• 👋Hello, please SIGN-UP FOR A FREE account and become a member of our community!
    You will then be able to start threads, post comments and send messages to other members. Thanks!
  • 💪Check Out IronMag Labs Andro Hard® - Powered by R-Andro & Epi-Andro! 💊
  • 👉Check Out Platinum Pharms🌽Corn Hole Sale!🌽

Time under tension

REHH

REHH

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
15,840
Reaction score
6,897
Points
113
Get Shredded!
How many u guys pay attention to this aspect of lifting?
 
I didn’t realize I was doing it. I do negatives for chest, shoulders. Pull downs, arms a lot of squeezing. I’m seeing improvements I’m not going backwards. Sometimes during sets I’ll go moderate motion then start doing negatives for a couple sets sometimes I’ll do negatives for all sets. Like I said I just do it and not realize I’m doing it.


Sent from The Iron Pile
 
When I first started lifting all I cared about is lifting heavier than everyone at the gym I go to. Now my joints are starting to pay the price for the careless way I lifted. Now I have noticed I get my best results doing restaince lifting and focusing on good form with tension as often as possible. Finishing the movement with full squeeze and the muscle in motion. Yes I've had to decrease the wheight and use more machines but appearance wise I think my muscles are looking fuller. So yeah to answer your question.
 
Durro said:
I didn’t realize I was doing it. I do negatives for chest, shoulders. Pull downs, arms a lot of squeezing. I’m seeing improvements I’m not going backwards. Sometimes during sets I’ll go moderate motion then start doing negatives for a couple sets sometimes I’ll do negatives for all sets. Like I said I just do it and not realize I’m doing it.


Sent from The Iron Pile
Click to expand...

Respectfully, he isn't talking about negatives.

This is in reference to to the time used to complete one rep during the concentric phase (muscle is shortening under a load/resistance). Not the eccentric phase or negative (muscle is elongating under a load).

Instead of curling a dumbell and completing the rep in 1 second, perhaps you complete the rep slowly in 3 seconds. For a 10 rep set, that would equate to 20 more seconds of time under tension for the bicep muscle.

Consider then 10 total sets and the time under tension is 200 more seconds.

Over time, you would get more out of each workout.

While you can have a slower eccentric contraction for a "negative" rep, it simply isn't beneficial to perform a negative for each rep of each and every set.
 
Ben pukalski talks about this all the time.... mi 40 program comes to mind
 
I’ve noticed some good results with mass generator training! It’s similar to Dorian Yates HIT style training BUT you are forced to use lighter weights by using multiple drop sets slow positives like mtut and no resting between exercises besides the time it takes you to walk to the machine. So you can essentially slam out a body part in 15-20min with a majority of that time frame having tension on each muscle. Think of it as microwaving your muscle lol

chest example

warm up 3x15 cable flys
decline hammer strength 1 triple drop set 8x12x15
flat dumbell bench “heavy”1 triple drop set 10x8x6
Pec dec flush set 100 reps or to complete muscle failure
 
Stri8tedGod said:
I’ve noticed some good results with mass generator training! It’s similar to Dorian Yates HIT style training BUT you are forced to use lighter weights by using multiple drop sets slow positives like mtut and no resting between exercises besides the time it takes you to walk to the machine. So you can essentially slam out a body part in 15-20min with a majority of that time frame having tension on each muscle. Think of it as microwaving your muscle lol

chest example

warm up 3x15 cable flys
decline hammer strength 1 triple drop set 8x12x15
flat dumbell bench “heavy”1 triple drop set 10x8x6
Pec dec flush set 100 reps or to complete muscle failure
Click to expand...

This makes a lot of sense... probably harder for someone not running gear.
 
Increasing time under tension in my chest exercises has in my opinion caused quite a bit of improvement in the fullness this year. I have also done this with bicep curls and feel as if I've seen some positive results from it there as well. My coach encouraged it for my chest after training with me one day when he was in town, it will no doubt force you to lower your weight from normal amount but I'm not in the gym to impress anyone with numbers anymore.
 
IML Gear Cream!
REHH said:
Interesting posts, I guess there's several ways to address TUT, I was referring to TUT per set, achieved by using lighter weight and slower reps.
Click to expand...

I think time under tension can have its place as part one's training...maybe not all the time. Kinda like something you can put in your tool box.

