Training for training sake will get you more fit.  Working out without a program will get you to feel better and going out for a run or a bike ride will give you more energy.  None of these facts will I dispute.  

When I train clients I believe that most of the battle is getting the motivation to get started.  I have written about this in my many newsletters.

Today is a little different.

Once you start your training for the day, my goal is to make sure you get the most out of your 30 – 60 minutes in the gym.  It’s senseless to spend all that time getting motivated to train and then do a half-baked job during your session.

I see it all the time.  People on the cardio machines continue to mindlessly watch CNN or read a book never changing speeds or adjusting machinery to push themselves to train with intervals.  It is fine that they are doing something, but efficiency is what I train people for and results come from efficiency.

On the strength training side of your workouts, many of you may read articles in magazines with input on tempo.  Normally a good trainer will include this in his/her write up next to the columns for repetitions, sets, and weights.  You may see numbers like this:

2-0-2, 4-0-4, or even 8-0-8.  What does it mean?

Well it might look like a score from Wimbledon but each number represents the number of seconds the muscle needs to be under tension.  You see, when a muscle is under tension it must work harder.  Therefore it will recruit more muscle fibers and require more blood flow to the area.  

Normally (and I will not get technical here) one number represents the concentric phase of a movement pattern and the other number is the eccentric phase.  In simple terms, how long you take to pull the weight up during the start of an exercise and how long you take to return it to staring position.  The middle number is the middle portion of the movement.

For example, let’s take something as simple as a basic squat.  Place your hands behind your head like you would for a standard crunch.  Stand up straight with strong posture, contract your core muscles and make sure your feet are shoulder width apart.  Instead of bouncing up and down from top to bottom like the gym rats you see around the weight room try this.

Slowly lower your torso until your glutes are parallel with your knees but don’t go any lower.  Using the 4-0-4 tempo is should take 4 seconds to get to that position.  Then hold/squeeze the muscles in your thighs and rear and start to ascend back to starting position taking 4 seconds to return to top position.  That would be one repetition in a 4-0-4 count.  It takes 8 seconds to complete and I promise you it is about as efficient as it comes.

This type of training is extremely taxing and requires a lot of focus.  However it produces results.  Normally you cannot use the type of weights you would in a standard routine.  And often times I can get you completely “fried” by having you use your own body weight.

You will notice your body start to transform right before your eyes.

You will stop using momentum to lift weights.  Also, typical mistakes like swinging the weights around are less likely to happen because you take your time.  Using a 1-0-1 tempo can get you a decent workout.  But it is not the same and you will never return to that style of training once you try this.  I am not writing this as a suggested type of training that you try once in a while.  This is the way you should train regularly.  Too often people train without a care in the world and simply go through the motions.  As I said earlier, training for training sake is nice.  But it won’t get you the shapely thighs you crave or the rippled abs you desire.

Take your time, utilize tempo and keep the muscle under tension.  Then and only then will you notice your time in the gym start to pay off.