Time under load in bodybuilding: why is it useless? Muscle growth and “time under load” Does time under load matter?

It is believed that more “time under tension” also means more muscle growth. Not so simple.

« Muscles do not understand how much weight is on the apparatus" - say many philosophizing bodybuilders, - " The only thing they understand is the need for growth caused by the load».

Well, if you are new and not familiar with this belief, I want to point out that this vision has been dominant for decades. We are talking about muscle tension during sets. For example, let us do 8 repetitions in 45 seconds... as you guessed, the time under load is 45 seconds!

For a while it was just another theory. The approach didn't become mainstream until studies like this one popped up with the abstract that time under tension plays a near-vital role in muscle growth.

And suddenly, all the fitness gurus began to spread a real “breakthrough”, which claimed that the weight on the equipment played a secondary role, if not a tertiary one. The real reason for muscle growth is the so-called. "time under load" This is how this movement was born.

Soon, detailed techniques for manipulating the pace of exercise began to be developed. This is how “super slow training” appeared, which focused on time under load, and not at all on lifting weights.

Well, like many other "weird gimmicks" of the fitness crowd, this one is supposed to help you increase your bench press and gain some muscle, but in fact, "time under tension" is just a by-product of a full-fledged training, it can be an addition, but not independent approach.

Let's figure out why.

Time under load is just a compromise

How much weight did you squat with last week? How many repetitions did you complete? How many of them do you think and with what weight can you do them by reducing the execution speed by at least half?

The question is, is it possible to have a peaceful existence of increased time under load and progression in muscle growth? Can “time under load” replace some of the “volume of work”?

Research says no. Eg…

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Sydney found that classic “fast training” significantly increased the strength performance of athletes compared to the group trained in the “slow style”.

Another study from the University of Connecticut found that performing exercises at a very slow pace resulted in decreased peak strength compared to a normal, self-regulated pace.

This study, originally from the University of Wisconsin, also found that slow training did not benefit even beginners at all, while the control group with a habitual approach to training achieved significant improvements in squat and standing jumping performance.

Scientists from the University of Oklahoma over the course of 4 weeks were also able to prove that the habitual approach was significantly more effective in increasing strength than the slow approach.

All these findings are not at all surprising and even quite expected, since they once again confirm the principle of muscle growth, which is inextricably linked with the level of strength. If you want to get bigger, first get stronger.

It all comes back to progressive overload and volume of work, and in this battle, slow training completely loses. Here's a quote from a study that compared fast and slow bench press tempos:

“Different variations of the unilateral movement showed that the fast eccentric phase (1 second) produced the maximum power development result (p ≤ 0.05), compared to the slow eccentric movement (4 seconds).

The combination of more repetitions coupled with increased power output results in more work. The remaining speed variations (2-4 seconds) were unable to bring the power indicator to a sufficient level.

The results of this study support the use of fast eccentric movements, without resting at the top, to maximize power output and bring repetitions to the most optimal level."

It's also worth noting that I used to do a lot of slow sets to maximize time under tension, and my results were unfortunately consistent with the research. I realized that this approach is not at all more effective than the usual one; in fact, in my opinion, it is simply useless.

Train correctly and you won't have to worry about time under load.

The three variables that really influence your performance are frequency, intensity (the fast but controlled pace of the workout) and volume (the number of kilograms lifted during the workout).

All you need is:

Train often enough to maximize growth without compromising recovery;

Work with heavy weights (equal to 80-90% of your maximal maximum);

And finally, if you perform the optimal number of repetitions per workout and per week, then...

you'll make amazing progress in the gym, no matter how long you've been under pressure.

Research sources are presented throughout the article.

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MUSCLE GROWTH AND "TIME UNDER LOAD"

It is believed that more “time under tension” also means more muscle growth. Not so simple.

“Muscles don’t understand how much weight is on the apparatus,” say many philosophizing bodybuilders, “The only thing they understand is the need for growth caused by the load.”

For a while it was just another theory. This approach didn't become mainstream until studies like this one popped up with abstract claims that time under tension plays an almost vital role in muscle growth.

Let's figure out why.

Time under load is just a compromise

That's right - the number of repetitions with a given weight will fall. Depending on the speed, you will do half the usual volume, or even less. And this is the main problem of being under load for a long time...

You see, the main factor in the growth of muscle tissue is progressive overload, which means the weights must become heavier and heavier from time to time. If you want to become big, physically strong, your number one goal in all strength sports is to increase the weight on the apparatus more and more.

This is especially true for intermediate and advanced athletes who can no longer rely on the unfolding potential of an untrained body.

