is higher total volume!
Whereas, power and strength will be more beneficial with higher intensity of 80-100% and lower time under tensions of 2-20 seconds, because they are more neurological adaptations.
Example of tempo and exercises
Okay, that was a bit wordy and perhaps confusing, so let's make it all super clear... Let's say you want to add 20kg to your back squat..
When we test your back squat though, we notice your legs shake on the way down and your butt lifts early as you push out of the squat..
This means 3 things;
Your hips lack stability in internal and external rotation
The quads are weaker in the bottom of the squat
Strength is the priority and a higher intensity is needed
So we write a TEMPO and program that helps to tackle these weaknesses, which is!!!
Complete:
Exercise: Back Squat
Tempo: 4.2.1.1
Reps: 2
Intensity: 80-85%
Sets: 5
Rest: 2 minutes
We've now created a tempo that fits within the program and goals specific to your weaknesses.. 👉🏽 The 4 seconds down, is so you can adapt to the shaky legs and develop stability in the hips 👉🏽 The 2 second pause in the bottom of the squat is to help you gain strength of the quads in the deepest range 👉🏽 The 1 second pushing up is so you don't fatigue, because it's the hardest part of the movement
👉🏽 The 1 second at the top of the movement is so you can reset, brace and go again. This is exactly how you create long term progress using TEMPO and why it can drastically improve results and optimise your performance!!! If you feel like this is the attention to detail you're missing in your current strength & conditioning program
and would like a personalised program that includes tempo and other core principles for optimising your performance and preventing injury...
Feel free to book a free 'Game Plan' call via the link below and we can discuss how this might look for your sport.
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