Research Reveals Ideal Weightlifting Duration for Noticeable Muscle Growth Results

Time Under Tension: Key to Muscle Gain, Research Suggests

Although it is difficult to specify an exact time during which lifting weights will definitely be beneficial in the development of muscles, researches do offer some ideas about the key elements and approaches. It becomes more about the quality and consistency of your training in the long run than a certain amount of duration per session.

The time under tension (TUT) is one of the critical notions reflected in research. TUT refers to how long that a muscle is actively under tension in a set. From these anecdotal evidence and scientific research, sets that involve a TUT of between 40-60s can be optimal for muscle growth (hypertrophy). This will be possible by using different combinations of repetitions and tempo (speed of going up and down with the weight). For instance, a series of 8-12 reps with a defined tempo (for instance: 2 seconds raising, 1 second hold, 2 seconds lowering) would be included in this range.

Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the research also shows that the sole concentration on TUT for each group of repetitions may be not as significant as the overall TUT accumulated throughout a training session. Research has found the same amount of muscle growth between powerlifting-style exercises with diminutive TUT per set but with increased sets as compared to exercising in a bodybuilding approach with a slightly prolonged TUT per set but with fewer sets, provided that the total TUT for the session is about the same.

Moreover, the understanding of progressive overload plays an important role in research. This is slow build up of demand on your muscles with time, either increase in weight, raise of reps, sets, or manipulation of TUT. If you fail to constantly push yourself through your muscles then they will never receive a good stimulus to change and be stronger.

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The frequency of training is also important. Current recommendations generally advise strength training of all major muscle groups at least 2 times per week. Some research proposes that training muscle groups 2-3 times per week at moderate volume will yield more overall muscle protein synthesis (the process of building muscle) compared with muscle groups trained once a week with higher volume. Muscle protein synthesis is typically elevated for up to 24-48 hours after a resistance training session.
In practical terms, aim for 2-3 strength training sessions per week lasting about 45-60 minutes that focus on compound exercises working multiple muscle groups, and take your time to accumulate TUT within your sets while continually trying to increase the difficulty. This particular type of frequency training is a feasible way to see muscle growth over time while upholding the accuracy of research. Consistency and form are of utmost importance, and everyone responds differently based on their genetics, nutrition and recovery.

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