Tempo: What Is It and How You Can Use It To Manipulate Your Training Results.
The common method for most people when it comes to gaining strength and size, both athletes and general population, is to lift as much weight as possible as many times as possible.
While this standard of strength training does create the intended results and necessary adaptations for size and strength when used properly, there are other variations of strength training that will produce the same strength, size (hypertrophy), and power effect based on the principle of tempo lifting.
In simple terms, tempo refers to the time under tension for each phase of the lift, more specifically eccentric (downward portion), isometric (amortization), and concentric portion.
Utilizing tempo during lifts is a great way to manipulate the intended goals of your training program. Whether athlete or for general fitness.
Understanding the 3 phases.
ECCENTRIC |
AMORTIZATION |
CONCENTRIC |
1.) Eccentric Phase
As mentioned before , this phase involves lowering the weight, or moving the weight opposite to the muscle contraction.
2.) “sticking point” or amortization Phase
This portion of the lift involves the pause or isometric contraction between the first phase and third.
3.) Concentric Phase
This phase involve moving the weight or bar up, or the actual muscle contraction. During a squat, the concentric phase would be the upward motion of the squat.
To identify the length of time to dedicate towards each phase of the lift, 3 numbers can be assigned to indicate how many seconds to dedicate to each one.
For example, a 2-1-2 tempo would mean 2 seconds for eccentric, 1 second isometric, 2 second concentric. A 1 or an “x” could also indicate an explosive descent or ascent during the eccentric and concentric phases respectively.
Why This is Significant:
By manipulating how much time you spend completing a rep (time under tension), you will get variable muscle response and variable training adaptations.
Tension is what forces your muscles to contract. More significantly, it also factors into muscle fatigue, which causes the actual response to training, whether for strength, mass, or power.
The common perception is to lift as heavy as weight as you can for a low amount of reps.
However, through the manipulation of tempo and time under tension, you can also get effective results from doing less weight with slower tempo.
Example:
Bench Pressing 300lbs 3 sets of 4 reps at the traditional 1-0-1 tempo that you mainly see used in high school training and or your typical membership gyms
Vs.
185lbs 3 sets 10 reps performed at a 3-2-3 tempo.
Even though less weight, the amount of time under tension maneuvering the weight is greater than the first example, causing a more intense response.
If training for strength and or hypertrophy, slower tempo is an efficient solution for that goal. I generally utilize moderate tempos like this during general preparation phase for my athletes or for general clients looking to increase muscular size or strength (yes that includes women ).
In developing pure concentric power, or training for explosion, strength endurance, or power endurance, I use faster tempos. These tempos would come for more advanced clients during a more dynamic phases.
As you can see, adjusting tempo can be an effective component for any program, whether for athletes or general clients.
It is a very simple system to implement and a good variation to “traditional” weight lifting and exercise.
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Nutritional Periodization: How It Works
During the season, however, maintaining energy and mass are of extreme importance, so increased calories from carbohydrates are critical, while increased protein to help prevent muscle breakdown and injury are important as well.
Below you can see an example of a nutritional periodization program for a football athlete. It should also be noted that nutritional needs vary by position, and the amount of carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake will vary depending on the specific position and goals of the athlete.
While this is an example of how nutritional periodization works for the football season(s), all athlete dieting plans should have some sort of fluctuation to match the demands of training as well as the intended goal.
Proper nutrition is tantamount for optimizing not only strength, speed, and body composition, but also recovery.
The Most Underrated Performance Enhancement: Sleep.
As the title of this article indicates, quality sleep is one of the most overlooked aspects of everyday performance. Studies have even shown lack of sleep can not only cause decreased performance , but also poor ability to utilize nutrition, decreased executive function, memory loss, improper recovery, and even depression.
The human body can go several weeks without food and a week without water, but can only go four days without sleep.
For a growing adolescent athlete, quality sleep is crucial for growth. Physiologically during these years, the body is growing at a very rapid rate, and for teenage athletes with high levels of activity, sleep is pivotal for recovery and growth. The below Infogram reveals a few statistics on teenage sleep patterns as well as the 4 stages of sleep:
Here are two ways that you, or your young athlete can enhance sleep.
- The Melatonin Wave
When melatonin is released form the pineal gland deep inside of the brain, it makes you relaxed, drowsy, and ultimately fall asleep. It is an organic drug produced internally. Simply learning to notice it and paying attention to when the melatonin wave hits the shores of your conscience can help you to get quality sleep.
- Turn off ALL screens 60 minutes before bed
Initially, the sun was the only light setting your neurological clock. However, now smart phones and computer screens threaten this natural rhythm. Each of these screens emits high levels of blue light waves, which in turn suppresses the pineal gland. This then decreases the production of melatonin.
Even though a very difficult task to do, turning the phone off before bed will greatly help increase sleep quality.
