Quite a number of our personal training clients come to us because they have not been able to get the results they desired from other personal trainers or online fitness programs. One of the most lacking things that I have seen from these ineffective programs (if they are written down at all! – you will be shocked how many “personal trainers” come up with random stuff off the top of their head when their client appears at their door) is the lack of tempo prescriptions.

For those of you that are not familliar with them, tempo refers to how each rep is performed. We use a 4 number tempo system e.g. 4-1-1-2.

• The first number “4″ refers to the number of seconds that it takes to lower the weight.
• The second number “1″ refers to the length of time that you should pause the weight at the bottom of the lift.
• The third number “1″ refers to the speed at which you should lift the weight. In this case – as fast as you can. The only thing faster than “1″ would be an “x” where you would jump or throw the weight.
• The fourth number “2″ refers to the pause you should take at the top of the lift.

Variations in tempo between workout programs can greatly improve your training results. I use up to 30 second lifting and lowering times for certain clients with special needs.

However variations in tempo during the SAME SET can give you trouble in determining if your workout is effective, and if you have progressed.

For example, if you start out with a 4-1-1-2 tempo but later in the set, as you fatigue, your tempo changes to a 2-0-1-0, your reps are not consistent. A 2-0-1-0 rep would usually be much easier to perform.

This means that you have no clue if your improvement is because of progress, or simply using a easier tempo (its the same as using a lighter weight!).

Even the most experienced trainees have a tendency to “cheat” on tempo as they fatigue. The best solution for this is a good strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer.

The next best solution is a metronome. Since nobody plans to carry a foot long wooden box with them as they do their training, I went to find a solution.

I spent some time during my last infra-red sauna session testing out all the available metronomes for the iphone/itouch platform. In the end I thought that the “Flash Metronome” (it’s free) gave the easiest way to set things, and the most adaptability for gym use.

Set the “Beats per minute” to 60 so you get one beat per second, keep your phone a distance away (mobile phones in pockets make you weaker), set it to airplane mode so you don’t get distracted by messages and calls, and check out how “hard” your training suddenly has become because you have probably been cheating on tempo all this while.

Suffer the ego drop, but enjoy the improved results!