What is tempo and what does it mean in bodybuilding?

If you have just started working out, the term tempo in bodybuilding may be strange to you. You have probably heard this term from professional athletes and you don’t know the exact meaning of tempo in bodybuilding. Read this short article till the end, because we are going to explain tempo with some examples.

What does tempo mean in bodybuilding and sports?

Tempo, in simple terms, means the beat of the exercise. How fast you lift and then lower the weight.

Using different tempos in bodybuilding exercises can have a big impact on your results and progress. Changing tempos can affect your workout results, such as muscle strength, endurance, strength, and muscle mass. In order to make your workout program the most practical and useful, you can create variety and changes in your workouts by using different tempos.

What is the effect of tempo on muscle growth?

The most well-known and effective way to improve strength training is simply to add more weight (using the principle of overload). However, the stronger the athlete, the more difficult it is to lift weights and his progress is likely to slow down. But changing the tempo of your movements is a great way to re-stimulate muscle growth because you allow the muscle to spend more time under tension.

How is tempo measured in bodybuilding?

Basically, “tempo” in weight training refers to the speed at which you lift and lower the weight. Tempo in bodybuilding is usually shown as a 3- or 4-digit number, where each number refers to the speed at which a part of the exercise should be performed. For example, the tempo of an athlete in the forearm movement is 321. Now we explain the meaning of each number.

• Prime number

The first number refers to the time it takes to lift the weight. In our example, “3” means it takes 3 seconds to raise the dumbbell in your hand for the forearm movement.

• The second number

The second number is the pause during the movement. In the example we had, the weight is kept in the upper arm position for 2 seconds.

• The third number

The third number is the time it takes to lower the weight, in this example it takes 1 second to lower the weight.

Depending on the workout, this beat is important for building muscle because the tension placed on the muscle can act as a stimulus for the muscle fibers. For example, in dumbbell biceps, the biceps muscles will be fully contracted at this tempo and will improve hypertrophy results. It is important that the tempo is done according to the coach’s opinion so that you don’t get injured and get the best result.

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Practical examples of tempo for bodybuilders

Tempo in bodybuilding is one of the “important variables” to stimulate muscle building; In other words, it can be used as a “tool” to adjust the training intensity and make changes in the training program.

For bodybuilders, the speed of bodybuilding movements can be very useful and can be used to achieve goals or better performance. For example, slow tempo (slow workout beat) can be used to increase volume and fast tempo to increase muscle strength. Here are some more examples of tempos used in bodybuilding.

Slow tempo to increase muscle mass

A slow tempo, such as 4 seconds to lower and 2 seconds to rise, can be used to increase muscle mass. The reason behind this tempo is that the slow tempo allows the bodybuilder to have more time to contract the muscles and put more pressure on them.

Fast tempo to increase muscle strength

A fast tempo, such as 1 second to lower and 1 second to rise, can be used to increase muscle strength. A fast tempo allows bodybuilders to do more repetitions with heavier weights.

Intermittent tempo to increase exercise variety

Intermittent tempo is such that in the first repetition, for example, you spend 4 seconds to lower and 2 seconds to rise, and then in the second repetition, you must spend 2 seconds to lower and 4 seconds to rise. This system can be used to increase exercise variety and make changes in the exercise program. Also, this work can help the body to adapt to the new tension and prevent it from getting stuck.

One important note!

The coach is the one who is supposed to guide you about the tempo of the exercises and adjust the tempo or other variables according to the sports goals and the level of the athlete. Beginner bodybuilders should start with slower tempos and gradually increase the repetition speed of their movements.

final word

In other words, tempo is the speed of bodybuilding movements or the beat of training. A change in tempo can increase your volume or increase your strength. It depends on your goal. Also, tempo changes in bodybuilding will make your workout more varied.

References: maxinutrition