How Fast Should You Lift (Bruh?)

Hey we haven't heard from Coach Joe in a while. Well our Tactical Workouts​ Master has been cooking up great workout tips and programs in his Lab and here is a taste of a monstrous tip that we all can take to the gym with us. 

-Coach Nate

From time to time, you must mix up your workouts to break a plateau or simply beat boredom.

You see, both mind and muscle adapts to a familiar training plan in about four weeks.

If you don’t have access to a tactical strength and conditioning coach, to customize a program for you, here’s a proven approach to reboot your own workouts: lift fast on some days and moderate-to-slow-paced on others.

This rep-timing technique, called time under tension (TUT), helps you target specific goals, like boosting power, growing muscle, or building endurance, simply by tweaking your repetition tempo.

Also, you’ll quickly learn that certain exercises work best when performed at a particular speed, if for no other reason than avoiding sloppy form or, even worse, injury.

There are four numbers that define the tempo of a movement.

So if your program recommends you do a barbell chest press at a tempo of 30X0, here’s what it means.

The first number (3) recommends you take three seconds to lower the weight (“negative” or “eccentric”).

The second number (0) is the length of the transition between the lowering and lifting part (no pause at the bottom, when the bar is touching your chest).

The third number (X) is the lifting portion (“positive” or “concentric”). The “X” tells you to raise the weight explosively.

Finally, the fourth number (0) means no pause at the top.

Now before you make a snide comment about “having to go out and buy a metronome to do this workout,” please note that exercise generalists will never sway from the idea of “lifting the weight explosively and lowering it under control.”

While I agree with the idea of keeping it simple, focusing on tempo is a sneaky way to control your lifts, thereby avoiding achy joints that go hand-in-hand with sloppy technique.

So you’d be remiss to not test this training strategy for at least a month.

You’ll benefit from newfound focus and intensity during your workouts.

In  I created three tempo-based workouts for you.

Train hard and stay safe,

Coach Joe
Claim Your Gift: 5 Tactical Training Videos == Tactical Workouts