A Not So Tempo-rary Training Tactic

When you are raising an 18 month old that has discovered a new passion for climbing, you have to keep your head on a swivel! In the last two months, Amelie has decided that her life’s goal is to summit every cliff that stands in her way. Stairs? No problem. Windows? She’ll just use the couch as a step stool. Toilets? How about a muscle-up to get to the top?

Needless to say, I have been focusing all of my parenting efforts on speed-based, reactive training to keep up with Amelie. As a result, I have neglected slow, controlled movements in my fatherhood training.

Last month, when working with One Life Fitness trainer Evin Samuels, I had the pleasure of being reintroduced to this often overlooked training principle - tempo training. By and large, tempo is a component of strength training that gets neglected in the rehabilitation setting, in favor of the more common variables of frequency (number of times per week you train), duration (length of time you train), and volume (total number of repetitions completed in training).

What is tempo training, you ask? Great question!

10,000 FOOT VIEW: 

Tempo is the total length of time to complete an entire repetition¹.  This is a hugely important variable because it dictates the amount of time that a muscle spends under tension during a strength movement. The more time under tension, the greater the potential to develop strength. Tempo can be broken down into four parts equating to each component of the strength movement, and is listed as a sequence of 4 numbers (ie 20X0). In order to demystify the sequence, let’s break down each of the numbers:

1. The first number (2 in our example) is always describing the length of time (in seconds) of the eccentric contraction – when the muscle is lengthening under the load. The PT community is fairly familiar with eccentric loading, especially with regards to the research by Alfredson on Achilles tendinopathy in 1998² (more on this topic later). Eccentric loading ensures body control through the movement’s entire range of motion and has been shown to increase type I collagen synthesis³ (building blocks of our connective tissue) and hypertrophy of muscle fibers. Utilizing a slower eccentric contraction can also be of great benefit to a person that is new to strength training because it helps them develop body control and provides a safety net against uncontrolled speed through the lengthening portion of the movement (which can place excessive stress on the muscle, connective tissue, and the joint).

2. The second number (0 in our example) is always describing the length of time (in seconds) of the pause in a stretched position. The pause in the stretched position demonstrates complete control of the movement, as it requires muscular control/stability at the position of extreme length. Muscular control/stability in end range lengthening is crucial for everyone, especially our hypermobile patients that too often rely on locking out their joints to achieve stability in end range positions.

3. The third number (X in our example) is always describing the length of time (in seconds) of the concentric contraction – when the muscle is shortening under the load. The concentric phase of the movement is often designed to be a speed based phase. When you explosively move through the concentric phase, you increase the percentage of motor units within a muscle recruited for the movement. This explosive movement would be described as (X) in our sequence. The concentric portion of the movement is the only portion where you would move as quickly as possible (X). When working with patients with muscle/tendon injuries, using a slower concentric phase can be a safe way to initiate a strength foundation, while working towards an explosive concentric contraction (X).

4. The fourth number (0 in our example) is always describing the pause in a shortened position. The pause in the shortened position is also important to demonstrate complete control of the movement. The late, great strength coach, Charles Poliquin recommended pauses in this position to increase fast twitch muscle fiber recruitment during the lift⁴. Keep in mind, the pause is only effective for muscle fiber recruitment if it does not involve locking out in a rested position (ie locking out your arms at the top of the bench press). Think about a pause at the end of your pull on a row or a pull up – this position does not involve locking out the joint and keeps you under muscular tension during the pause.

 LOW HANGING FRUIT:

Now that we know what tempo is, we should discuss who can benefit from tempo training. The short answer is - any patient that you deem safe to participate in strength training. We already mentioned that tempo training can be beneficial for our hypermobile patients to improve muscular control/stability in end ranges. Additionally, our patients that are new to strength training can use tempo training to develop better body control. Patients with muscle strains can use longer duration repetitions to slowly build load to the healing muscle and progress towards speed tolerance as the strain heals. What about two of the most common soft tissue conditions we see in the clinic - pain associated with tendinopathy and pain associated with soft tissue stiffness?

Good news! Tempo training can be beneficial in these populations, as well! O’Sullivan et al concluded that eccentric loading increases tissue length and joint range of motion, in addition to improving muscle strength⁵. 

With regards to tendinopathy, the times they are a changing! Gone are the days of using Alfredson’s² “eccentrics only” protocol to treat tendinopathy. What has replaced it? Tempo training! Malliarias et al conducted a systematic review on loading programs for Achilles and Patellar tendinopathy and found that heavy slow resistance training (a synonym for tempo training) has a greater positive effect on tendon adaptation and remodeling than “eccentric only” training⁷. Tempo training was also associated with greater evidence of collagen turnover when compared with “eccentric only” training⁷.

To get you started on your tempo training journey, I have included some sample tempos for different categories of patients.

Hypermobile patient: 3110 – The focus with this group is on the eccentric phase and a pause at end range to ensure control through their entire range of motion.

Novice strength training patient: 3020 – The focus with this group is on control through both the eccentric and concentric phases in order to improve body control.

Muscle strain patient: 4020 – The longer time under tension will allow for a focus on control without overloading on weight or speed of contraction. This can be progressed to a 20X1 when the muscle strain has reached the later stages of rehabilitation.

Tendinopathy – 3030 – Heavy slow resistance throughout the entire repetition is the name of the game with this group.

Stiff patient – 8210 – The focus in this group is time in the eccentric and fully stretched position.

WHAT DID I LEARN?

There are a myriad of benefits associated with tempo training, across a wide spectrum of backgrounds and training levels. Now, if I can only get Amelie to buy in to the benefits of slow, controlled movements.

Stay tuned.

*** Side note – if you work in a clinic attached to Sport & Health/One Life Fitness, please connect with their training staffs! They are incredibly talented coaches/trainers and I have learned so much from observing them coach, chatting with them about mutual clients, and now training with them – shout out to Evin Samuels for the inspiration behind this blog post!

References:

1. Charles Poliquin - Poliquin Principles: Successful Methods for Strength and Mass Development – 1997.

2. Alfredson H, Pietilä T, Jonsson P, Lorentzon R. Heavy-Load Eccentric Calf Muscle Training For the Treatment of Chronic Achilles Tendinosis. Am J Sports Med 1998 26: 360-366.

3. Eccentric rehabilitation exercise increases peritendinous type I collagen synthesis in humans with Achilles tendinosis. Langberg H, Ellingsgaard H, Madsen T, Jansson J, Magnusson SP, Aagaard P, Kjaer M Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2007 Feb; 17(1):61-6.

4. Charles Poliquin - Rep Tempo: An Essential Loading Parameter - https://www.strengthsensei.com/rep-tempo-essential-loading-parameter/

5. O'Sullivan K, McAuliffe S, DeBurca N. The effects of eccentric training on lower limb flexibility: a systematic review. BJSM Volume 46, Issue 12; 2012.

6. The Shoulder: Complex Understandings for Simple Solutions - Adam Meakins – 2018

7. Malliaras P, Barton CJ, Reeves, ND, Langberg H. Achilles and Patellar Tendinopathy Loading Programmes: A Systematic Review Comparing Clinical Outcomes and Identifying Potential Mechanisms for Effectiveness. Sports Med (2013) 43:267–286.