And so, by increasing the time under load, you also reduce the amount of work performed by the muscles; and when you reduce it, you also reduce the effectiveness of the exercise in terms of increasing strength and building qualities.

The question is, is it possible to have a peaceful existence of increased time under load and progression in muscle growth? Can “time under load” replace some of the “volume of work”?

Research says no. Eg…

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Sydney found that classic “fast training” significantly increased the strength performance of athletes compared to the group trained in the “slow style”.

Another study conducted at the University of Connecticut found that performing exercises at a very slow pace resulted in a decrease in peak strength compared to a normal, self-regulated pace.

This study, originally from the University of Wisconsin, also found that slow training did not benefit even beginners at all, while the control group with a habitual approach to training achieved significant improvements in squat and standing jumping performance.

Scientists from the University of Oklahoma over the course of 4 weeks were also able to prove that the habitual approach was significantly more effective in increasing strength than the slow approach.

It all comes back to progressive overload and volume of work, and this is a battle where slow training loses completely. Here's a quote from a study that compared fast and slow bench press tempos:

“Different variations of the unilateral movement showed that the fast eccentric phase (1 second) produced the maximum power development result (p 0.05), compared to the slow eccentric movement (4 seconds).

The results of this study support the use of fast eccentric movements, without resting at the top, to maximize power output and bring repetitions to the most optimal level."

Train correctly and you won't have to worry about time under load.

The three variables that really influence your performance are frequency, intensity (the fast but controlled pace of the workout) and volume (the number of kilograms lifted during the workout).

All you need is:

Train often enough to maximize growth without compromising recovery;

Work with heavy weights (equal to 80-90% of your maximal maximum);

And finally, if you perform the optimal number of repetitions per workout and per week, then...

you'll make amazing progress in the gym, no matter how long you've been under pressure.

What is the best way to achieve hypertrophy? The truth is that there is no one type of hypertrophy, and in order to achieve the two main types of hypertrophy, you need to resort to different types of training. So, all types of hypertrophy can be divided into two types.

Myofibril hypertrophy

Myofibrils are bundles of myofilaments (the contractile parts of the muscle - i.e. those parts that pull and squeeze weight). They are found in all skeletal muscle tissues.

Each muscle cell contains many myofibrils. Myofibril hypertrophy occurs due to increased physical activity (when you lift weights greater than what your body is used to) which leads to damage to individual muscle cells. Your body reacts to this as an “injury” and, when recovering, “compensates with a reserve” for the resulting damage, increasing the volume and density of myofibrils so that the “injury” does not happen again.

This is one of the reasons why, in order to continue to achieve results, you need to subject your body to ever-increasing stress. In the photo below you see the structure of muscle fiber.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Sarcoplasm is the fluid that surrounds the myofibrils in muscles and is a source of energy. It contains such “things” as ATP, glycogen, creatine phosphate and water.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy generally occurs in the same way as myofibrillar hypertrophy. The body, during the recovery period after the depletion of your energy reserves, “compensates with a reserve” for what was lost. Thus, the amount of energy reserves - such as ATP and glycogen - is increased in order to subsequently prevent their rapid depletion.

An increase in the size of the blood vessels that "deliver" blood to the muscles can also be included in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This phenomenon is often called capillarization.

So now you know the two types of hypertrophy. What's the best way to achieve both of them? Before answering this question, I would like to emphasize: match the weights to the number of repetitions, NOT the number of repetitions to the weights.

Progressive overload means gradually increasing the load on the muscle as it becomes stronger or more resilient. This means that you need to use weights and repetitions that will be very difficult to overcome.

You need to choose exactly the weight with which you can barely do the required number of repetitions. Do not take weights with which you cannot do the required number of repetitions or, conversely, at the end of the set you will be able to do many more repetitions. Therefore, if you need to do 12 repetitions in an exercise, choose a weight with which you can do exactly 12 repetitions.

Myofibril hypertrophy training

Strength training with weights of 80% or more of your one-rep maximum. 3-8 repetitions with pauses between sets of 2-4 minutes. Such a system will ensure a maximum increase in the volume and saturation of myofibrils. This means that if you want to achieve myofibrillar hypertrophy, you need to lift heavy weights. The more weight, the more muscle fibers are used, and therefore damaged. However, it is recommended to stick to 3-5 repetitions per set, as fewer results in more neuromuscular adaptations, which mainly develop strength.

In fact, low reps are critical for maximum growth.

