Meet Steve, a dedicated bodybuilder whose journey towards sculpting his ideal physique is driven by a profound understanding of a fundamental principle: time under tension. In the following article, Stephen Lotesta uncovers this rigorous training regimen and explains how this principle has become a cornerstone of his fitness philosophy. Amidst the many fads and trends in modern fitness, one fundamental principle deserves more recognition than it gets – Time Under Tension (TUT).
Typically used in bodybuilding, conditioning, and strength training, TUT is how long a muscle, or a group of muscles, is held under strain during a set of resistance exercises. It involves lengthening the time of each movement to make training sets longer, forcing the muscles to work harder. As a result, muscle growth, endurance, and strength are optimized.
The aim of TUT workouts is to build bigger, stronger muscles to enhance one’s endurance and performance.
TUT has the potential to propel one’s workout regimen and fitness journey to new heights. From enhancing strength to sculpting muscles, TUT delivers results that transcend beyond the ordinary and redefine what one’s body can achieve.
Stephen Lotesta discusses more below on the benefits of incorporating this amazing technique into workouts and how this incredible method can change the way people look at fitness.
Stephen Lotesta on Achieving Fitness Goals
There is no one true formula for the “perfect workout”.
However, one thing is proven true: For any resistance-based workout to be effective, it should involve some degree of TUT.
Not only will it improve fitness results but will also keep the program exciting and engaging.
Here are some of the top benefits of incorporating TUT in workouts:
• Promotes Muscle Gain
Workouts that utilize longer TUT contribute to building and strengthening muscles. The harder one makes his muscles work, the better the results.
In any type of workout without any element of TUT, achieving hypertrophy would be impossible.
Stephen Lotesta reports that a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that “Muscle hypertrophy can be achieved through protein ingestion coupled with resistance training, which stimulate muscle protein synthesis and leads to decreases in muscle protein breakdown.”
To put it simply, practicing resistance training and consuming enough protein are the keys to building muscle. Surely, muscles will be contracting for a time during resistance workouts.
• Helps Perfect One’s Form
Stephen Lotesta says that when one has a proper form during training or a workout, he will be able to move efficiently, experience full range of motion, and enhance his performance. More importantly, a proper form helps reduce injuries over time.
Increasing TUT means lengthening the workout and performing reps at lower weights and slower speeds. By doing so, one is able to focus on the positions of the body and get used to a form that allows for optimal muscle contraction.
• Provides Variety to Workouts
Incorporating TUT into workouts mixes it up, allowing one to try different types of exercises.
Lotesta Bodybuilding provides the example that one might try to do a set of leg presses incorporating TUT, which will engage the muscles at a different tempo than what is normally done.
This keeps workout sessions more exciting and fitness buffs will have more to look forward to!
How to Incorporate Time Under Tension
It has been established that TUT is an essential factor in maximizing a workout, but it’s only one element that makes a whole program effective. To maximize the use of this technique while working out, here are some quick tips to follow:
- Use more TUT in the eccentric movement (the lengthening phase of muscle contraction)
- Use the technique in isometric movement (the tightening phase; like when one pauses in the middle of a movement), too
- Limit the time of rest between reps to increase TUT in the muscles which will increase the intensity of the workout
- Compared to heavy-weight exercises, TUT workouts involve more reps. Maintain a good form during each rep to get the most out of the workout
- Try doing drop sets to increase your TUT
- Include tempo training in your workouts. This involves controlling the time the muscles stay in each of the contraction phases: eccentric, isometric, and concentric
- Use longer-tempo TUT for lighter-weight movements and vice versa to keep things interesting
Lotesta Bodybuilding reports that one of the most common questions about TUT is “How long should the muscles be held under tension?”.
The International Sports Science Association has released ideal time ranges to hold a muscle per set:
- 20 secs or less for building strength
- Between 20-70 secs for muscle hypertrophy
- A minimum of 70 seconds for endurance
Steve Lotesta Bodybuilding says that adding this technique to one’s regular workout routine serves as a gateway to achieving fitness goals. Incorporating TUT is the fastest way to bigger muscles and a stronger body.
