Rep tempo - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

**big** · 19-12-2004, 05:12 PM

What do you use for rep tempo? Do you even count it?

I think I go too fast, especially on the negative.

Do you think there's any importance of doing a much slower negative?

I think I probably do about 1-2 secs negative, then a slight pause and an explosive positive, which probably takes about a second. I then do 1-2 secs pause at the top of the movement.

winger · 19-12-2004, 05:44 PM

Well Big, I train heavy. So if I train that way I cant go as heavy. I feel with strength comes size. But I do like to finish off with pauses on the bench. Slow down to the chest, pause and explode off of the chest.
They asked all the big benchers what they did to get such a big bench. All of them said explode on exertion.

**hackskii** · 19-12-2004, 07:49 PM

Well a slower tempo will yield less injuries.

**Aftershock** · 19-12-2004, 08:17 PM

As long as you keeping control of the weight at all times Big id say your tempo was about right. I dont see the point of the pause at the top though unless you doing something like squats and you need to catch your breath, or are squezing to get a peak contaction on something like preachers.

I hardly even lock out on most exercises, but I do it to make the movement harder not easier. I feel its better to keep constant presure on the muscle you are trying to work. Locking out just takes the presure of the muscles and gives them time to recover, making the movement less effective IMO.

**big** · 19-12-2004, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aftershock

As long as you keeping control of the weight at all times Big id say your tempo was about right. I dont see the point of the pause at the top though unless you doing something like squats and you need to catch your breath, or are squezing to get a peak contaction on something like preachers.

I hardly even lock out on most exercises, but I do it to make the movement harder not easier. I feel its better to keep constant presure on the muscle you are trying to work. Locking out just takes the presure of the muscles and gives them time to recover, making the movement less effective IMO.

Thanks mate. I'm thinking of doing much slower on my next workout just to see how it feels. The pause at the top is to catch my breath. On most exercises, I go pretty intense, and on squats especially it looks like my face is going to burst while doing them

If I don't take a sec or so at the top, I think I'd probably explode!

Killerkeane · 19-12-2004, 09:15 PM

i personally prefer explosive rep speed. You can lift the weight as quick as you like as long as you are not lifitng it by momentum.I think a lot of people do lift weights to slow anyway.

**hackskii** · 19-12-2004, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big

I go pretty intense, and on squats especially it looks like my face is going to burst while doing them

If I don't take a sec or so at the top, I think I'd probably explode!

Don't forget to breathe bro.

**big** · 19-12-2004, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

Don't forget to breathe bro.

I do try

Although I read an interesting powerlifting article that stated that most powerlifters hold their breaths while performing the movement.

**Aftershock** · 20-12-2004, 11:04 AM

LMAO Yeah but they only do one rep lol, id like to see them do a set of 8 or 10 without breathing.

**big** · 20-12-2004, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aftershock

LMAO Yeah but they only do one rep lol, id like to see them do a set of 8 or 10 without breathing.

In training they do triples or even 5 reps. They breath between reps. Or at least I hope they do!!!

I rarely go above 5 for work sets on squats either.

**Aftershock** · 20-12-2004, 01:52 PM

Same here mate, I think my body makeup doesnt like high reps anyway, several sets of 10 or 12 reps on squats would kill me even with a moderate weight. I prefer to go up the rack culminating in 2 or 3 heavy sets or between 5 & 7 reps.

The only exception is the flush set of between 12-15 reps with about 100k and it absolutly knocks me out cold. I think because squats are so demanding mentaly as well as physically and a knowing you have to do 10 reps with a heavy weight can be very intimidating.

Z3R0-CooL · 20-12-2004, 02:33 PM

some exercises shouldnt be "negative-emphasized"...
but in all exercises u need to be under control... u cant bench 300lbs, if u bounced the bar and didnt even have the slighest control of it... thats not how it works...

i believe that bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, cable rows and lat pdowns should have a 3 second "negative".. imo these are exercises whose negative part is more important...

especially lat pdowns... if done correctly they place an enormous amount of pressure in the lats.. and u can feel it afterwards...

19-12-2004, 05:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
big UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Beer me Posts: 5,276	Rep tempo What do you use for rep tempo? Do you even count it? I think I go too fast, especially on the negative. Do you think there's any importance of doing a much slower negative? I think I probably do about 1-2 secs negative, then a slight pause and an explosive positive, which probably takes about a second. I then do 1-2 secs pause at the top of the movement.

19-12-2004, 05:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
winger UK-Muscle Male Animal Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Southern California, USA Posts: 10,259 Blog Entries: 1	Well Big, I train heavy. So if I train that way I cant go as heavy. I feel with strength comes size. But I do like to finish off with pauses on the bench. Slow down to the chest, pause and explode off of the chest. They asked all the big benchers what they did to get such a big bench. All of them said explode on exertion. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

19-12-2004, 07:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,164	Well a slower tempo will yield less injuries. __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

19-12-2004, 08:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
Aftershock UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,931	As long as you keeping control of the weight at all times Big id say your tempo was about right. I dont see the point of the pause at the top though unless you doing something like squats and you need to catch your breath, or are squezing to get a peak contaction on something like preachers. I hardly even lock out on most exercises, but I do it to make the movement harder not easier. I feel its better to keep constant presure on the muscle you are trying to work. Locking out just takes the presure of the muscles and gives them time to recover, making the movement less effective IMO. __________________ "You are what you eat you can't possibly be anything else" or put another way "eat sht look like sht!!" Aftershock Last edited by Aftershock; 19-12-2004 at 08:19 PM.

19-12-2004, 09:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
Killerkeane The Geezer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Somerset although im not proud lol. Posts: 2,978	i personally prefer explosive rep speed. You can lift the weight as quick as you like as long as you are not lifitng it by momentum.I think a lot of people do lift weights to slow anyway. __________________ Fortes Fortuna Paratus Mens-Fortune favours the prepared mind.:amen:

20-12-2004, 11:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
Aftershock UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,931	LMAO Yeah but they only do one rep lol, id like to see them do a set of 8 or 10 without breathing. __________________ "You are what you eat you can't possibly be anything else" or put another way "eat sht look like sht!!" Aftershock

20-12-2004, 01:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
Aftershock UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,931	Same here mate, I think my body makeup doesnt like high reps anyway, several sets of 10 or 12 reps on squats would kill me even with a moderate weight. I prefer to go up the rack culminating in 2 or 3 heavy sets or between 5 & 7 reps. The only exception is the flush set of between 12-15 reps with about 100k and it absolutly knocks me out cold. I think because squats are so demanding mentaly as well as physically and a knowing you have to do 10 reps with a heavy weight can be very intimidating. __________________ "You are what you eat you can't possibly be anything else" or put another way "eat sht look like sht!!" Aftershock

20-12-2004, 02:33 PM	#12 (permalink)
Z3R0-CooL Gym Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: SouthWest London Posts: 369	some exercises shouldnt be "negative-emphasized"... but in all exercises u need to be under control... u cant bench 300lbs, if u bounced the bar and didnt even have the slighest control of it... thats not how it works... i believe that bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, cable rows and lat pdowns should have a 3 second "negative".. imo these are exercises whose negative part is more important... especially lat pdowns... if done correctly they place an enormous amount of pressure in the lats.. and u can feel it afterwards... __________________ Remember: "Drugs should be utilized to maximize the results of a proper lifestyle, both training and DIET. They are not there to correct your errors." "Knowledge is Power. Keep Educating yourself!!"