Training for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is achieved through so-called endurance training. The weights taken are approximately 75% of those that you can do at one time, and the number of repetitions is 10-15. The pause between sets is 45-90 seconds. This is called endurance training because it uses up large amounts of energy in the muscle cells very quickly, depleting the muscles.

When choosing the number of sets for such workouts, you need to take into account the amount of time spent under load. There is a minimum amount of time that must be spent under load to achieve hypertrophy. And for endurance training this time is longer than for strength training.

In endurance training, the time under tension should be greater than the reserves of energy available for expenditure. The main sources of energy for anaerobic exercise are ATP and creatine phosphate. They are short-lived and deplete after 7-10 seconds. After this, your body resorts to glycogen stores, which in turn causes the release of lactic acid (this is what causes a burning sensation in the muscles). This means that in endurance training, the time under load should exceed 10 seconds. This in turn means that performing slow reps and supersets is a great way to achieve sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

Why can’t I achieve both types of hypertrophy at the same time?

Here is the range of number of repetitions required for sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy:

1-5 repetitions- maximum increase in strength and myofibrillar hypertrophy.
6-8 repetitions- “golden mean” between myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
9-12 repetitions- maximum increase in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
13-15 repetitions- slow achievement of hypertrophy.

Myofibril damage will not stop after 12 repetitions, but it will occur at a lower intensity and with fewer muscle fibers.

Why use a number of repetitions that does not achieve maximum results in either myofibrillar or sarcoplasmic hypertrophy? After all, you can achieve both hypertrophies separately at maximum efficiency. I'll explain how to achieve this below.

So, we figured out that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is achieved through endurance training, and myofibrillar hypertrophy through strength training. What's the best way to achieve them both?

I am sure you are aware of the trends in strength sports that dominated the socialist camp in the 50-80s. One of these trends was periodization.

In the West, periodization was primitive until it was discovered by the coaches of the Eastern bloc. Periodization is a method of training certain aspects in cycles. Periodization can be divided into three types:

Microcycle- about a week.
Mesocycle- usually several weeks.
Macrocycle- several months and even years.

Today, people usually use mesocycles in their training - say, using strength programs lasting 8-12 weeks. Then they do an increased intensity program for the same 8-12 weeks. While this approach may produce good results in one area, it is very linear, so you may regress in other areas. In addition, in programs lasting weeks and months, it is difficult to maintain a constant increase in working weight.

And here a technique originally from the USSR comes to the rescue. Many Soviet trainers used very short microcycles, developing different areas over several weeks. For example:

First week: power training.
Second week: training speed and endurance.

This system can be repeated for many months with only minor changes, and progress in training will be achieved much more easily, since the body will not be able to get used to the constantly changing loads.

Therefore, to achieve maximum hypertrophy, I advise using two to three week microcycles, for example:

First week: strength training 4 days a week.
Second week: endurance training 5 times a week.
Third week: recovery, 2 workouts per week for all muscle groups.

Even shorter sub-cycles can be used. For example, start strength training for the upper half of the body with 5-6 sets of 2-6 repetitions, then increase the number of repetitions to 8-15 and reduce the time between sets on the next 3-4 exercises.

A good example is a program that includes exercises for both low and high repetitions. It should be noted that in such programs, exercises with a low number of repetitions should come first. This is necessary in order to prepare the nervous system for subsequent stress. Simply put, the nervous system warms up well through strength training and subsequently allows you to perform at peak efficiency.

A study comparing linear training and periodization showed that with linear training, athletes' strength increased by 14.15% over 12 weeks, while with periodization, strength increased by 23.53% over the same period.

So, here it is - a way to achieve muscle hypertrophy. If you like the idea, I advise you to try it. Personally, I tried many techniques and without any doubt I can say that the best solution for me was precisely the combination of short microcycles of small and large numbers of repetitions. Many other professionals also use this type of training.

We hope that our article on muscle hypertrophy and muscle growth will help improve your results. You may also be interested in our articles:

Many athletes believe that if muscles are under load for a long time, they grow faster. Is it so? Find out your time under stress?

The content of the article:

Very often you can hear from bodybuilders the opinion that muscles do not understand the weight of sports equipment, but react only to growth stimuli caused by the load. This approach to training has been very popular for several decades. If anyone has not yet understood what we are talking about now, then we are talking about muscle tension when performing an exercise. For example, you perform 10 sets in 40 seconds, and this is the duration of the load.

At first it was one of many theories, but then one study was conducted, and the hypothesis turned into a training direction. After this, many experts and athletes themselves began to believe that the time that muscles are under load is almost the most important stimulator of growth. At the same time, the need to progress the load seemed to disappear. The only thing that should have been paid attention to was the time spent on the muscles.

