3 Tips for Maximizing Your Time Under Tension
Written by Kirsten Ahrendt
Time Under Tension (TUT) is magical – it will make you crazy strong when you go to do your heavy doubles, triples and singles with no tempo. We love it so much and it has been one of the Invictus programming principles since the beginning. Invictus founder and programming mastermind, C.J. Martin wrote an article about why he loves tempo training that goes into all the reasons and why you see it prescribed in your workout frequently.
So as you see your next squat cycle progress, STICK TO THE TEMPO ABOVE ALL ELSE!Â
How to Maximize Your Time Under Tension
1 – Have a partner count for you – we always count faster in our own heads.
2 – Have a partner film a set or two from straight behind and straight in front. Watch your positions. Do you rotate, shift your weight laterally, or collapse anywhere? Sometimes simply SEEING OURSELVES perform these faults on video can completely change how we approach and focus on the next lift and bring greater awareness for us. Try it!Â
3 – If you have mobility restrictions somewhere (t-spine, front rack, ankles, hips, etc) – incorporate 20-30 seconds of mobility work on that area in between your warm-up sets or first few working sets. (maximize your time)
Tempo training is important at all stages of an athlete’s development – from beginners who simply want to learn to lift weights and shed a few pounds to Olympic caliber athletes of all disciplines. If you’re not sure how to create tempo prescriptions and you are looking for a program more specific to your needs than the Invictus workouts of the day, check out our options!