How many of you guys actually adhere to the very slow tempos that Poliquin and King use in there training.
Poliquin recommends a 5-0-1 tempo during his 6x4 phase of his maximal weights program.
Would it matter if I used a quicker eccentric.
I don’t think a 5-0-1 tempo would allow me to handle the weight I need for strength gains.
I adhere to tempo guidelines as much as possible. Why? 1)Time Under Tension Principle. If tempo is 5010, thats 6 seconds time under tension, multiplied by 5 reps (for example) equals 30 seconds time under tension. If you follow a 3010 tempo then T.U.T. for 5 reps is 20 seconds. By Poloquin’s Principles all sets should be within 30-70 seconds. So, your effective work is less than what’s recommended, therefore diminishing your results. 2) When strength training your gains come from both a forceful concentric contraction and a slow eccentric contraction. Some of those crazy Russian sport scientists say that you’re not taking total advantage of your strength in training if you’re not doing some type of eccentric work. It’s all by design my friend. If you follow the protocol to a “T” your results will improve.
I tried the 5-0-X this week on Monday for my arms and I got really sore (feels good). I’ve been sore in the arms Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and I’m still sore. And I had to lower the weights a bit.
Personally, I get the best results when I change things up. I have used Poliquin’s cadence with great success, but I find that changing things up, gives me the greatest results
yes, i adhere to training tempos. You’re right, I would speed up the eccentric a bit to maybe 2 or 3 seconds, but you might want to slow the concentric a tad also… possibly to 2 seconds. Your load potential won’t go down all that much with the slow concentric, but it will make a big difference in tension. When you get to the really big weights (maximum doubles and triples), speed the concentric back up.