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Talkin’ Tempo

By Courtney 22 Comments

Good morning!  Is everyone feeling nice and rested this morning, or are you all still feeling like you need to catch up on that hour of sleep we lost?

I actually don’t notice much of a difference in feeling rested or not, but I was very quickly reminded this morning that it is once again pitch black at 5:30am-  and I was just getting used to having that little extra light in the morning!

So first things first, as always for a Monday…let’s get you caught up on what you may have missed:

  • New Surprises & My Bedtime Secret
  • A-Z Survey
  • Three Workout Options To Try Today

Now, let’s backtrack to last night. When I last left you all, I mentioned something about smelling the grill being fired up. Well, I sure was right!

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Three weeks in a row now, I’ve successfully coerced Jay into coming grocery shopping with me. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but I’ll take it. So while we were there yesterday afternoon, I told him that he could have his choice for last night’s dinner selection and he (not surprisingly) picked out a couple of petite sirloin steaks.

This was cool for two reasons: 1) I really enjoy a good cut of red meat every now and then, and 2) this meant that I didn’t have to cook it. Score!

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Jay seasoned the meat up perfectly with a bunch of stuff that I’m really unsure of…I usually just stay out of his way and let him have at it. He also cooked up another amazing batch of garlic green beans, while I slaved away at steaming up some mini sweet potatoes in microwave. Yeah, that was tough. Winking smile

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Excellent dinner, indeed!

*****

Workout

This morning kicked off week 2 of Tina’s Bootcamp and I was excited to get going with it again. Today’s workout was very similar to last Monday’s: 20 minutes of steady cardio (I used the elliptical) + “Workout A.” This week’s Workout A was actually the same one as last week, but it had a tempo change.

Last week, we were instructed to perform the exercises at a 2-1-2 tempo, meaning you take two counts for the initial part of the move, hold it at peak contraction for one count, then return to start for two controlled counts.

This week, the tempo has been changed to a 4-2-1 tempo, meaning that you take four counts for the initial part of the move, hold it at peak contraction for two counts, then return to start in one controlled count. And then on top of that, the final rep included 15 small pulses at the peak contraction of the move. WHEW!!

Repetition Tempo is actually a very important variable to consider when designing a workout program, so I was glad to see that Tina incorporated this. The amount of time that a muscle is under tension will actually give specific results; for example, a tempo of 4-2-1 is often used in the initial phases of training because the slower speed places more demand on the connective tissue and stabilizing muscles, which better prepares your nervous system for functional movements (you know, those ones we talked about last Friday).

Hey, there ya go…a quick little training lesson for your Monday morning. Winking smile

*****

Breakfast

Nothing you haven’t seen before, my friends…

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A fresh cup of coffee and a big ‘ol batch of Mixed Berry French Toast Oatmeal.

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Oh, and a little side of creeper, too.

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Alright, I think it’s about time for a shower…that workout from this morning was a sweaty one!

Question for the Morning:

Do you ever pay attention to your own repetition tempo when/if you lift weights? What tempo would you say you usually use?

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Related

March 12, 2012 Filed Under: Breakfast, Dinner, Personal Training, Workouts Tagged With: 2-1-2 tempo, 4-2-1 tempo, bootcamp, grilling, importance of tempo changes, Mixed Berry French Toast Oatmeal, repetition tempo, sirloin steak

About Courtney

I'm a working mom of two beautiful little boys, Lucas and Alex, and I began writing Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life in April 2010. I enjoy chronicling my love of food (healthy and indulgent!), baking, motherhood, fitness, fashion, and everything in between!

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Comments

  1. Jessica @ The Process of Healing says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:15 am

    I don't usually eat red meat but every once in a while I CRAVE it!!!!
    Reply
  2. chelcie @ chelcie's food files says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:20 am

    i love when weight classes use tempo and pulses in the repetitions because that is when I really feel the burn!
    Reply
  3. Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:21 am

    I have never heard of the tempo training, but it makes a lot of sense. I can see how the speeds and amount of tempos can influence your muscles differently. I am going to pay attention to my tempos next time I am using weights.
    Reply
  4. Linda says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:22 am

    Mini sweet potatoes - where do you get those? I had an amazing steak the other night and would have loved those to go with it. I want to know what you did to those green beans - they look yummy!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 12, 2012 at 10:55 am

