How to use time under tension to gain muscle

 

 

Increasing the amount of time that muscles are subjected to increased tension is the primary goal of the time under tension (TUT) approach. Because this training method places a greater amount of stress on the muscles than traditional training does, this is an essential component for achieving optimal muscle growth.

The time under tension (TUT) that the muscles are forced to endure is the variable that the TUT measures. For instance, if a set is thirty seconds long, then the total time under tension is also thirty seconds. To put it another way, the muscles are kept contracted for the entirety of the series. When performing a traditional set of exercises, there are typically pauses and biomechanical adjustments that impact tension. For example, halting at the top of an exercise as a "rest" helps the muscles to reduce tension and relax.

In order to calculate the TUT of your workouts, you will first need to examine the pace at which you perform the repetitions. For instance, the total amount of time required to complete one repeat at a tempo of 3-1-1 (three seconds for the negative or eccentric phase, followed by a pause of one second, and then three seconds for the positive or concentric section) is five seconds.

 

How to put it into practice?

 

 

When using the time under tension technique, there are two ways to overload the muscles: one is to increase the load, and the other is to increase the amount of time spent performing the exercises.

You can acquire more strength by performing fewer total repetitions and concentrating more on the negative phase if you increase the load that you are lifting.

You can improve the mind-muscle connection and weary your muscles by increasing the amount of time it takes you to complete a set while keeping the number of sets and reps you perform at the same level. For instance, if a typical set lasts for twenty to thirty seconds, you may strive to make the duration of your sets anywhere from forty to eighty seconds; however, you need make sure that the weight you use is sufficient to generate mechanical tension.

 

What is the best rep range to gain muscle?

 

 

The best range of repetitions for increasing muscle growth is still 8 to 12, but doing the reps more slowly reduces the time the muscles are subjected to strain.

You can complete 4-6 repetitions with a 6-second negative phase if you are exercising with heavier loads to improve strength in addition to muscle mass. This should assist in causing micro-tears in your muscle fibers, which will result in more muscle growth.

 

What is a negative repetition?

 

 

A negative rep is essentially the eccentric part of a repetition in which the muscles contract while extending. This occurs, for example, when you lower yourself toward the ground when performing a squat or lower the bar near your chest when performing a bench press. The concentric phase is the reverse of the eccentric phase, and it occurs when you stand back up after lowering the bar in the squat or when you raise the bar back up in the bench press.

 

Eccentric and concentric training

 

 

Both eccentric and concentric exercises can contribute to increased muscle size and strength, although they do so in subtly distinct ways. Because eccentric training involves the forced extension of muscle fibers while bearing an external load, it has the potential to generate more muscle injury (and therefore growth), whereas concentric training is typically better suited for building strength and power.