In the world of strongman training, we often focus on load, volume, and exercise selection. Yet one powerful programming variable frequently goes underspecified: tempo. As coaches, defining the exact speed of movement can be the difference between good progress and exceptional development for your athletes.
When you prescribe a "slow eccentric" without precise parameters, you're leaving interpretation to your athlete. Does that mean 3 seconds? 5 seconds? This ambiguity creates inconsistency that makes progress tracking nearly impossible.
Instead, specifying exact tempo parameters (e.g., "3-1-X-0" for a 3-second eccentric, 1-second pause, explosive concentric, no pause at top) allows you to:
1. Create predictable training stimuli that can be progressively manipulated
2. Target specific adaptations with precision
3. Objectively measure progress across training cycles
For your athletes, controlled tempos deliver multiple benefits. Slower eccentrics increase time under tension, enhancing hypertrophy and strengthening connective tissues—crucial for injury prevention in strongman events. Conversely, explosive concentrics develop power needed for dynamic events like log press and atlas stones.
Tempo manipulation also builds mental toughness. A grueling 5-second eccentric on a heavy squat teaches athletes to embrace discomfort, a skill directly transferable to competition.
From a coaching perspective, specified tempos give you a variable to adjust when plateaus occur without necessarily changing weights. This creates more programming options and allows for continued progress even when loading must remain constant due to technical limitations or recovery concerns.
Perhaps most importantly, tempo prescription demonstrates coaching precision and attention to detail. It signals to your athletes that every aspect of their training has purpose and is being monitored.
Next programming cycle, don't just write "5×5 front squat." Instead, try "5×5 front squat @3-0-1-0" and watch how this simple addition transforms both your coaching effectiveness and your athletes' results.
