Mastering Tempo: The Secret to Better Workouts 🏋🏻‍♀️ - SHAF Coaching Newsletter - Smart Health and Fitness

Happy Humpday – Ever see someone at the gym bouncing through their reps, barely controlling the weight? This week I want to talk about why it is important to consider tempo as a crucial part of your training. The tempo of your reps might not be something you think about often, but it plays a huge role in strength, muscle growth, and injury prevention.

So let’s dive into why tempo matters and how you can use it to your advantage.

What is Tempo in Strength Training?

Tempo refers to the speed at which you perform each phase of a rep. Every rep has four phases:

Eccentric (Lowering the Weight): The controlled lowering of the weight (e.g., lowering the bar in a bench press).
Pause at the Bottom: The moment of full stretch or transition before lifting again.
Concentric (Lifting the Weight): The actual lifting phase (e.g., pressing the bar back up).
Pause at the Top: The moment before you start the next rep.

Instead of rushing through movements, controlling each phase of the rep ensures you’re actually working the target muscles, not just moving weight from point A to B. Different training methods lead to different tempo patterns.

Why Tempo Matters in Training

If you’re just lifting with no control, you’re leaving results on the table. Here’s why tempo makes a difference:

1. More Time Under Tension = More Muscle Growth

Slowing down your reps, especially the eccentric (lowering) phase, increases time under tension (TUT)—the amount of time your muscles are working during a set. Studies show that more TUT leads to greater muscle growth because it creates more mechanical stress and micro-tears in the muscle fibers (which then repair and grow).

➡️ Generally best for hypertrophy (muscle growth): A moderate tempo, like 2-3 seconds on the eccentric phase, can be more effective than just rushing through reps.

2. Better Control and Injury Prevention

When you move with control, you reduce the risk of injury. Rushing through reps often leads to using momentum, which shifts stress away from your muscles and onto your joints. A slower, controlled tempo ensures you’re engaging the right muscles and reducing unnecessary strain.

➡️ Best for injury prevention: A slower eccentric phase (3-4 seconds) and a controlled pause at the bottom help reinforce proper form.

3. Increased Strength Through Explosive Lifting

Not every rep should be slow—there’s a time for speed, too. Fast, explosive concentric movements (the lifting phase) recruit more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for power and strength. Olympic lifters and powerlifters use this method to develop maximal force.

➡️ Best for strength: A controlled eccentric phase (2-3 seconds) followed by an explosive concentric (1 second).

4. Improved Mind-Muscle Connection

When you slow down and focus on each rep, you improve your mind-muscle connection—your ability to actively contract and feel the target muscle working. This leads to better engagement and muscle activation, making each rep more effective.

➡️ Best for muscle activation: Slower reps with full focus on the contraction can make a huge difference in muscle engagement.

How to Apply Tempo to Your Training

A great way to control tempo is by using a four-digit tempo notation like this (like I do in my training programming):

Example: 3-1-1-0 (Squat Example)

3 seconds lowering into the squat (eccentric)
1 second pause at the bottom
1 second lifting back up (concentric)
0 second pause at the top before starting the next rep

Here’s how different tempos can serve different goals (the indicated tempo is a general example):

Muscle Growth: 3-1-1-0

Strength & Power: 2-0-1-0

Endurance & Control: 4-2-1-0

Common Mistakes with Tempo

Not Controlling the Eccentric Phase – Lowering the weight too fast reduces muscle tension.

Using Momentum – If you have to swing the weight to complete a rep, it’s too heavy or your tempo is off.

Rushing Through Reps – More reps don’t always mean better results. Quality beats quantity.

How You Can Use This in Your Next Workout

Next time you train, pick one exercise and slow it down—especially the eccentric phase. For example, during squats or bench presses, take 3-4 seconds to lower the weight before pressing back up. You’ll likely feel a huge difference in muscle activation and control.

If you’re looking to mix things up, try incorporating different tempos based on your goals. Sometimes slowing down can be just as effective (or more) than simply increasing weight.

Let me know if you need help integrating the correct tempo in your training plan!

Lift safely and lift efficiently!

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