Time Under Tension weight lifting...

jrdutton
jrdutton Posts: 4 Member
edited November 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering if anyone has tried Time Under Tension lifting. I used to lift all the time. My reasons for wanting to lift now are different from when I used to lift. Curious about the results using this technique. Thanks!

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,023 Member
    Anyone who's ever lifted weights uses this method. It's nothing new, just poking it's head out of the sand occasionally to spark interest for people who have to write articles.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    What are your reasons for wanting to lift now?
  • jrdutton
    jrdutton Posts: 4 Member
    Used to lift for strength while playing sports. Then it was to get bigger in my late 20's. Now at 43 it's to tone up and get shape back after losing 30 pounds.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    jrdutton wrote: »
    Used to lift for strength while playing sports. Then it was to get bigger in my late 20's. Now at 43 it's to tone up and get shape back after losing 30 pounds.

    Have you started by building a basis of strength and stability first before moving on to more complicated concepts?
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    I think it can be a helpful tool when eg your joints can't take too much direct load & you have no other way to increase stress to muscles (ie you've maxed out the reps you can do, at the max load you can take). But I think then it should be done even more carefully, bc 1) if your form isn't great, your knees or whatever are exposed to it for *longer*. And your form might go funny with a really unusual tempo anyway and 2) even if your form is perfect, your ligaments & tendons might not like that kind of stress, if you're vulnerable.

    Also, the eccentric part of the movement is the one that does the most damage. It's useful in physiotherapy bc that is *controlled* damage with effects that are (hopefully ) predictable based on evidence + the PT's assessment of where you're at. But if you don't have knowledge of how to pace yourself or recover, you might make things unnecessarily hard for yourself.

    I think (if you're vulnerable) doing it under guidance, or adding a couple of seconds here and there is probably fine (eg short pauses at different points).
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Anyone who's ever lifted weights uses this method. It's nothing new, just poking it's head out of the sand occasionally to spark interest for people who have to write articles.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    This^^
    You do realize, at least I'm assuming you do because you've lifted in the past, that anytime you're lifting you're creating time under tension? It's just slowing down the movement a bit to prolong the the muscle being under tension.
    Just another tool in the wheelhouse when you get to a certain point and need something to get past a stall, whether in weight lifted or gaining size or definition.

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