Individual Design client Rebecca Albin lacked the requisite mobility to get deep in her squat. Squat mechanics have been a secondary focus in her training the last couple of months as we have focused on upper body absolute strength. Below is a picture of the “before and after” of two months worth of squat training (not more than twice per week). Notice the picture on the left she is wearing lifting shoes and the picture on the right is without lifters. Not only has she gained depth in her squat, she has also improved valgus knee through better awareness in her squat. -Coach Chris
What do all these numbers mean?
I know that you are all guilty of being SO excited about coming to workout at CrossFit Ocean Isle Beach, that you often take a peak at what tomorrow’s workout will be. That is great, and I encourage that, so you can prepare mentally and physically for the workout, so as long as you don’t become a “cherry picker”.
However, many of our workouts might look kinda crazy to the untrained eye, so I decided to shed some light on them and hopefully you will get a better understanding of what it means, but more importantly WHY we do it this way. I’m sure all of your coaches already do a thorough job of explaining the meaning but entertain me just for a minute before we begin to dig a little deeper.
So, what does 3211 and all those other crazy numbers mean?
These four numbers are the specified tempo of the exercise. The FIRST number is the eccentric portion of the exercise, often referred to as the DOWN. The SECOND number is the pause in the bottom. The THIRD is the concentric portion of the exercise or the UP. The FORTH number is the pause at the TOP of the exercise.
If the exercise was a squat, and the specified tempo was 3211, this would mean that the athlete is descending for 3 seconds, pausing for 2 seconds in the bottom, taking one second to stand up, and a one second pause at the top before beginning the next rep. Now, if we change the exercise to overhead squat, you can see how this becomes difficult very quick.
But Coach, why do we do it?
Tempo is used for many reasons but some of the most common uses are:
- Developing structure or mobility in a person
I frequently use tempo to develop depth in an athlete’s squat. Using a tempo such as the 3211 we discussed above, the weight of the barbell forces that athlete deeper into the hole than they would normally be capable of reaching. The 2 second pause in the bottom begins to stretch the muscles and with repetition, will start yielding the deep squat we all desire.
- Developing body awareness and movement patterns
New athletes that do not have experience with weight training often look like deer fawns walking for the first time as soon as they get loaded with a barbell. That is not their fault as it is an unnatural feeling for them. We use tempo in situations such as this to develop good habits and movement patterns. With controlled exercises, the coach has time to examine the athlete and provide them with specific cues to correct the movement. I have personally used this countless times to correct bad deadlift technique as it is much easier to spot and correct when the athlete is moving very slowly.
- To increase absolute strength
When an athlete is placed under tension for long periods of time, the muscles breakdown quickly resulting in the athlete being forced to use submaximal loads. The use of submaximal loads allows the coach to prescribe higher numbers of reps than would be used for a session with a weight that was close to the athlete’s 1RM.
- Establishing a metric
Have you ever tried a 20RM back squat? How about a 20RM back squat at a 2010 tempo? There is a HUGE difference in the feel of the two tests. Oftentimes, you see people bragging about their 20RM back squat but it could take them a few minutes to complete it. They are grinding out one rep at a time with several seconds of “break” at the top of each rep. I’m not trying to diminish the feat, however, a 20RM at a 2010 tempo WILL result in a much lower weight being lifted. You can even use the tempo to calculate how long it will take the athlete to complete the exercise prescription. For example, a 2010 tempo results in 3 total seconds of time under tension x 20 reps = 60seconds. That’s a BIG difference! Don’t take my word for it..give it a try sometime. It might make you see the “Wizard”!
I hope this gives you a little more insight in why we use tempo in our training. Good luck, train hard, and don’t break tempo!
– Chris Jernigan, Remote Coach for CrossFit Ocean Isle Beach
Thank you for taking the time to read my story! 