IMO training and intensity is modified by the amount of weight or resistance, the rep count, the pace,...etc. One can alter a parameter like the amount of reps and increase intensity or increase the weight and alter the intensity. Depends on goals too.

TUT is probably an under utilized training technique. Especially young dudes just looking to push heavy weight.
 
Ive recently really taken to this and found the control required to maintain constant tension in both upward and downward motions has actually increased core and overall strength. It has made a big difference just like negatives once did. Essentially its a controlled motion like a negative thru the entire range of motion.
 
Augustine5I said:
I think time under tension can have its place as part one's training...maybe not all the time. Kinda like something you can put in your tool box.

IMO training and intensity is modified by the amount of weight or resistance, the rep count, the pace,...etc. One can alter a parameter like the amount of reps and increase intensity or increase the weight and alter the intensity. Depends on goals too.

TUT is probably an under utilized training technique. Especially young dudes just looking to push heavy weight.
Click to expand...


Yep I pretty much agree with all that, it's definitely a good tool in the tool box.
 
Flexenstein said:
Ive recently really taken to this and found the control required to maintain constant tension in both upward and downward motions has actually increased core and overall strength. It has made a big difference just like negatives once did. Essentially its a controlled motion like a negative thru the entire range of motion.
Click to expand...

Makes a big difference when you slow things down.
 
tren2k14 said:
6 second hack squats or mtut leg press fucking love it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

oh those are fucking brutal . right there. all those guys that bounce 4 plates on the squat. i say cut that in half and lets see you go down on a 6 count. they usually only get a few reps before they get stuck in the hole lol
 
Durro said:
I didn’t realize I was doing it. I do negatives for chest, shoulders. Pull downs, arms a lot of squeezing. I’m seeing improvements I’m not going backwards. Sometimes during sets I’ll go moderate motion then start doing negatives for a couple sets sometimes I’ll do negatives for all sets. Like I said I just do it and not realize I’m doing it.


Sent from The Iron Pile
Click to expand...
I do drop sets with negatives, super sets with negatives, regular sets with negatives;

I sometimes do random pauses and just hold the weight static at a couple different positions within the rep.

I'll do slow negatives, pause with the weight at the end of the negative, and then explode as fast as I can with the weight in the positive motion of the rep.

I mix it up. I believe people don't focus on their negatives enough. I almost started a thread on this today lol

Thanks @Durro


Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk
 
bc123jm said:
oh those are fucking brutal . right there. all those guys that bounce 4 plates on the squat. i say cut that in half and lets see you go down on a 6 count. they usually only get a few reps before they get stuck in the hole lol
Click to expand...

I usually do pause reps but not 6 sec
 
CompoundLifts31 said:
I do drop sets with negatives, super sets with negatives, regular sets with negatives;

I sometimes do random pauses and just hold the weight static at a couple different positions within the rep.

I'll do slow negatives, pause with the weight at the end of the negative, and then explode as fast as I can with the weight in the positive motion of the rep.

I mix it up. I believe people don't focus on their negatives enough. I almost started a thread on this today lol

Thanks @Durro


Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sounds like your on it. The negative makes a huge difference, I usually try to explode on the positive too; fast positive, slow negative.
 
Get Shredded!
REHH said:
Sounds like your on it. The negative makes a huge difference, I usually try to explode on the positive too; fast positive, slow negative.
Click to expand...

Thx man, you got to change it up. Rest Pause is great also!


Sent from The Iron Pile
 
I pay no mind I have to much other shit to focus on in my lifts.. There really isn't some little neat trick I employ in my lifts, just intensity and drop sets, IMO you're muscle don't know what the fuck weight is, it just knows tension and stimulation, I keep my rep range above ten, I don't count but I know I'm past ten by easily 3-4 reps, sets till failure..I don't do any slow movements, because it never done me any good or displayed greater growth..I just straight up fucking block out and ignore TUT and focus on controlled reps and mind to muscle contention..Just focus on rep range and whatever movements stimulate more growth for YOU, and TUT will follow and land where ever it is, but at the end of the day it won't matter either way, you'll make gains and grow if you if control your reps,mind to muscle connection and stay within a parameter with a set tempo (stimulation) .. just my 0.02
 
A few years ago i found this, and these guys turned me on to it. It took some time to incorporate it cause I kept going back to momentum during a set. Now i don't have to think about it, except on deadlifts (to busy concentrating on neutral spine with old back injury).
https://youtu.be/fObDpfJBl0k
 
Back
Top