What is it?
Tempo is the speed at which you perform an exercise. Ideally, when we lift, every rep would look identical. We want a consistency in our execution so it’s easier to measure.. If we didn’t perform the exercise with a set tempo, we would have inconsistent reps as some reps would be faster or slower than others. If each rep has too much variability between them, then our performance during each set and session would be inconsistent, difficult to predict, and there’d be no way to tell if we actually got stronger or if we just changed the tempo to squeak out more reps.
The 4 phases of tempo
We typically use 4 numbers to represent the tempo of a particular exercise. These numbers represent:
Concentric Phase- the shortening or contraction of a muscle
Like pushing up on the push-up
Pulling on a pull-up
Standing up out of a squat
Eccentric Phase- the lengthening of a muscle
Like lowering your body down on a push-up
Lowing your body down on the pull-up
Descending into a squat
Isometric Phase- a pause between the the previous muscle actions where the muscle doesn’t change in length.
Some exercises are isometric only like a plank or a wall sit!
How to read and write tempo
When writing tempo, we always start with the eccentric first, then the eccentric pause, followed by the concentric, and the concentric pause. Some people like to think of it as the easier part of the movement first, then the harder part second with pauses in between.
Tempo is written like this:
Example 1:
(2011)
This tempo means the eccentric is 2 seconds, no pause, concentric for 1 second, with a 1 second concentric pause.
Example 2:
(3111)
This tempo means the eccentric is 3 seconds, pause for 1 after the eccentric, contract the muscle for 1, and pause for 1.
Applying tempo
Alright, let’s apply these concepts to some real exercises:
Example 3:
Goblet Squat 3x8 (2011):
This is pretty easy because the squat begins with the lengthening first. So the tempo starts on the first number and reads from left to right in order. Some more exercises that begin with the lengthening first would include bench press, pushups, lunges, and so on.
Sometimes exercises can be tricky and you begin with the shortening first- like a bicep curl!
Example 4:
Bicep Curl Machine 3x12 (2011)
With the bicep curl, we start the movement with the 3rd number because that’s when the bicep contracts. Then we move on to the 4th number, then 1st, then 2nd, and we repeat for reps. Examples of some more exercises that start with the contraction first would include rows, lat pulldown, pull ups, deadlifts from the floor, leg presses, tricep pushdowns, sit ups, and so on.