Does time under tension really matter during a set? A very recent meta analysis released (Schoenfeld, 2015) hoped to evaluate repetition duration during resistance training and how it would effect muscle growth. The authors included studies that: were at least 6 weeks long compared training tempos using both concentric and eccentric repetitions trained to concentric failure Only 8 studies met criteria. The reason for so few could largely be down to the study duration criteria. Study length needs to be considered because very short term changes may not equate to significant long term adaptions. The authors found that a range between 0.5 to 8 seconds per rep saw similar outcomes when the aim is to gain muscle. Reps lasting more than 10 seconds wasn’t recommended. Its worth noting the vast majority of subjects in the 8 studies were untrained individuals so we could see different responses in trained participants. TO TAKE HOME: You should potentially look to include a varying degree of TEMPO’s during your training sessions to maximise muscle growth. Aim for reps lasting between 0.5 to 8 seconds and avoid any super slow training of 10 seconds per rep or above.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:30:00 +0000