Conclusion:
Most teenagers, even grown adults consider performance to be based around how well you train, or how good you eat. While both of these are extremely valid components to performance, SLEEP is the one of the most underrated aspects of performance enhancement that the body physiologically needs the most.
How many of you are reading this from bed on the phone?
Go to sleep.
Don’t Be A Statistic: Train Smart
One of the mantras at Willis Performance Training is prevention and intention.
The training systems are designed to enhance athlete performance by taking measures to prevent injury, and articulating workout scripts where every single exercise has a definite intention specific for athlete goals.
Everything from Functional Movement Screening to training “progressions” based on athlete and client rate of development, are utilized with the intent to safely advance the athlete to the next phase or level of training.
However, when it comes to injury, certain groups or populations of athletes are at a higher risk for injury because of certain variables, specifically grade school and adolescent athletes.
Reasons for the higher incidences of injury can range from improper training, poor nutrition, failure to properly warmup before practice (majority of high school athlete injury happen during practice), bio mechanical disposition (specifically females because of knee to hip joint angle), to physiological reasons.
Because bones and muscles are growing at a faster rate during adolescence, teenagers and middle schoolers can be more predisposed for injury. The physical growth can affect coordinative ability, which greatly affects overall movement mechanics.
The below WPT infographic provides insight on the statistics of injury for high school athletes.
While it is impossible to prevent ALL injury, there are certainly measures that can be taken to help PREVENT injury, especially for teenage athletes who are at the most risk.
– Proper Warmup before exercise
– Staying Hydrated
– Proper training technique
– Safe training progressions
– Flexibility
– Proper Nutrition
Injury prevention should be a staple of any training program, as this is the real basis of efficient performance for athletes and the general population.
What injuries has you kids or yourself personally experienced?
Leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions for me.
–Coach Armond Willis
Willis Performance Training Founder
www.willisperformance.com
Don’t Let Your Child Down: 3 Things Missing From Your Traditional Speed Agility and Strengthening Program
In my years as a performance coach, I have noticed that there is a common and oft misguided perception of what it means to “train” and “workout” from both athletes and the parents of each athlete, especially at the high school level
My biggest dilemma is that most of the views on performance training, strength training, speed agility training or whatever most call it today is very one dimensional and does not always address the particular needs of the athlete and or sport, and they utilize the same modes of training with no real progression based on athlete rate of development.
FROM WHAT IVE SEEN PERSONALLY, there is a lack of needs analyses performed for the athlete to best prescribe workout programs that are suited for their particular needs and goals to help them SAFELY and EFFECTIVELY become the best athlete that they can be.
Preadolescent and adolescent athletes are constantly being coached into a “one Size Fits All” workout program in the weight room in an attempt maximize strength and speed.
The reality of it is, each athletes’ body responds and adapts in a different way than the athlete next to her. And while the program may involve many of the core exercises needed to build power and strength, there are a handful of athletes whose development falls through the cracks because of the lack of time to really work with their mechanics.
The culture of most high school training is this go hard or go home mentality that often leads the athlete to want to outdo himself in order to meet the expectations of coach yelling at them or to separate themselves as one of the chiefs on the team.
The philosophy, especially for football players, is simple: lift as much weight as possible, increase my one rep max, get stronger.
The ultimate problem are the physical issues that come along with this culture: muscular imbalance, asymmetries, injuries and not being able to detect problems early on in the program.
Strength on top of dysfunction will lead to malfunction.
With that said, this is one of the reasons why I think it is important for the parents and athletes to understand why getting outside help in addition to the standard training programs, in any sport, can be particularly helpful in terms of injury prevention, and specificity of training for high school athletes.
Here are 3 things your kids High School program may NOT be doing effectively.
Needs Analysis
As before mentioned, each athlete is different and may require specific training to address their particular needs. In a high school setting, there are a number of athletes, and it is difficult for a coach see every single athletes’ deficiency and or address their specific needs.
Specialized Training
It is no secret why many of the high school defensive linemen that I train excel during the season. They participate in a training program that develops the key areas that are needed to excel at their respective position.
We have looked at and analyzed the necessary movement requirements for that position, and put together highly specific programming for it. Not the mundane drills used in most practices.
Everything from hand technique, to ankle mobility and strengthening (crucial for any athlete of any sport) to specialized mechanical training, it is implemented into the program.
There is just no time to attack these aspects of development in a high school setting. Unless the athlete is exceptionally gifted, each athlete for the most part can always use specialized training to develop into a better athlete.
Injury Prevention
While this in theory should be the part of the goal of any strength and conditioning program, because of the way some programs are executed, poor movement mechanics can be overlooked, and overloading an athlete with deficient mechanics is only reinforcing the patterns causing the same poor mechanics.
