Time on your side

Slowing down your strength work can speed up your gains. Here's how to get your timing right - to get more strength, power and endurance.

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They say time is money, but we're proposing an edit: Time is strength. At least, it can be - if you know how to use it.

Tempo training, or time under tension (TUT) training, is a go-to for experts – because it gets results. “The method challenges your body, and allows you to tire your muscles at specific points in the full range of motion of an exercise,” says trainer Jacqueline Kasen.

The approach is actually pretty simple: you slow down your movements strategically, to change the pace of your reps and keep your muscles loaded longer. Then, you linger as your muscles lengthen in a static hold or as they shorten. Spending more time in any part of an exercise increases focus on the movement pattern in general, which helps develop strength and muscular control, Kasen explains – whether you’re using your body weight, dumbbells, kettlebells or anything else you have to hand. It works with any equipment.