Introduction
This week we will talk about Time Under Tension. But before we do, let’s knock out the intro. So, if you know your way around the gym, you know the basics of weightlifting. The average three sets of ten with high-speed loud grunt work. Not to mention the saying that, “your workouts should not be longer than 45 minutes”. Do not get me wrong, this isn’t a bad start, but long as you don’t stay there forever.
Following bodybuilders and fitness coaches, you will find that there are many strategies for muscle growth. For example, doing four sets of five with heavy weights to put on muscle mass or four sets of ten to get ripped. However, these are not wrong in theory but there is a strategy that is used by true muscle enthusiasts.
Before I go any further, let’s understand how muscles are built which will explain why there are many strategies regarding build them. The process of building muscles starts with your workouts tearing your muscle fibers. After the workouts, your body starts to repair itself by fusing muscle fibers creating new strands. The creation of the new strands is the thickness which makes your muscles bigger.
Different strategies that are created by bodybuilders and fitness coaches are created to maximize this process. Everybody is different but most strategies will not last long before you plateau. More or less, it is important to switch up the volume and intensity from time to time. However, the muscle-building strategy I want to talk about today is Time Under Tension or TUT.
What is Time Under Tension (TUT)?
Time Under Tension is the act of activating a muscle or muscle group for a longer period than the average amount of time. Let’s use the bicep curl for example for Time Under Tension. You could easily curl a 10 lbs. dumbbell, but curling the dumbbell slower with the same reps will burn a lot more than usual. This causes the mind-muscle connection.
The beauty of the mind and muscle connection is that you have to be intentional. This connection makes you focus on your muscle activation, making sure you feel the burn of the muscle. In theory, Time Under Tension is a simulation of lifting heavy weights but with lighter weights. An example of this is when lifting heavy weights, you aren’t lifting them fast. It takes time to fight the resistance to get a rep. Also, when you get the rep, you are not just going to drop the weights. You will control it back to the resting position.
Now, doing the same thing with lighter weights will replicate the same outcome but just less stress on the joints. When it comes to Time Under Tension, your body does not know the difference between heavy and light as long as there is a slow struggle. Your body with thinking that you are lifting heavy weights but you are not. To better understand Time Under Tension, we must understand the phase of the strategy.
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Phases of Time Under Tension
To truly execute the muscle-building strategy TUT, we must understand the phases and the intention behind itthemThe intention behind TUT is to increase muscle and mind connection through muscle activation. This means you are putting great intention and focus behind the muscle. But what about the phases you say? Yes, there are 3 phases to TUT and they all play a part in muscle growth. The phases are Eccentric, Isometric, and Concentric (In that order). Let’s start with eccentric.
Eccentric Phase
The eccentric phase is the least thought-about phase when it comes to muscle building. This phase is defined as the lengthening phase. Using the bicep curl as an example again, let’s say after you curl up, lowering the dumbbell back to the starting position is the eccentric phase. To take advantage of this phase is to keep the bicep activated while slowly lowering the dumbbell back to the starting position. This provides more muscle fiber tears to rebuild and create more muscle strands.
Isometric Phase
If you ever heard of pause sets, then this is the actual name of the type of lift. The isometric phase is defined as the segment of a movement that has no movement. This phase can be a hold in the activation segment or a hold on the rest segment. The purpose is to lift with no momentum to keep your muscles from being reliant on momentum itself. Isometric allows your muscles to activate by utilizing raw strength to define resistance.
Concentric Phase
Also known as the shortening phase, this is the most common phase that athletes and bodybuilders focus on. This is the segment where the dumbbell has reached its peak regarding activation. In simple terms, this is the part where you count your reps. The contraction movement is what we strive for. However, isometric and eccentric phases are just as important to building muscle.
Benefits of Time Under Tension
Time Under Tension is beneficial because it catches muscle fibers from all angles. This gives you the best opportunity to gain muscles from contractions and isometric phases. Also, don’t worry about having a low heart rate. Because you are under constant tension, your heart will be pumping blood to the activated area to help overcome resistance. And to increase your heart rate even more, try supersets.
Lastly, TUT helps with your mind and muscle connection. Being able to hone in on your muscle activation and being intentional makes for a great pump. If you have ever been to the gym and just weren’t feeling the pump, that’s because your connection was off. Whether you are performing Time Under Tension or not, always try to connect with your target muscle to get the job done.
Conclusion
With there being so many variations of workouts, they all lead to a goal. From beginner to intermediate, to advance, it is always best to switch up to avoid plateauing. Lifting heavy can be good for strength and lifting for reps can potentially get you ripped. However, Time Under Tension is proven to gain lean muscle mass. There will be a time to increase weight, there will be a time to increase reps and/or sets. But to capture contractions from all phases, you will need to slow down. Lastly, and as always… Remember that nothing works unless you do! Bless!
