Most people would think the term “time under tension” referred to stress in life. While this is partially accurate, time under tension is a method of strength training. The next time you are at the gym, take a look around at the people lifting weights. You’ll likely notice people repping out bicep curls and bent over rows. You may also notice others doing the same exercises, except at a much slower pace. These folks are using a tempo to slow down the time it takes to go through the full range of motion.
The purpose of this is to increase the amount of time your muscle is under tension. Using a bicep curl as an example, the tempo might look like this:
🕒 With arms fully extended, take 1 second to curl the weight to your shoulder.
🕓 Once the weight is at your shoulders, slowly count to 4 to lower your arms back to the starting position.
🕔 When your arms are fully extended again, count 2 seconds before curling the weight back to your shoulders.
This would be a 4-2-1 tempo.
Time under tension is one of the best ways to increase strength. It trains your muscle to withhold the force being applied to it for a longer amount of time, thus making it stronger.
What do people who work out at the gym and those who don’t have in common 🤔
Time Under Tension
You don’t have to go to the gym to experience force, stress or pressure within your body or your life. These loads are easily found in our day to day.
Many folks try to avoid tension and stress the same way they avoid exercising 😋
This is because any kind of time under tension is uncomfortable. Outside of the gym tension can come from:
➡️ Work overload.
➡️ Financial instability.
➡️ The weight of an important decision resting on our shoulders.
➡️ Time spent with people who have opposing views.
➡️ Drug and alcohol abuse or addiction in general.
➡️ Health afflictions.
➡️ Watching too much news.
What do tensions inside and outside of the gym have in common 🤔
It is within these places of discomfort that we are presented with the opportunity to grow the most.
Notice I didn’t quote the popular saying, “We grow the most outside of our comfort zones.”
That quote is dependent of something. It’s dependent on:
Our Decision to do What is Natural
OR
To Choose Courage Over Comfort.
It’s natural to want to throw in the towel, both inside and outside of the gym.
As a person who professionally observed people under tension in the gym and have personally experienced a heavy load of tension in my personal life, I can confidently make the following assessment:
Those Who Go it Alone are Less Likely to Survive.
They do not come out stronger and they do not grow. These are the people who do not choose courage, which includes being vulnerable, admitting their way has not worked and being humble enough to reach out for help.
With that being said, there is a combination of support models available.
- Family, friends, coaches, mentors and professionals.
- Jesus Christ.
- A combination of 1 and 2.
One of these models has a 💯 success rate and that is model #2.
It works because it’s in the DNA of the master plan. We were not made to be alone or go it alone. We were made to be dependent on Jesus Christ.
Matthew 4:4 says, “Man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
As Jesus demonstrated His dependency on His Father, those who depend on Him will also be lead to a victory.
Time Under Tension is Unavoidable.
Time With Jesus is Available Without Limits.
Whether you need help getting in shape and getting to the gym or any other area of stress, the formula to success is the same:
Time Under Tension + Time with Jesus Christ = Maximal Strength
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May God bless and protect our country and everyone reading.
~MLO
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