Rep Temp for Max Hypertrophy

J

jwbond

New Member
I always make sure to control the weight for my rep temp, not just bounce and drop the weight...


However, I recall Bryan's PodFitness program doing about a 1 sec up and 2 secs down. I started doing this tempo the other day, which made my workout a bit harder, so I guess I was going too fast previously!



What tempo is best for hypertropy? A true 2 Misissippi count on the way down or just slow enough to control the weight?



Try counting your Mississippi's for your temp on your next workout, you might be surprised at your tempo!
 
For the folks who live across the pond, counting your Mississippi's means counting your seconds like the following:

One Mississippi ... Two Mississippi ... Three Mississippi

JW,

Except for the deadlift, where I have a fast lowering part of the rep, my eccentric portions are about three seconds whereas my concentric reps are at a full one second. This equals to about 2.5 MS seconds for eccentric and 1 MS second for concentric.

-Colby
 
I never count anything but reps. Its hard enough to do that. Personally, I like to focus on lifting itself and not some bullcrap timing. I can feel my muscles working without timing anything.
 
Like Sci, after a while you get in a timing groove that just feels right. Obviously, as the loads get heavier everything tends to slow down anyway. Just go at a speed where you feel in control the whole time but really try to power up the concentric portions.

I probably only think about timing when doing negs - which is hardly ever these days. I try to start out lowering in about 3 seconds under complete control and then aim keep that up as long as possible.
 
Yeah, I doubt it has much to do with hypertrophy in the light of recent studies disproving the efficacy or usefulness of fatigue, which is partly what that is about.
OTOH, controlling the weight at all times is good.
Some lifts are explosive by nature, like Pendlay's, or you can't do them heavy.
Controlled eccentric helps eliminate bounce, wether it's one second or two seconds. Also saves joints.
I'd rather focus on the weight and form, and use my natural timing to maximise the amount of WEIGHT I lift. Form of course, includes more than just the path.
 
I guess rather than a set amount of time, you want to do it...

-controlled down
-explosive up
-at a slow enough tempo to emphasis more muscle use and less tendon


...whatcha think?
 
<div>
(jwbond @ Apr. 25 2008,9:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I guess rather than a set amount of time, you want to do it...

-controlled down
-explosive up
-at a slow enough tempo to emphasis more muscle use and less tendon


...whatcha think?</div>
Exactly
 
I think I made the mistake of going to fast...Which I believe will use more tendon strength and less muscle, correct? It feels that way anyhow!
 
<div>
(jwbond @ Apr. 25 2008,9:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I guess rather than a set amount of time, you want to do it...

-controlled down
-explosive up
-at a slow enough tempo to emphasis more muscle use and less tendon


...whatcha think?</div>
That's what I do... the timing I listed before was purely an estimate of the groove that I fell into.
 
besides when i go really heavy the only time i slow the weights down is if ive reached the max weight on a machine or free weight.

good, strong ,contolled reps are the way to go imo.
 
lcars, that is the mentality I have always used, but there is a flaw in it...

&quot;controlled reps&quot; is what is always pushed on BBing forums, but what is controlled and what isn't is relative. That's what I am trying to decifer, how fast is too fast or uncontrolled?
 
<div>
(jwbond @ Apr. 25 2008,11:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">lcars, that is the mentality I have always used, but there is a flaw in it...

&quot;controlled reps&quot; is what is always pushed on BBing forums, but what is controlled and what isn't is relative. That's what I am trying to decifer, how fast is too fast or uncontrolled?</div>
ok, well i would consider a rep too fast if at any point durin a rep(especially the eccentric phase)i felt little or no resistance.

this would mean the weight is practically free falling.thus as i begin to put the brakes on, the force required to stop it would be greater than controling it. plus i could end up either bouncing the weight back up or tearing a muscle. neither choice is good,the latter obviously worse.

so to recap, if you keep tension on throughout the lift, i would consider it a controlled rep.you have to do all the work and not the weight.

as a rule of thumb ,however fast i lift the weight i tend to lower it at the same speed. if you can lift the weight faster than u can lower it then the weight aint heavy enough.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Which I believe will use more tendon strength and less muscle, correct?</div>

Tendon's don't produce force, they only transmit it. Much like the chain that connects a tow truck to the car.

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That's what I am trying to decifer, how fast is too fast or uncontrolled?</div>

When your form breaks down, much like lcars said. How fast is too fast? When you are using momentum generated by non target muscles like the lower back (in the instance of rows or raises.) When you lose control of the bar path. Other things like that. At least, that's sort of where I am at. I was just getting on the explosive thing when I got into trouble with my gym. In martial arts you usually want to learn how to do the movement slow before you add speed and that's the approach I am taking. My question to Dan is, is it the intent to move fast or the speed at which a given load (%xyz RM) moves? And if its the intent, can it be sustained throughout a set?
 
All the responses here have been very informative and right on...almost should be a sticky about rep speed in the FAQ.
cool.gif
 
QP; I believe the intent is dominant, since (look at PL's) the weight itself slows the speed, but they always say you should be trying to explode the rep regardless. Only the PL goal is to lift more weight. Since more weight equals more hypertrophy (usually) I'd say this is true.
Martial arts has speed as a dominant factor, just without massive weight, no? So it looks like speed is attempted at all levels to me.
 
An uncontrolled rep does not use stabilizer muscles to 100% efficiency and the quickness in time takes away from the work time in the exercise.
 
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