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Truly Huge Fitness Tips
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Fitness Tips For 7/12/2006
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Time Under Load Theory
by Lester Maurice of Bodybuilding Guide
Many high intensity theorists toss around an intriguing idea they
call Time Under Load (TUL). But before addressing the merits of
TUL, lets cover the basic premise most people use while working
out. Many assume that the goal of performing an exercise is to
simply make the weights go up and down. They think they're suppose
to lift and lower the weights as many times as they can within a
certain range of repetitions. It makes sense; every program, is
based upon completing a certain number of reps. Then as we start
to reach muscular failure, we attempt to move faster while losing
our form for the sake of completing our target number of
repetitions. Viewing the completion of those reps as the "end all"
of your set can create a problem with your training technique and
focus. In an attempt to complete the set, all form goes out the
door and our motion can become sloppy, careless and reckless and
you're less likely to be thinking about how the muscle is working.
People who view exercise this way often perform it as if they're
trying to "beat the weights". However, simply making the weights
go up and down is not the goal of performing an exercise. Each
repetition is simply a means to accomplishing the real end:
stimulating the muscle. In other words, the real objective is
not to "lift the weights" as much as it is to "work the muscle".
Another focus problem is using the repetition count as a means of
measuring your training progress. Its easy to assume that if you
can lift the same weights more times using the same exercise,
that you have gotten stronger. Some people assume the more
repetitions they perform, no matter how they're done, the better
they have performed. Exercising under this assumption again leads
one to sacrifice proper form for the sake of a few extra fast,
sloppy, relatively unproductive reps.
Getting back to Time Under Load (TUL). The theory states that
it's not the number of reps that is important but it's the time
the muscle is actually contracting. All the repetition range
does is target a specified amount of time, which the muscle is
under stress. For example a rep range of 5-8 would be 20 seconds
of contraction or a rep range of 8-12 would be 30 seconds of
stimulation. Still more research needs to be done to see if a
productive program can be formulated using only TUL for each
bodypart as the benchmark for training. Just as a practical
observation, counting reps is easy and can be accomplished
anywhere while using TUL will require watching a clock or
stop-watch. Not very convenient in a busy gym.
The main point to be made is that the focus while working out
should be on a quality muscular contraction each time the
weights are lifted. To rush a set just because you're almost
at the end in an effort to complete some magical number of
repetitions can be self-defeating. Stimulating the muscle
thoroughly should be the first priority whether counting reps
or watching the clock. If you figure out you would rather
do curls for 20 seconds rather than 8 repetitions, that's up
to you. But your technique should be under control and focused
throughout the set. Get as much muscular stimulation as
possible out of every second of the exercise, rather than
simply trying to complete each rep for the sake of completing
it.
About the Author
Lester Maurice is the head of Matrix Systems a consulting group
of personal trainers specializing in bodybuilding and fitness
development located throughout Southern California. For more
great muscle building and fat burning tips visit his website
at Bodybuilding Guide.