In a setting where there may be 50 plus kids using the weight room, outside of a physical test from the team doctor, movement mechanics or asymmetries in an athlete are not always recognized and evaluated.
A program should screen or assess the mechanics of an athlete before overloading him before they are necessarily ready for it.
At Willis Performance Training, we use specialized screening, assessment, and evaluation processes to most effectively prescribe workout scripts for athletes and clients.
I recommend making sure that any program that a young athlete participates in have relevant evaluation and assessment techniques in place in order to safely and effectively develop the athlete, as well as proper testing procedure to effective measure progress.
The 3 Essentials to Becoming a Better High School Athlete: Words from a Former Professional Basketball Player
For a while now I’ve been telling my older brother JK to share
the story of his basketball journey with other kids. I even tell him he is selfish if he doesn’t because he has knowledge and power that can change another kid’s life. An incredible athletic story, his journey will inspire many other young athletes trying to succeed.
So one day, I ask my brother this question:
“If a kid came up you and asked ‘What does it take for me to play at the next level?’ what would you tell them ?”
His answer to this question would motivate ANY athlete who gets to hear what he ultimately calls his 3 Essentials to Succeed.
But before I break down what those 3 essentials are, here is a quick background of JK Willis:
Jeffrey “JK” Willis is a collegiate and professional success story that should inspire many young athletes.
Despite the numerous odds against him to making it in college and professional basketball, he did it.
Standing at 6’8″ tall, Jeffrey worked extremely hard and networked his way to opportunity.
Countless hours of practice, drilling, studying other players, overcoming an environment where coaches did not believe in him and his talents, and fueled by sheer determination, Jeffrey earned himself a scholarship, and created NBA opportunities with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the Detroit Pistons and had a very successful All Star playing career overseas in Portugal, Turkey, Lithuania, and Mexico.
What is more impressive is the fact that he didn’t go to a major university. He began his college career at Maryville College in Tennessee before transferring after his sophomore year to Barry University located in Miami FL for a better opportunity.
From there he had a successful overseas career and doors opened up for him with the NBA for the Detroit Pistons and LA Lakers. And even though he did not make the final rosters, he continued on to have a successful playing career overseas.
So, JK’s answer to that question and the 3 Essentials that helped him get there….
“Firstly, I would ask the kid why are you NOT where you want to be. What are you doing every day to make your team better? You are either getting better, or you are getting worse every day. You are never the same.”
You have to establish three key things:
1.) Establish a work ethic of consistency. Look where you want to excel in the game and work on the weakness. Talk to your coach and ask how can I get better and what my role is, and try to become a star in your role.
2.) Make the players around you better. Add value to the intangible side of playing by helping you teammates to improve upon their talents. Be a leader by example.
3.) And the Most important thing is you have to allow yourself to be coachable and be able to accept criticism”
*******
Having been an up and coming athlete myself, I will also tell you that those three essentials are crucial to your development as an athlete and professional.
Work Ethic
Leadership
Being Coachable
Take it from someone like JK Willis who has been there. Do those 3 things, and give yourself a better chance at having success as an athlete. My older brother is one of the reasons I am who I am today.
What traits do you think are necessary for a high school athlete to have in order to be successful ?[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Back Pain: Insight into Strengthening
What I am about to cover may be one of the most sneaky types of ailments for any athlete or adult: back pain
Whether it happens over an instant, or something that you have developed over time, low back pain can be one of the most debilitating injuries you can experience..
However, what most do not realize is that back pain is most of the time a signal or weaker muscles.
If low back pain continues without proper treatment it can result in pinched nerves, arthritis, ruptured discs, sprain, etc.
Common treatments are spinal adjustments, mobility and hip strengthening modalities, and regular doctor visits.
This however can get pricey.
One of the best ways to treat back pain are strengthening exercises that target the back. More specifically isometric exercises for trunk and spine that cover all important motions of the spine which are flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation.
Back pain often arises from weaker muscles that are unable to support aggressive movement respectively and from the inefficiency of muscle contraction of the various motions in the spine.
The average person sits down more than they are active, causing your back to get stiff and muscles to weaken.
To get these muscles to contract more efficiently and get stronger, incorporate more isometric back exercise in your recovery or training program.
Its always a good idea to check with a specialist first before beginning any type of program and in this case to help you to identify the weakest link in your back.
The Infogram below gives you a pretty good idea of the prevalence and certain treatments for back pain.
Given that pain management and performance enhancement are significant aspects of the WPT Training systems, corrective exercises are automatically implemented into the training program so that athletes and clients are both preventing injury and getting stronger at the same time.
Low back strengthening exercises should be an integral part to any program for elite level athlete and the active adult.
Athletes benefit greatly from having a strong lower back, but so does the everyday adult who sits down a good majority of the day.
Let us know below if or when you have ever suffered from back pain and how you alleviated it in the comments below or any question on what you can do to get your back stronger.