Flex Flex_USA_-_01_02_2018 | Page 80

LEGS EXERCISE SETS 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 ON THE CLOCK So, in place of reps, we recommend trying an all-new approach to your reps...at least as a way to learn how to better gauge your total time under tension. With this method, you will be able to get a much better feel for your true strength and endurance limits, and you’ll find out what a more ideal set will feel like. The gist is to stop counting reps, at least for the moment, and start counting time. In the accompanying weeklong training plan, you’ll do all your sets for 30 seconds. Within that time frame, you’ll do as many well-performed reps as you can muster, with full control over the positive and negative contraction as your goal. When we say “30-second sets,” keep one very important thing in mind: Science has yet to unequivocally determine the perfect rule of thumb for time under tension (TUT). While TUT enthusiasts have settled around a 30- to 60-second range per set, researchers have yet to definitely back that up, although various studies have indeed solidified that time plays a key factor in adequately stressing the muscles. With the resistance used being equal, we know a set of 30 seconds that includes at least eight to 10 reps performed under control is better for muscular growth than a rapid- fire, momentum-fueled set of eight to 10 blasted out in a matter of seconds. The driving impetus behind our program, instead, is a way of discarding old habits. If you tend to speed through your sets on the way to a specific rep count, or you find that you’re often leaving at least a rep or two on the table because you’re terminating a set as soon as you 2