Weight training advice

How to make weight training exercises more intense?

There are a variety of ways to make weight training exercises more intense. These training methods include commonly used parameters such as changing the number of reps/sets, doing pause reps, varying rest time between sets, and doing drop sets or supersets. This discussion focuses on a different parameter, time under tension (TUT) and tempo lifting.

The premise behind hypertrophy (muscle growth) is to cause microscopic damage to muscle fibers which then stimulates the body to repair the damage thus causing muscle growth. When performing TUT the muscle fibers are placed under a greater degree of stress as they contract over a longer period of time. The body repairs the microdamage done resulting in muscle hypertrophy. The different stimulus produced through TUT keeps the neural pathways guessing and adapting which causes muscle growth. There is a greater muscle contraction over a longer period of time.

How do we recruit a greater number of muscle fibers over time? TEMPO. The late great, Charles Poliquin, was one of the first lifting authorities to advocate for and implement the controlled speed of repetitions to maximize TUT. Poliquin liked using a numeric system for tempo training.

Example: Barbell Bicep Curl     4-0-2-0 tempo

4- 4 sec lowering of barbell during the eccentric phase

0- O sec pause at the bottom of movement

2- 2 sec to lift weight in concentric phase

0- 0 sec pause at top of movement

Tempo can be applied to many upper and lower body lifts. There are a variety of tempo's that can be used. Be aware that doing this makes a very light weight much heavier. This type of training can be brutal but greatly rewarding. Don't be afraid to go lighter when performing tempo TUT reps. This will add another dimension of intensity to your training. Due to going lighter, it will also lessen chances of injury and allow for strict controlled form.

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