Weight Lifting, Weight Training, Bench Press & Bodybuilding
March 28, 2024

Time-Under-Tension for Fast Muscle Gain
By Jason Ferruggia

Time-Under-Tension for Fast Muscle Gain

One of the supposed rules of fast muscle gain is that in order for a muscle to grow it has to be exposed to a certain load (e.g. under tension) for 40–70 seconds at a given time. This simply means that every set you do should last somewhere between 40 and 70 seconds. If you have never heard this nonsense before, I will give you a second to pick yourself up off the floor and stop laughing. To disprove this theory, I will point to the immeasurable number of lifters who have grown to enormous proportions without ever adhering to this rule. Taking 40–70 seconds to do a set of 6–8 reps is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. Lifting at this slow speed severely limits the amount of weight you can use and thus decreases the effectiveness of the set. The only thing that long time-under-tension sets do is increase lactic acid production. This results in the burn feeling and may be what people are confusing with effective training. You can get a great burn by going for a swim or a long bike ride or by doing 1,000 crunches, but everyone knows this isn’t going to do a single thing to help you build muscle.

Fast twitch muscle fibers are the ones that have the greatest potential for growth and are only stimulated when the load is heavy, the reps are fairly low and the set lasts about twenty seconds or so. So sets of five or six reps with 80% or more of your one rep max (1RM) are far more productive at eliciting fast muscle gain than sets of 10-20 reps with 50-60% of your 1RM done at slower speeds. That’s not to say that you should never do slightly higher reps or use less than 80% of your 1RM but that that type of training should never be the main focus of your program.

I hate to admit this, but back when time under tension was first discussed and brought to popularity, I did extensive experiments with this concept in my own private training center. Yes, I got suckered. After reading everything I could about time under tension, I immediately modified every one of my clients’ training programs. We experimented with longer time under tension sets of 40-70 seconds for over a year.

The results? Nearly every single client, to a man, got smaller and weaker. Those that didn’t remained the same size and strength or made marginal gains, at best, that were far inferior to anything we had previously done. I admit it was a huge mistake, but trying things, making mistakes and adapting is the best way to learn.

The good news is that I have already done the experiments and made the mistakes for you. Learn from my misfortunes, avoid these deadly mistakes and you will be on the road to fast muscle gain in no time.

Time-Under-Tension for Fast Muscle Gain


Jason Ferruggia eBook "Muscle Gaining Secrets"

Muscle Gaining Secrets Discover How to Gain 27 Pounds of Rock-Hard Muscle in 12 Weeks... Without Long Workouts, Dangerous Steroids or High Priced Supplements

In Less Than Three Hours Per Week You Can Easily Build The Head Turning, Ripped, Muscular Physique You Have Always Dreamed Of...Even if You Have Below Average Genetics... Even if You Have Tried Everything Else & Failed Before... This System Will Help You Build Muscle & Burn Ugly Body-Fat Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible

As seen in magazines: Mens Fitness, Maximum Fitness & Men'sHealth

Click here to ORDER NOW

 

 

 

More Articles by Jason Ferruggia
More Muscle Building Articles

 





Natural Bodybuilding | Growth Factor-1 | Discount Bodybuilding Supplements | Gain Weight Fast | Big Arms | How To Get Ripped
Weight Lifting Programs | Weight Lifting Equipment | Weight Training Articles | Weight Lifting Workouts | Workout Routines
Bench Press Routine | Bench Press Workout | Increase Bench Press | Bench Press Records | Bench Press Chart
Lean Body Mass | How To Run Faster | Bodybuilding Tips | Athlete Celebrity Interviews | Muscle Growth Stories
Muscular System | Healthy Bodybuilding Recipes | Muscle Man | Female Bodybuilders | Weight Lifting Exercises
Powerlifting | Dumbbell Exercise | Muscle Bodybuilding T Shirts | Vince Gironda | Vince Delmonte | Jennifer Nicole Lee
Weight Lifting Accessory | Football Strength Workout | Weight Lifting Belts | Mike Geary
Bench Press | Fitness Links | How To Gain Weight Fast | Strength Blog | Build Muscle Fast | Workout Reviews | Workout Videos
Weight Lifting & Weight Training Tips For Building Muscle Strength
 
Fitness Models | Strongman | Muscle Building Nutrition | Muscle Growth | Muscle Building Experts

Supplements: Testosterone Booster | Super Fat Burner | Beta Alanine | Creatine Caps | Nitric Oxide NO2 | Muscle Building Supplements | Post Workout Supplement

Articles: Bench Press Tips | Supplement Reviews | Muscular Strength | Bodybuilding Nutrition | Fitness Health | Muscle Building
Fat Loss Tips