All this led to a super slow paced training method. According to the creators of the method, this was supposed to help gain weight and do it very actively. But then it became known that this method can only be used as an addition to the main program, and now we will talk about why it is useless to withstand time under load in bodybuilding.

Scientific research into the effect of exercise time on muscle growth

Everything should be based on scientific facts, including bodybuilding. But first, let's just talk. Everyone will agree that if you perform the exercise at a slow pace, maintaining a certain time under load, the number of repetitions will be reduced. Depending on what speed you use, the volume of training will be reduced by about half. This fact is the main disadvantage of this technique.

The main growth factor for muscle tissue is load progression. Your working weights should become increasingly larger and this is the only way to achieve muscle growth. If you increase the time under load, the amount of work will decrease, which will automatically lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of the exercise in terms of muscle growth.

The main question is whether it is possible to effectively combine the progression of the load and the time during which it is applied to the muscles? According to many studies, the answer to this question is no.

Quite a lot of research has been carried out on this topic and we will only recall a few of them. In Sydney, scientists found that the classical training method made it possible to significantly increase the strength indicators of athletes in comparison with those who used slow training.

Scientists from Connecticut found that when performing exercises at a slow pace, peak strength decreased when compared with the usual technique. In the following experiment, even novice athletes were unable to make progress when using a slow tempo. All this says that the principle of load progression, familiar to all athletes, remains the most effective.

The whole point, again, is in the amount of work performed by the athlete, and here slow training has no chance of winning. All research suggests that muscle growth can only be achieved by doing exercises quickly and with constant progression of the load.

How to train correctly?

An athlete's progress is mainly influenced by three factors: intensity (the pace of exercise should be fast but controlled), frequency, volume (the amount of weight lifted during the session).

To ensure muscle growth, you need to exercise often, but at the same time pay due attention to rest so that the body has time to recover. When training, you should work with weights that are 80 to 90 percent of the athlete's one-repetition maximum. And the last factor that will allow you to progress is performing the optimal number of repetitions. If you stick to these principles, the amount of time your muscles spend under load will not matter much.

You can learn more about time under load from this video:

Ready for maximum muscle growth? Increase your time under tension and reap a rich muscle-building harvest! Here's how to do it.

Due to a series of minor injuries, I was unable to train with my usual heavy weights for some time, and in order to maintain muscle growth, I began to lift a little less, while increasing my time under tension (TUT). If you think you have to constantly press and lift extremely heavy weights, you'll be surprised to learn that this strategy didn't result in muscle loss. I will say more, I got incredible results!

However, you don't have to take my word for it. If you've been training with a specific program for a long period of time, I suggest adding a little variety to it and trying to work on increasing your time under tension to test the strategy for yourself! I'll cover everything you need to know about time under load: how to use it, and how to increase your TUT in your workouts to get maximum results. Read the article, and then go straight to the gym!

Time under load: the basics

Time under tension is the time your muscles spend under tension. It consists of the time spent on the concentric (shortening) phase and the eccentric portion of the repetition. It turns out that if you do a set of 10 reps and it takes you 3 seconds to complete each rep, your muscles end up with 30 seconds of time under tension.

If you do a similar set, spending 2 seconds lifting the weight (concentric phase), 1 second peak contraction, and then lowering the weight for another 3 seconds (eccentric phase), the same 10 reps will give you approximately 60 seconds of time under load.

To increase the amount of work done by the muscles, you need to either take on more weight or increase the time during which the muscles lift this weight.

Although the number of repetitions did not change, the muscles spent significantly more time under tension, and this additional time ultimately leads to a sharp increase in the amount of work done!

Remember, your muscles can't count. They don't know when you lift a 15kg dumbbell 10 times versus 15 times. They just feel the load created by the lifting weight and the mechanical stress that occurs when the muscle fibers contract under load. Therefore, in order to increase the amount of work done by the muscles, you need to either take on more weight or increase the time during which the muscles lift this weight.

Best Rep Ranges and VPNs for Hypertrophy

We already know that progressive overload causes muscles to adapt and, as a result, grow. In addition, experiments have repeatedly shown that the optimal repetition range for muscle growth, or , is between 8 and 12 repetitions. But what is not completely clear is the optimal time under load from the point of view of hypertrophy.

Legendary trainer Charles Poliquin was the first to focus on manipulating time under load. Through his experience and experimentation, he was able to find the optimal time-under-tension range for specific training goals.

