Australian_Mens_Fitness_April_2017

APRIL 2017 MEN’S FITNESS 31

SLOW DOWN

TO BUILD

STRENGTH

■ thletes typicallyA

lift at a steady pace,

powering through

the eccentric

(lowering), isometric

(holding) and

concentric (raising)

portions of a lift.

But greater gains

require a change

of pace.

Aslowertempo

increases a

muscle’s time

under tension (TUT)

for each rep. The

greater the TUT

(on the lowering or

holding portion), the

greater the stress

onthemuscles;that

leadstooptimum

hypertrophy, or

muscle building.

As a bonus, this

speed encourages

proper form.

Apushupismore

effective if you

spend three to four

seconds lowering

yourself and one

to two seconds

holding just above

the floor before

powering back up.

There’s additional

TUT, and the slower

movement recruits

more shoulder

stabiliser muscles

and better engages

the core.

A squat becomes

extra challenging

if your eccentric

SAMPLE

WORKOUTS

These can be

done on their own

or consecutively

Slower-tempo

workout

>10 pushups:

4 seconds down,

2 seconds hold,

1 second up

>10 squats:

6 seconds down,

1 second hold,

1 second up

>5–10 pullups

(dependingon

ability): Starting

from the bar,

2 seconds down,

2 seconds (hold at

bottom), 2 seconds

(hold at top)

Faster-tempo

workout

Do these as fast as

possible:

>10 bench presses

using40% of 1RM

>10 squat jumps

usingbody weight

>10 medicine ball

rotational throws

using modest weight

Coffee is a staple in many of our diets. Morning, noon and night (although I don’t

recommend caffeine in the evening) you’ll find people drinking cup after cup.

However, new research is showing that perhaps hot coffee isn’t our best bet.

Coffee contains many phytochemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients

that research has shown are beneficial to our bodies. But unfortunately, it can

sometimes cause acid reflux or similar issues. Luckily, you can still have your

daily coffee served cold to avoid these symptoms. Coffee brewed hot is far

more acidic. When you drink high-acidity coffee your body’s pH becomes

unbalanced, often creating discomfort.

If drinking hot coffee causes problems, try switching to cold. The benefits will

still be there, but the discomfort won’t. If you prefer hot coffee, brew it cold and

strong, and mix in hot water before you drink it. Making this small change in your

routine could mean the difference between feeling bad and feeling better.

●●●

THE DIET

DOCTOR

TRAINER MOODI

DENNAOUI

ANSWERS YOUR

QUERIES ABOUT

MUSCLE-BUILDING

AND NUTRITION

Q: I find coffee

helpful for training

and getting

through the day

but it gives me

reflux. Should

Igiveitup?

DAVID, GEELONG

phase takes 10

seconds, which

adds 100 seconds

to a 10-rep set

and raises the

TUT tenfold. Plus,

squatting — more

than any other

move — is about

execution, and

aslowertempo

forces you to squat

properly.

Tempo training

even applies to

thrusters, the

popular CrossFit

move:Slowdown

in the squat portion

before exploding

intoashoulder

press. Beyond the

greater TUT, this

encourages proper

form. A criticism

of CrossFit is that it

emphasises speed

at the expense of

form, and some

athletes, especially

newbies, aren’t

ready for ballistic

movements. A

slower tempo

yields a correctly

performed lift.

Trainer

Anthony Hobgood

recommends slow-

tempo training

with pullups. This

increases TUT

and stops the

natural tendency

ofusingabody’s

momentum to

get through a

set, boosting the

number of pullups

an athlete can do.

SPEED UP TO

INCREASE

EXPLOSIVENESS

■On the other

hand, working at a

faster tempo with

less weight is better

when training for

power.Aquicker

pace increases

the body’s ability

to handle rapid

stretch loads; the

faster movement

also lengthens

your fascia’s elastic

properties, causing

musclestocontract

more forcefully.

Fo c u s o n

FORANEW

PR,MIX UP

THE TEMPO

■Alternating

between various

tempos will not

only help you break

through plateaus,

it’llleadtoamore

focused workout

andamoreefficient

gym session

overall. “Tempo is so

valuable because

it serves so many

goals,” Hobgood

says.“Youknow

the moves; this just

changes things up

to improve results.”

moderate resistance

—60%ofaone-

rep max — and

maintain a high

effortwhilemoving

quickly. The end of

asetshouldn’tfeel

harder than the

beginning.

Havea140kg

bench max? Load

just 80kg and

blast through

all three phases.

Ordoasquat

jump using

only your body

weight. For both

workouts, you’re

combining speed

and strength.

Looking for

explosive power?

Decrease the weight

and boost your rep

speed. You’ll soon

see more gains than

ever before.

Brad Swonetz