Tempo training has long been known to be a great way to maximize time under tension and add some much-needed structure to lifting programs. This group works hard to spread the popularity of renowned trainer Charles Poliquin's methods in a constantly evolving forum.
At Bodybuilding.com, we've heard our BodySpace users' concerns and suggestions about the BodyGroup feature. Some big changes are on the way that will make the BodyGroups more accessible and valuable than ever. In the meantime, join us in congratulating Tempo-Based Training as this month's BodyGroup of the Month!
We are a group of people focused on the scientific application of weightlifting, but not by lifting heavy weights to impress the other guys and gals in the gym.
We use controlled range of motion and tempo—along with with intensity!—to bring on muscle size.
This is not a workout for women only. We will all put on significant size in the shortest amount of time!
Everyone must stay positive and respect the training methodologies of the other BodyGroups.
Our BodyGroup is about the scientific application of strength training to put on size and strength. This means controlling the weight eccentrically (lowering of the weight) and not throwing the weights around and letting them control you.
The BodyGroup include a mix of men and women as members. Tempo training works exceptionally well for women and is a great substitute for cardio.
Username: Zacharylp
I was looking for a way to build a fan base and inspire others. I believe in a pay-it-forward attitude. I have learned so many things over the years from my coaches and trainers. I feel that if I can pay forward some of that info and also inspire others, then my hope is that they can pay it forward and so on.
The sport of bodybuilding seems to be such a mystery to people, so I have spent a lot of time trying to figure it out. There is not a better place to get info than Bodybuilding.com. The site is informative, but so are a lot of the members.
Username: aheadric
I joined tempo-based training for inspiration and a trustworthy place to get information and ideas.
Username: amy13
I'm always open to trying new techniques, especially ones that have brought on successful gains for other athletes. I always experience the most soreness after workouts that focus on form and the "negative" pull of the weights. I just finished a workout tonight and my rear delts are burning!
There is a plethora of research and articles out there on strength training, and in the Internet age a new guru can pop up overnight and change the way people train. I tried to clear away all that seemingly endless information with the principles of the most successful strength and conditioning coach in the world, Charles Poliquin.
As an aspiring PICP (Poliquin International Certification Program) strength and conditioning coach, this group has helped me hold myself accountable, as well as to let everybody know that these principles work. I am nowhere near where I'd like to be physique-wise, but I have complete confidence I can get there using Poliquin's principles.
There are a number of threads with information and links to Charles Poliquin's site that I've started up, as well as some sample routines for people to give a shot. Members can ask questions and give each other motivation to grind it out in the gym when there's a day motivation is low.
Hard work is a given and there is no easy way to get fat-loss, but on top of that whatever you think you may know about strength training, always question and keep an open mind to some of the principles in the BodyGroup.
If there is something that seems to be engrained in your head about why you train a certain way, and I say something different in the group, ask yourself where I learned the information.
I want to be a trainer who walks the talk, so if I say something about how to put mass on the triceps and I have the arms of a famous boy pop singer popular with teenagers I probably won't be taken too seriously.
I believe if you keep an open mind and give the workouts in the BodyGroup a try, you will experience fantastic results without a second spent on a stairclimber or treadmill. Or if the workout doesn't suit you and you'd like a slightly revised one, shoot me a message and I would be glad to help.
The group mentality for us is to leave the ego at the door. Sometimes we won't be throwing around the most impressive numbers, but the looks we'll be getting will be outside the gym.
Outside the gym, learning to put my ego aside when lifting weights has helped me out in day-to-day conversations and just learning to let things go.
Whereas other BodyGroups provide you solely motivation and not much in terms of information on how to get you from A to B physique-wise, this BodyGroup lays the blueprint for anybody to go from average to champion as well as motivation to get you there.
As a whole, most BodyGroup pages I've joined and tried to interact in, there wasn't much feedback from other members and I'd like to change that with this BodyGroup. I want to help a lot of people achieve their goals in 2013 and this group will clear a lot of conflicting information out there.
I think the lack of interaction in BodyGroups is due to the fact there isn't a notification system built into their profile when somebody posts something new in the BodyGroup. You have to manually go into the BodyGroup and check and see if somebody has responded to your question you posted or if someone posted a new thread. If there was a notification system, I think there would be a lot more interaction with members in the BodyGroups.
It's been worthwhile for me. I enjoy writing the threads in the BodyGroup with the end goal that maybe this BodyGroup will be one of the largest on Bodybuilding.com.
There are also tips in this BodyGroup on how to improve sleep, which is so underrated and neglected by students who are trying to put on size. Every aspect of your life outside of training can be improved if you just fix sleep. This means ending the night with low energy, in bed before 11, and falling asleep within 5 minutes of hitting the pillow.
I'm excited to have this be the BodyGroup of the month and the potential for it to grow, but I would like for there to be more avenues for interaction in the BodyGroups. Hopefully this BodyGroup of the month feature will help to encourage more interaction and accountability.
In weight training, the term "tempo" refers to the systemization of the concentric and eccentric portions of a lift. You'll often see it expressed in a program in a four-digit arrangement such as 3-0-1-0 or 4-0-2-0. Sometimes, it will be expressed in three numbers, such as 311.
Using 3-0-1-0 as an example, the first number indicates that the eccentric, or lowering, part of the lift should last 3 seconds. The second number indicates that there is no pause at the midpoint of the lift. The third number refers to the concentric, or lifting, portion of the movement, in this case 1 second.
The fourth number indicates whether you should pause at the top of the lift before starting another repetition. In the case of three-digit tempos, 311 would indicate a 3 second concentric portion, 1 second pause, and 1 second eccentric portion. If there is an X in the tempo, it refers to lifting explosively, or as fast as possible under control.
Charles Poliquin was one of the trainers most responsible for popularizing tempo-based training as a way to customize workouts for specific strength or hypertrophy goals. For the novice lifter, it's a great way to increase time under tension, improve your ability to control weight, and introduce strength-building isometric holds into your program. Many people use metronome apps on their smartphones to make this easier to manage.
To see how tempo can work in an intense full-body program, check out Charles Poliquin's German Volume Training workout!
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