He concluded that the optimal time under load for muscle hypertrophy was 30-70 seconds. When training for strength and size, or functional hypertrophy, Poliquin advised staying at the lower end of the range and working for about 30-50 seconds. If you're looking for maximum hypertrophy without focusing on strength, stick to the upper half of the range and work around 50-70 seconds.

With this knowledge, all you have to do is carry out the simplest mathematical calculations and determine what number of sets, repetitions and VPNs opens up new horizons of muscle hypertrophy. Need a hint? Do 8-12 repetitions, spending 4 to 6 seconds on each.

VPN: evidence base

By increasing my VPN, I got amazing results. I gained mass and increased strength, and this was definitely not an accident. The fact is that there is indisputable scientific evidence of the direct effect of VPN on muscle volume.

In 2012, a group of scientists conducted an experiment in which they studied the effect of increasing time under load on protein synthesis, the main indicator of muscle growth. In this experiment, eight men who had trained legs twice a week for at least two years performed 3 sets of single-leg extensions using 30% of their one-rep max weight. With one leg, the subjects did sets to failure with a six-second concentric and six-second eccentric phase. With the second leg, they also performed sets to failure, but with a 1-second concentric and 1-second eccentric phase.

The scientists then performed needle biopsies of muscle tissue from both legs 6, 24 and 30 hours after the exercise. The difference in results between the two strategies was staggering. After 6 hours, levels of exercise-induced mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic protein synthesis were increased by 114 percent in the slow-twitch leg, but only 77 percent in the fast-twitch leg. After 24 to 30 hours, mitochondrial protein synthesis levels were increased by 175 percent and 126 percent, respectively.

These studies suggest that increasing time under load may result in increased muscle protein synthesis and a more rapid onset of the effects of increased synthesis.

Training techniques to increase VPN

Now that you understand how increasing time under tension can enhance and help you build muscle, it's time to integrate this strategy into your training program.

Changed time

You can cause the most microtrauma to your muscles during the eccentric (lowering) phase of the exercise. In my experience, I have achieved maximum results by spending approximately 3 seconds on the eccentric phase of a press or deadlift.

Extreme concentration, or mind-muscle connection, will help you recruit the right muscle fibers and accelerate results.

At the bottom of the repetition, pause for 1-2 seconds. This stop will remove all momentum and stored energy from the working muscles, meaning you won't get any extra help when you start lifting the weight. In addition, the pause will provide an opportunity to truly gather yourself psychologically in order to engage the working muscles in the concentric phase of the press or deadlift. Extreme concentration, or connecting your mind to your muscles, will help you recruit the right muscle fibers and accelerate results.

When starting the concentric part of the exercise, try to work in a powerful and explosive manner, without forgetting about technique. This portion of the press or row should take no more than a second, although it may stretch out a bit as fatigue accumulates. At the top of the rep, create maximum tension by holding the peak contraction for one full second. Putting it all together, you'll be looking at about 5-6 seconds per rep - the ideal combination for performing 8-12 reps and holding the muscle under tension for 30-70 seconds per set.

Drop sets

To perform, lift your chosen weight until you reach the point of muscle failure. Then reduce the weight and continue the set until you complete the pre-set number of reps or reach failure again. You can continue the drop set in this manner for as long as you like to increase the load on the muscles, but keep in mind Poliquin’s recommendations regarding VPN.

In drop sets, your body is subjected to the maximum amount of weight required to create maximum microtears in muscle tissue, while the muscles remain under tension for an optimal amount of time.

Partial and forced repetitions

The essence of partial repetitions is reflected in their name: these are repetitions that you do with partial amplitude. This means that in presses you do not fully extend the joints, and in rows you do not reach peak contraction. These incomplete reps maintain a constant load on your muscles and allow you to lift heavier weights.

In forced reps, the spotter helps you get past the point of failure.

In forced reps, the spotter helps you get past the point of failure. This technique increases the time spent under tension, allowing you to lift heavier weights. are very difficult and taxing on muscles, tendons and the nervous system, so use them occasionally and with caution.

Maximum VPN, maximum growth!

The amount of time your muscles are under tension is a critical component of muscle growth. Everyone, from the strength training beginner to the seasoned lifter, will benefit from incorporating time-under-tension techniques into their training system.

Increasing your VP not only spurs the growth of new muscles, but also forces you to pay attention to your form and work with a more reasonable working weight. I suggest you try the techniques mentioned above already this training week and increase the time your muscles spend under load. I think you'll get great returns. And, as always, if you have any questions, post them in the comments!