Rule number 1: Always keep track of the pace of the exercises.
Changing the speed of the lifting phase and periods of rest will give the body a new incentive to adapt. The average gym goer never pays attention to the pace of the exercise, letting gravity do all the work for them. They let the weight go down on its own and then use momentum to lift it up. And this is not correct.
Instead, you need to control the rhythm with which you lift and lower the weight, because this stimulates the body’s adaptation to stress more. For beginners, the following pace is suitable – the lowering phase of the working weight lasts four seconds, and the lifting phase lasts one. For example, in squats, to maximize muscle fiber engagement, you lower under control in four seconds and then quickly rise in one.
This pace is designated as 4010, where 4 means the eccentric phase or downward movement, the first 0 is a pause at the bottom point of the movement (in this case there is no pause), 1 is the concentric phase or upward movement, and the second 0 is a pause at the top point of the movement (in this case there is no pause).
This pace provides a different stimulus than the usual 1010 (where the first second is the downward movement and the second is the upward movement) used in gyms around the world. For example, in squats, one set of ten reps with a weight of 60 kg at a pace of 4010 takes 50 seconds, that is, each repetition lasts five seconds, while at a pace of 1010 with the same weight and number of repetitions, it will take you only 20 seconds per set, that is, each repetition will last two seconds. And 30 seconds is a significant difference. During this time, much more muscle fibers are involved.

A pace with a longer eccentric phase causes more metabolic stress, while a pace of 4010 provides better motor control, muscle mass gains, and also positively affects the health of connective tissue. A shorter pace, such as 1010, typically involves heavy weights (above 85 percent of your maximum) and aims to develop strength and neurological efficiency through greater mechanical stress.

Rule number 2: The speed of exercise determines the degree of adaptation of the body to stress.
Without speed control, you will not be able to achieve adaptation, therefore, you will not have progress. For example, in one three-week study, researchers compared the effect of an explosive-pace bench press program with the same program, but where the subjects chose the pace of work arbitrarily. It turned out that in the group where they worked in an explosive style, the strength indicators in the bench press increased by ten percent, while in the group where the pace was chosen independently, the subjects did not achieve any progress.

The second study clearly demonstrates how exercise speed affects body composition. The scientists compared the pace of 1010 and 6060 in a leg extension exercise and found that the pace of 6060 provoked significantly more protein synthesis. The mass-gaining effect increased three times a day after training, indicating muscle damage. Tempo 1010 successfully directs the work of the nervous system to the development of strength.

Rule #3: In order to burn fat, manipulate the pace of exercise, giving preference to the anaerobic type of energy adaptation.
Using a variety of exercise tempo options is one of the best tools for burning fat due to the increased oxygen consumption in the post-workout period and the increased metabolic stress that our body experiences. For example, a 2012 study showed that training at a slower pace – 4 seconds down and 1 second up – burned more calories, and after training, the body consumed more oxygen than when the lowering phases and lifting weights last for one and a half seconds each.
Not surprisingly, the 4010 pace requires more energy, as trainees spend more time “under weight”. However, do not forget that a periodic change in the pace of exercise requires high energy costs during and after training.
At the same time, the researchers made some conclusions about the training pace:
* The most effective way to increase energy expenditure is to perform exercises that require activation of the anaerobic energy system instead of the aerobic one. This system has a so-called “afterburn” effect, which requires the body to burn even more calories over a longer period. recovery.
* The easiest way to tap into the anaerobic energy system for fat loss is to periodically change the pace of your workouts.
Vary the pace of your large muscle group workouts with exercises such as squats, deadlifts, single leg exercises, presses, deadlifts, weightlifting and strongman exercises. Use heavy working weights (65-85 percent of your max) and a tempo of 30-60 seconds per set.

Rule number 4: To increase muscle mass, vary the pace of exercise.
While longer exercise is best for fat loss, explosive work has been found to significantly increase lactic acid production, which is associated with an increased growth hormone response and recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers for better muscle adaptation.
For example, a 2012 study found that lactic acid buildup in the blood was significantly greater when subjects performed three sets of eight reps at an explosive pace and the working weight was 60-70 percent of 1RM than at a moderate or slow pace..
Explosive pace is suitable for advanced trainees who, in an effort to develop strength and increase hypertrophy, use the most powerful fibers. Before jumping into explosive training, make sure you have a solid base – your connective tissue needs to have a certain level of strength.

Rule #5: Use different rep tempos to build strength.
You probably know that the most important thing to get stronger is lifting heavy weights. Heavy working weights—above 85 percent of 1RM—and reps up to six times per set in a controlled, explosive style are better for building strength than faster tempos and lighter weights.
However, hard training is not the only way to induce adaptation, especially in beginners. For example, one study found that training to muscle failure at a slower pace, as well as with a moderate working weight of 50-60 percent of 1RM, where the eccentric phase of the exercise lasts four seconds, increases strength by ten percent. A longer pace of exercise stimulates growth of stronger muscle fibers of the second type.
Slow rep tempo plus lighter weights are also the main components of the training program in case of injury recovery. These methods help increase blood flow to the damaged area and more effectively restore muscle performance.

Rule #6: To get fitter, train at an explosive pace.
All things considered, exploding exercise is the best way to develop athleticism, as it builds strength, muscle mass, and power at the same time. For example, in a 2013 study, researchers tested four protocols that were followed to muscle failure:
• Muscular endurance, weight 55 percent of 1RM at a pace of 4141
• Speed-strength endurance, weight 55 percent of 1RM at an explosive pace
• Maximum strength, weight 85 percent of 1RM at an explosive pace
• Hypertrophy, 70 percent of 1RM at tempo 2121
Based on the results obtained, the scientists made some conclusions:
* To achieve maximum power output, work at an explosive pace with 30-60 percent of your 1RM.
* Working with maximum weights, such as in the maximum strength protocol, also produces high power output, even if the subjects performed repetitions at a controlled, slow pace.
* Considering the required time (30 seconds), the maximum strength protocol gives the best results. Experienced lifters can save time and lift heavy weights at a fast pace.

Rule #7: Muscle strength is easier to develop by training at different speeds than by exercising at the same pace all the time.
This article makes you understand that there is no one ideal pace of exercise – in order to achieve the desired results, you need to constantly change the pace of training. A typical mistake of those who work out in the gym is to perform the same program for months, or even years. As a result, people do not get stronger, their body composition does not improve, and, most likely, they are bored to death.
So that the process of qualitative changes in the figure and general physical condition does not stop, constantly alternate the training phases. Focus on the accumulation phase first, opting for a longer pace of work and high volume. workouts. Next, move on to the intensification phase, which develops strength. Here, work at a fast pace with heavier weights.
With rep tempo training, you’ll really stand out from your gym mates. In addition, you will be amazed at how much your body and athletic performance will change.