Using correct exercise tempo is a great way ensure success towards your health and fitness goal. You can use tempos for increase progression, changing the training stimulus and learn how each target muscle is recruited throughout the full rep of a certain exercise.

Tempos are simply written into your program in a number format.

This posts example tempo: 4010

The First Number: Eccentric Phase

The first number is always represented as the Eccentric phase of the exercise. The eccentric phase is where the muscle you’re training is lengthening. You will most likely feel a stretch sensation also in the eccentric phase. (TIP: In some exercises, this may not always be the first movement of the exercise) EG: The lowering of a barbell on a bench press exercise. The Pectorals muscles (chest) are lengthening during this phase. Another great way to identify the eccentric phase is the non-exertion phase. The eccentric phase is opposite phase of where you’ll produce maximum force.

The second number: The isometric phase / lengthened muscle phase

The second number on the tempo can be represented as many numbers. This solely depends whether a pause in the focus muscle lengthened position is needed. During this second phase of the exercise, the target muscle worked is in a fully lengthened/stretched position. If your tempo in your program shows a number higher than 0, then this is an added pause that you’ll complete. For example using the above tempo: A pause during the bench press whilst the bar is close to your chest for 1 second.

The third number: The Concentric Phase

This is the most simple phase of an exercise. The concentric phase is where the target and stabilising muscles contract to perform the exertion phase of an exercise. For example: The pushing/upward phase of the bench press or the pulling part of a chin up.

The fourth number: The isometric/shortened muscle phase

Just like the second number, this is where a pause of the exercise is conduction, but this can change slightly depending on what exercise you’re using. In a barbell bench press ,the pause in the shortened position is also used as a slight rest position. But compared to a lying leg curl, after you curl up, this is now the shortened position making a pause very challenging and beneficial as well whilst holding the hamstring contraction.

To Recap

Exercise tempo is very important to create enough muscular tension

Knowing how to manipulate your tempo and knowing which numbers are what goes a long way to a better session

The first number is the phase where the target muscle is lengthening.

The second number can be used as a pause

The third number is the exertion phase of the exercise

The fourth number is where the target muscle is in the shortened position and can again be used as a pause but be sure to know how this can change with different exercises.