Supercharge Workouts with Time Under Tension

“Your health account, your bank account, they’re the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out.”  — Jack LaLanne

You only have one body on this ride called life, so it makes sense to take care of it. Most people do not have two or three hours a day to spend in the gym. Therefore, it is essential to maximize the time we do have in order to get the best return on investment from workouts. Time under tension does exactly that.

Time under tension (TUT) refers to the total amount of time a muscle (or group) is under activation during a set¹. A slow lifting movement performed to fatigue produces greater increases in rates of muscle protein synthesis than the same movement performed rapidly². By slowing down rate of movement, you build more muscle. To get the best results, TUT needs to be paired with resistance strength training³. It is important to note, there is no hard science on the perfect speed. Some fitness professionals have put forth the claim that sets should have a TUT of 40 to 60 seconds to optimally build muscle⁴.

Like most things in life, you will have to find what works best for you. While performing strength training, slow down your movements. Focus on form over speed. Do this by ensuring each motion is deliberate. A trick is to slow down your counting. Maximize even further by building in complimentary HIIT training. A small warning, TUT might feel strange at first and you might not be able to lift as much weight. This is temporary. Increase your muscles’ time under tension and enjoy the results.

Action: Slow down your strength training motions for the next few weeks. Track the results.

Disclaimer: Consult your doctor around any medical concerns before starting any new workout program.

Further Reading:

1. Time Under Tension Explained: How to Do TUT Training
2. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men
3. Equalization of Training Protocols by Time Under Tension Determines the Magnitude of Changes in Strength and Muscular Hypertrophy
4. Is There an Ideal Time Under Tension to Maximize Muscle Growth?