Long have optimal training methods been argued and debated in the health and fitness industry, no more so than the debate of whether you should use more repetitions or increased time under tension for hypertrophy training in the bodybuilding community.

What is the Difference Between More Reps and Longer Time Under Tension?

In the context of hypertrophy training, nothing really…

When training for hypertrophy, the body only knows mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage; your muscles can’t count nor tell the time, they simply breakdown as a response to relative stress and grow back bigger and stronger as a result.

Increased reps and increased time under tension (TUT) are simply ways to increase these variables by increasing the proximity to failure; how close to failure you are within a set or a session.

Which is Better? More Reps or Longer TUT?

In the most part, it really comes down to preference and practicality.

You may also consider training status in picking between more reps or time under tension.

As our technique improves and becomes more consistent, movement variability often reduces, making it easier to target the intended muscles within a movement. On the flip side, someone that is new to the gym or an exercise, may look very different in every rep within their set. While this is not an issue from an injury perspective if load is managed (you avoid overtraining), it does reduce the targeted progress you are after.

With more reps, more complex movements and higher speed of movement likely comes more chance of this variability. Thus, a novice lifter may opt for fewer reps, less complex movements, and longer time under tension to ensure the target muscles are adequately hit.

High Rep Hypertrophy Session

High Bar Back Squat - 3 x 12 (reps x sets)

• Step under a Squat Stand, placing a barbell evenly on your upper traps.

• Step away from the squat rack, assuming a squat stance, feet shoulder width apart, facing slightly outwards.

• Take a deep breath and brace, then sit between you knees until your hips are below parallel with your knees.

• Stand back up and repeat 12 times.

Trap Bar Deadlift - 3 x 12

• Step into the centre of a Trap Bar, push you hips back then reach to the handles, grasping them with your palms facing inwards.

• Pull your shoulder blades down towards you bum before taking a deep breath and brace.

• Pull the slack out of the bar before pushing the floor away to stand up tall.

• Lower back down to the floor and repeat 12 times.

Barbell Bench Press - 3 x 12

• Lying on a Flat Weight Bench, with your eyes in line with the bar, feet anchored under your hips, shoulders back and down towards your bum and hands just outside shoulder width on the barbell.

• Un-rack the bar, keeping your shoulders and feet secured in their initial position.

• Think about ‘pulling’ the barbell down to your mid chest, then push it back to the start position, thinking about ‘touching the sky’. Repeat 12 times.

Rationale

These bilateral barbell exercises have reduced complexity making it easier for novice athletes to increase reps without huge technical variabilities.

High Time Under Tension Hypertrophy Session

Dual Dumbbell Split Squat - 3 x 6 (5 seconds on the way down)

• Stand in a long-split stance, with both feet facing forward and the back foot on the balls of your foot, with a dumbbell in each hand.

• Keep your shoulders level and drop your back knee to the floor, counting down 5 seconds to do so.

• Stand back up at your own pace and repeat 6 times.

Seated Dumbbell Bicep Curl - 3 x 6 (5 seconds on the way down)

• Sit on an inclined Adjustable Weight Bench, with a dumbbell in each arm, with your arms hanging towards the ground.

• Pull the dumbbells up to your shoulders at your own pace, keeping your elbows facing down.

• Slowly lower back down on the count of 5.

• Repeat 6 times.

Dumbbell Chest Fly - 3 x 6 (5 seconds on the way down)

• Lay on a flat bench, with a light dumbbell in each hand, hands to the sky about your chest and a slight bend in your elbows.

• Keeping your elbows fixed, slowly open up your arms as if your body is an ‘book opening’ with the dumbbells heading to the floor.

•Do this on the count of 5 until your elbows are in line with your torso then close your arms again. Repeat 6 times.

Rationale

These unilateral and split stance exercises, using dumbbell loading are more complex and may elicit more movement variation in novice athletes and thus using more time under tension instead of higher reps may be more appropriate to make sure you are targeting the intended muscles.

Takeaway - proximity to failure is the key aspect of your training. Time under tension and increased reps are simply ways to get closer to failure, each with their own unique practical benefits. Use both, in a well-rounded training programme to get the best of both worlds!

You can read our ultimate guide to power racks here

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout