Tempo Training- heavier is not harder

Today while training a client something strange happened when we were doing a Tabata Circuit of (20 sec/10sec max work to rest ratio) and she had 4 sets of deadlifts to do in this circuit. I cut her 5 rep max weight in half for the circuit as the goal is to try and beat your previous number of lifts from 20 seconds ago. She indicated this was not heavy enough, although she did not understand the point of the exercise. She was not achieving her goal and was lifting slow and labouring through. This is fine and not wrong, but changing the tempo of your lifts is extremely effective and should be practiced regularly. Don't stick to the same 1 up 1 down tempo. Try something new, try a 1 up 3 down tempo or even a small 2 second hold during your lift. More weight is not what is needed, more variety in the "time under muscle tension" is needed to keep your body guessing. You will naturally do what is easiest for your body including the tempo that you usually lift at, so shake it up, try a set lifting faster, then slower and tell me what you think. Simple little tricks like this will keep your body guessing, burning more fat and building muscle. Again if your body defaults to what is easiest for you, it is probably not the most efficient form a fat burning exercise.

This tip works for all mothers regardless of what stage of your recovery or fitness program you are at. Lets take a glut bridge for example, you typically use this in your warm up and probably lift at a 1/1 tempo. Try 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down and I can assure you your gluts will be on fire- now repeat this doing the 1 legged version and you have a great strength building exercise that will bring you more benefit than lifting any amount of weight. Again if ou are a new mother and your goal is to get your gluteus medius working again after the change in your pelvis, take a small resistance band and place it around both legs at knee level and perform your glut bridge at a slow pace to strengthen your glut medius and maximus. I challenge all of you on the Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness program to try and change the tempo of your lifts for one workout-just one and let me know the after effects. I'm listening.