Does "Time Under Tension" Matter?

I've always thought that it does...probably more than many of us will admit. Here's something interesting I came across:
-------------------------------------------------

J Appl Physiol. 2006 Apr;100(4):1150-7. Epub 2005 Dec 8
Effects of low-intensity resistance exercise with slow movement and tonic force generation on muscular function in young men.Tanimoto M, Ishii N.
Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan. cc37724@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

We investigated the acute and long-term effects of low-intensity resistance exercise (knee extension) with slow movement and tonic force generation on muscular size and strength. This type of exercise was expected to enhance the intramuscular hypoxic environment that might be a factor for muscular hypertrophy. Twenty-four healthy young men without experience of regular exercise training were assigned into three groups (n = 8 for each) and performed the following resistance exercise regimens: low-intensity [ approximately 50% of one-repetition maximum (1RM)] with slow movement and tonic force generation (3 s for eccentric and concentric actions, 1-s pause, and no relaxing phase; LST); high-intensity ( approximately 80% 1RM) with normal speed (1 s for concentric and eccentric actions, 1 s for relaxing; HN); low-intensity with normal speed (same intensity as for LST and same speed as for HN; LN). In LST and HN, the mean repetition maximum was 8RM. In LN, both intensity and amount of work were matched with those for LST. Each exercise session consisting of three sets was performed three times a week for 12 wk. In LST and HN, exercise training caused significant (P < 0.05) increases in cross-sectional area determined with MRI and isometric strength (maximal voluntary contraction) of the knee extensors, whereas no significant changes were seen in LN. Electromyographic and near-infrared spectroscopic analyses showed that one bout of LST causes sustained muscular activity and the largest muscle deoxygenation among the three types of exercise. The results suggest that intramuscular oxygen environment is important for exercise-induced muscular hypertrophy.

PMID: 16339347 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

well, so what does that prove then?

that TUT works as well as high intensity (intensity measured as a % of 1RM) training for a noob. also low intensity training with a normal tempo won't do anything. is that a revelation? i think not. TUT works fine for a noob. but i would like to see a study done on more advanced lifters and i can safely say that they'd find that TUT makes at best very little difference on even intermediates.

now wasn't it coleman who said something about wanting to be a bodybuilder but not wanting to lift heavy weights?

What it shows IMO, is that simply focusing on progressively higher poundages will eventually stall progress in everyone except the truely genetic freaks (like Coleman). You need to have TUT focusing on fiber recruitment as part of your training routine; slow motion sets, drop sets, static holds, etc.

those are noobs, almost anything works with noobs. i'm sorry but progressive loading is the way to build muscle not super slow sets with pink dumbbells.

if you want fiber recruitment you could do backoff sets of 8-10 reps, as well as speed training... WSB style

Quote:

those are noobs, almost anything works with noobs. i'm sorry but progressive loading is the way to build muscle not super slow sets with pink dumbbells.

If that's true than the logical conclusion would be that BB would need to get exponentially stronger the longer they trained, this obviously doesn't happen so what's accounting for their progress after many years of training? 5 years from now if Jay Cutler's thighs are 3" larger I guarantee you that his poundages haven't gone up much if at all.

Your point about newbies training is well taken though. There are other studies done with experienced trainees that show similar results. The only reason why I posted this one was because it's the most recent.