      I get them at Price Chopper! They come in a bag and are usually only $2.00, which is awesome. They're the perfect size! As for the green beans...I'm pretty sure all Jay does is finely chop up some red onion and sautes it with some minced garlic and a little bit of olive oil. He cooks the green beans on the stove for about 5 minutes, then blanches them in ice water. Once the onion and garlic is sauteed, he adds the green beans and continues to cook them for another 8-10 minutes. We also spray them with a little extra spray butter to give a nice, buttery flavor. :)
      Reply
  5. Brandi says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:24 am

    I am doing a 30 day challenge and concentrating on my form and tempo. I am not educated on tempo training, but I try to keep in time with the person leading the workout. Hold it when they say hold....and so forth. Great dinner! :)
    Reply
  6. Tina @ Best Body Fitness says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:26 am

    I need to hire ya as my personal explainer of everything. If only that meant we could actually work together in person. ;) I'm an oddball because I actually typically only eat vegetarian dishes or red meat. Chicken and seafood appear sparingly around these parts.
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 12, 2012 at 10:55 am

      Tina, if we could work together in person, well...I think you know how I feel about that one. ;)
      Reply
  7. Lindsay @ Fuel My Family says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:30 am

    I actually don't pay attention to my tempo. But if i think about it I guess I always use a 2-1-2. I like to eat red meat once a week for iron. I know you can get it other places, but this is surely the easiest, especially since I am eating for 2. And its pretty tasty too!
    Reply
  8. Alyssa @ fit and fun in third says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:40 am

    I didn't notice the time difference until this morning either! It was tough getting out o bed in the pitch black but it'll be worth it for that extra hour!
    Reply
  9. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:42 am

    I pay attention to my tempo much more now that I've taken Body Pump a lot. They do a TON of negatives which I love, so I do a lot of those when lifting on my own. Also, I'll switch it up and take my time on the way down with some reps..then mixing it up and going up slow, down fast. Stuff like that. It makes a difference!
    Reply
  10. Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I definitely noticed the change in clocks--I way overslept this morning and was also exhausted last night! I always need a few days to adjust to a new schedule before getting back on track.
    Reply
  11. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:31 am

    I never heasrd of tempo training, when I work out I go at my own pass, and just push myself hard, unless I'm dancing of course! Ok, totally lucky that yourman made dinner, it looks wonderful. Since I started bloggin, my Husband doesn't cook anything anymore! I told him if he cooked, I'd show it on my blog, and just laughs, but still no dinner! Have a great week!
    Reply
  12. Khushboo says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:31 am

    I hear ya on the meat craving- can't get enough of it this past week, especially lamb!
    Reply
  13. Dena @ 40 Fit in the Mitt says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:42 am

    I never used a tempo until Boot Camp, before I think I held my breath 99% of the time, so i'm glad i'm learning to breath and follow a tempo, it actually helps me to concentrate on the muscle more.
    Reply
  14. Caroline @ After Dinner Dance says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:58 am

    I never do but Tina's workouts have made me start to.
    Reply
  15. Claire says

    March 12, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    Talk about craving red meat, I was recently feeling the same thing. My boyfriend and I went and got GIANT grass-fed burgers and this cleared up the issue really quick ;-) As far as "tempo" goes...I do try to do more explosive moves at times for my legs. I feel like the slowwwww feel the burn doesn't do great things for my legs, but I could be wrong, I'm no expert :-) With arms and other muscles, I try to go with a natural tempo that's not too fast, not too slow...! Have a great day!
    Reply
  16. Linda says

    March 12, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    Thank you!
    Reply
  17. Jen @ Whittle My Middle says

    March 12, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    I've never paid attention to my tempo but I think I will now.
    Reply
  18. Kate @ ibrokemyumbrella says

    March 12, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Truthfully, I don't lift as often as I probably should, but I can say I've never, ever paid attention to tempo. This was a really helpful post and definitely gives me something to think about the next time I'm lifting.
    Reply
  19. Holly says

    March 12, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Those green beans make me drool every.single.time. Is there any recipe that he has for those??? I would LOVE to have it. It's always nice to 'fancy-ify' green beans ;)
    Reply
  20. Julie says

    March 12, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    Yowza, I'm doing Tina's bootcamp too, and that tempo really got me sweating! It was great to help me focus on my form though! Good to know more about the reasoning behind it - thanks for the lesson! :-)
    Reply

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Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Court Profile CircleI'm Courtney, a 30-something wife and working mom living in upstate NY. I'm a food lover, fitness enthusiast, baker extraordinaire and lover of all things sweet.
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