Friday, February 3, 2012

Rise and Shine Workout: Time Under Tension



Despite being dog tired I dragged my a#% out of bed and got my workout in at 6:30am this morning.  A ritual I've been doing for the past 6 months.  Normally, I workout at lunch, but have found it nice to relax at lunch on Fridays and not have to rush to get the morning pts completed (and if needed take a nap!).
So today consisted of supersetting:  3 sets each
                 1.) Barbell Sumo Deadlift x 8 w/ DB Tempo Shld Press (3 sec up/3 sec down) x 10
                 2.) DB Flat Bench Tempo Press ( 3sec down/3sec up) x 10 w/ Alt Leg Press x 16
                 3.) Forearm Braced Chin Up x 8 w/ TRX Triceps press x 10
                 4.)  Calves on Leg Press x 8 w/ DB Tempo Lateral Raises (3sec up/ 3sec down) x 10
Total Time elapsed 50 min.

The benefit of the tempo is that you are using the time under tension principle.  The longer a muscle is under tension the more it is stimulated to grow!  Most people totally disregard this concept when lifting.  Just watch most guys at the gym do bicep curls.  They do 10 reps in about 10 sec!  Yes, they get pumped and they will build some strength and size, but they would probably gain more and faster if they slowed down a bit.  Im not suggesting the "super slow" method that was popular for a while.  You do have to put ego aside though b/c you will definitely have to lower the weight.  Try It!  Shoot for at least 40 sec of time under tension to begin and then progressively increase your time.  Its great for rehab when you want to build size and strength but don't want to or cant use a lot of weight.

Get Strong! Stay Strong!
Chris

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