Time Under Tension

Feb 11, 2021

Hey Core 4 Members,

Andy here, and I want to talk to y’all about a very specific aspect of training that we are incorporating into the new and improved 12-Week Program. As you may have noticed throughout the first phase, we have been spending a lot more time with a barbell. And not just because we are using it for more movements, but we are actually spending more time with it on our back or in our hands! Well, that is because we want to create more TIME UNDER TENSION. 

 Now you might be thinking, "But Andy! I don’t want to be under tension any more than I have to.” Well, that’s the best part! You see, we want to spend more time under tension for a few different reasons (all good of course). The first reason being, the more time we spend under tension, the more muscle tears we create. Before you get worried about “tearing” a muscle, it’s actually a good thing. Every time our muscles stretch and flex, we cause very small micro tears in them. This is why we get sore, but also how our muscle grows! So, by adding more time under tension we can stimulate more muscle growth. But that’s not all, we can also build strength and muscular endurance with more time under tension. By adding in long paused isometrics, we are now attacking the weakest position of every movement. And with the added time, our muscles are now working harder through a prolonged period, pushing our endurance to new levels.

I hope you found this information helpful! We at Core 4 want to ensure that our athletes always understand the WHY behind everything we do. Now, let’s attack this next phase and spend some more time under the bar! 

 - Andy