Lifting Tempo
Tempo
Sometimes you will see a “tempo” description for exercises in your training programme that will look something like “Tempo: 2-1-X-1”.
Tempo describes the speed of each part of a lift. Different speeds can be used to achieve different adaptations.
The four numbers in a tempo description always refer to the four parts of a lift, starting from the beginning of the lift:
Numbers = the time in seconds of the portion of the lift
X = maximum speed and acceleration for the portion of the lift
See the diagram below for a squat example:
Types of muscle contraction
We can use different types of muscle contraction to achieve different physiological responses. For example, slow eccentric movements can be used for certain muscle growth goals or for tendon rehab. Sometimes you will see the following terms in your training programme:
Concentric
A concentric contraction is when a muscle is shortening while contracting, e.g., as you raise the dumbbell on a dumbbell bicep curl.
Eccentric
An eccentric contraction is when a muscle is lengthening while contracting, e.g., as you lower the dumbbell on a dumbbell bicep curl.
Isometric
An isometric contraction is when a muscle is not changing in length, but is contracting, e.g., statically holding a dumbbell with your elbow at 90º on a dumbbell bicep curl.
Isotonic
An isotonic contraction is when a muscle is contracting and changing in length, i.e., a concentric or eccentric contraction.