Tempo is an often underutilised tool in a coaches armoury. It can be the catalyst to elicit desired adaptations that standard reps alone would not achieve. There are many reasons why a coach or athlete would prescribe tempo reps in training, here we've given our top 4.
Movement quality
Movement takes practise, practise requires repetition. Moving slower through a movements range gives athletes the chance to feel out the proper positions and make sure their actions are correct and efficient. As the motor patterns are improved, the athlete can then layer in speed but will now have greater control and a better quality movement pattern.
Strengthen weak points of a lift. If an athlete has a sticking points or loses tension in certain areas of a movement, a change in tempo forces the athlete to spend more time in this range, therefore spending more time developing more strength in this particular portion of the lift. For example, take an athlete that continuously get stuck in the bottom of a squat. Placing a 2 second pause in the bottom will help overload this weak portion and provide an effective stimulus to develop strength there.
Strengthen end ranges
This leads nicely from out previous point. When an athlete requires better range in a movement, they usually will be prescribed 'mobility' work to increase this end range. It is vitally important to strengthen this new found end range. The above example correlates directly to this point also.
Intensity without heavy loading.
If an athlete is injured, cannot move heavy loads or a coach simply wants them to use lower percentage weights for fatigue management, tempo reps are a great way to match the intensity of heavy lifts without the actual high percentage loading. Providing a tempo prescription makes movements much harder at lower percentage loads, leading to less systemic fatigue but still delivering effective intensity.
How we prescribe and write tempo in programming.
There are many different ways in which you can write tempo. From numbers to symbols to full written descriptions. Our method at UPC is a slight variant on a universally used method in the strength world.We write tempo in a numbered format, for example (32x1). Each one of the 4 numbers represents how long in seconds a part of the lift, with x indicating it should be completed as fast possible. So if we take the example above, we will explain what each number relates to. The First Number= Eccentric The eccentric is the portion of the lift where the working muscles are being lengthened. For example the descent in a back squat or the lowering of the body from the top of a pull up. In our above tempo prescription this would relate to a 3 second lowering in the back squat and pull up. The Second Number= Loaded Isometric The loaded isometric is the point at which the muscles are at their maximal end range under tension. Therefore in a back squat this would be a pause in the bottom of the squat, and in the pull up, when the athlete's chin is above the bar. In our above tempo prescription, this would relate to a 2 second pause in the bottom of the squat, and a 2 second pause with the gym over the bar in the pull up. The Third Number= The concentric The concentric portion is when the loaded muscles contract and shorten. The 'work' phase. In our back squat example, this would be driving out of the bottom of the hole, in our pull up example this would be pulling our chin above the bar. With the (32x1) presciption this would be moving as fast as you can, indicated by the 'x' The Fourth Number= The Unloaded phase At the natural point of the rep finishing, where breathing is easiest. For example in a back squat this would be when the knees and hips are fully extended and in a pull up. when your arms are fully extended. Our prescription example of (32x1) indicates a 1 second pause at this point before starting the next rep. As you may have noticed, our two examples are different movement patterns, and the rep itself begins at different points during the lift. A back squat is what we would call a concentric first movement, a strict pull up, an eccentric first movement. Therefore a back squat would be read forward; 3 sec eccentric, 2 sec isometric pause, 'x' concentric, 1 sec unloaded phase. Whereas a pull up would be the same, just in read in reverse. 1 sec no tension phase, 'x' concentric, 2 sec pause, 3 sec eccentric.