Due to a series of minor injuries, I could not I started to train with heavy weights that I was used to, and to maintain muscle growth, I began to lift a little less, while increasing the time under load (TPN). If you think you have to constantly bench and pull prohibitive weights, you will be surprised to know that this strategy did not lead to muscle loss. Moreover, I got incredible results!
However, you don’t have to take my word for it. If you have been training on a specific program for a long time, I suggest adding a little variety to it and trying to work on increasing the time under load to test the strategy for yourself! I’ll cover everything there is to know about time under load: how to use it, and how to increase your VPN in your workouts for maximum results. Read the article and then go straight to the gym!
Time Under Exercise: The Basics
Time Under Exercise is the time your muscles spend under tension. It consists of the time spent in the concentric (shortening) phase, the peak contraction, and the eccentric portion of the repetition. It turns out that if you do a set of 10 reps and it takes you 3 seconds to complete each repetition, the muscles will end up with 30 seconds of time under load.
If you do a similar set, spending on lifting the equipment (concentric phase) 2 seconds, for a peak contraction of 1 second, and then lowering the weight for another 3 seconds (eccentric phase), the same 10 repetitions gives you approximately 60 seconds of time under load.
To increase the amount of work done by the muscles, you need to either take more weight or increase the time during which the muscles lift this weight
Although the number of repetitions has not changed, the muscles spent much more time under tension, and this the extra time ultimately leads to a dramatic increase in the amount of work done!
Remember, your muscles can’t count. They do not know when you lift a 15 kg dumbbell 10 times, and when you are 15. They just feel the load created by the working weight and the mechanical stress that occurs when muscle fibers contract under load. Therefore, to increase the amount of work done by the muscles, you need to either take more weight, or increase the time during which the muscles lift this weight.
Excessive exercise
Excessive exercise go beyond training, which is aimed at strengthening human health.
However, often it is excessive physical activity that is perceived by a person as the only way to achieve their goals. People without a correct understanding of the physiological processes that occur in the body during physical activity, as well as those who want to achieve everything at once, resort to excessive physical exertion. This increases the risk of tissue injury, up to and including disability.
Excessive physical activity should be performed under the strict guidance of an experienced instructor.
The best repetition range and RP for hypertrophy
We already know that progressive overload forces muscles to adapt and therefore grow. Plus, experiments have proven time and again that the optimal rep range for muscle growth, or hypertrophy, is between 8 and 12 reps. But what is not completely clear is the optimal time under load from the point of view of hypertrophy.
Legendary trainer Charles Poliquin was the first to focus on manipulating time under load. Through his experience and experimentation, he was able to find the optimal time under load for specific training goals.
He concluded that the optimal time under load for muscle hypertrophy is 30-70 seconds. In training for strength and volume, or functional hypertrophy, Poliquin advised staying in the lower end of the range and working somewhere for 30-50 seconds. If you strive for maximum hypertrophy without a power accent, stick to the upper half of the range and work in the region of 50-70 seconds.
With this knowledge, you just have to do the simplest mathematical calculations and determine how many sets, repetitions and VPN opens up new horizons for muscle hypertrophy. Need a hint? Do 8-12 reps for 4 to 6 seconds each.
RPN protection
To ensure gas protection is applied to normal operation of the device. An additional container (expander) is made, connected to the main oil medium of the transformer by a special channel, in which a relay and a signaling element are installed.
With a slight gas formation, the signal element indicates a decrease in the oil level. In the event of a blowout, the expanded oil is forced out into the conservator. If the burst rate reaches the set value, the relay is activated, disconnecting the transformer. This prevents RPN contactors from breaking down.
Training Techniques to Increase RPN
Now that you understand how increasing time under stress can increase muscle protein synthesis and help you build muscle, it’s time to integrate this strategy into your training program.
Altered timing
You can cause the most microtrauma in your muscles during the eccentric (lowering) phase of the exercise. From my own experience, I have achieved maximum results by spending about 3 seconds on the eccentric bench or deadlift phase.
Ultimate concentration, or the connection of consciousness with muscles, will help you recruit the right muscle fibers and boost results
At the bottom of the repetition point, pause for 1-2 seconds. This stop will remove all inertia and stored energy from the working muscles, which means that you will not receive additional help when you start lifting weights. In addition, the pause will give you the opportunity to really pull yourself together to turn on the working muscles in the concentric phase of the bench press or deadlift. Ultimate concentration, or the connection of consciousness with muscles, will help you recruit the right muscle fibers and boost your results.
As you begin the concentric part of the exercise, try to work in a powerful and explosive manner, not forgetting about technique. This part of the bench or deadlift should take less than a second, although it can stretch a little as fatigue builds up. At the top repetition point, create maximum tension by lingering one full second in the peak contraction. Putting it all together, you get about 5-6 seconds for each rep – the perfect combination for doing 8-12 reps and keeping the muscle under load for 30-70 seconds in each set.
Drop sets
To drop set, lift the selected weight until you reach the point of muscle failure. Then decrease the weight and continue the set until you hit your pre-determined reps or reach failure again. You can continue the drop set in this vein for as long as you like to increase the load on the muscles, but keep in mind Poliquin’s recommendations regarding VPN.
When using this technique, I recommend choosing the working weight with which the first failure occurs. for 4-6 repetitions. After that, leave the weight you can lift 10-12 times before you hit failure again.
In drop sets, your body is subjected to the action of the limiting weight necessary for maximum muscle micro-tears, while the muscles remain energized for optimal timing.
Partial and forced reps
The essence of partial reps is reflected in their name: these are reps that you do with partial amplitude. This means that in the bench press you do not fully extend the joints, and in the deadlifts you do not get to the peak contraction. These incomplete reps maintain a constant load on the muscles and allow you to work at high working weights.
In forced reps, a spotter helps you get through the point of failure
In forced reps, a spotter helps you get through the point of failure. This technique increases the time spent under load, allowing you to lift heavier weights. Forced reps are very heavy and costly for muscles, tendons and nervous system, so use them sporadically and with caution.
Classification
There are several types of RPDs that differ in the following characteristics:
- a kind of current-limiting element – with reactors or resistors;
- the presence or absence of a contactor;
- the number of phases – single-phase and three-phase;
- type current commutation.
Explanation of marking for on-load tap-changer type UBB …
Depending on the method of switching the current, there are the following types of devices:
- the arc is broken in a volume filled with transformer oil – the device assumes the use of arcing contacts that do not require the use of special elements for arc extinguishing;
- the arc breaks in a rarefied space – assume the use of vacuum arc chutes manufactured industrially;
- shutdown is performed by thyristors, in an arcless manner;
- combined methods – with a combination of different types of switching.
Also read: What is a surge arrester (surge arrester)
To ensure the safety and functionality of the RPN , they are supplied with automatic control elements and voltage regulators.
In addition to these devices, special booster transformers can be used to change the voltage characteristics in powerful units. This equipment is connected in series and used together with the main unit as an auxiliary unit. But this method has not received widespread use due to the high cost and high complexity of the circuit.
