Primal Primer 12 (Fitness)
Time under tension is a principle referring to the duration muscles are under strain during exercise. While TUT is a modern phase, it’s underlying principle was inherently utilized by early hunter and gatherer societies, influencing physiological adaptation and development.
- Training For The Hunt – Hunters engage in physically demanding activities for extended periods of time. Persistence hunting (tracking and running down prey by exhausting them) requires the sapien’s cardio and muscular endurance to be under tension often for extreme periods of time.
- Lifting & Carrying – Returning meat from the hunt, farming, or migrating, all require repetitive lifting and carrying; driving adaptations of strength and endurance.
- Muscle Growth – TUT promotes muscle hypertrophy. Consistent physical demands faced by hunters and gatherers results in evolutionary survival advantages of strength and muscle mass; favoring genes most receptive and resilient to arduous activities.
- Tendon & Ligament Strength – Prolonged and repetitive nature of hunter, gatherer, and farmer lifestyles contributes to strengthening of tendon and ligament; building resiliency, reducing injury risk, and overall life sustaining durability.
- Precision Coordination – The repetitive practice of using tools, crafting weapons, and processing food requires fine motor skills honed over time. Time under tension of these tasks improves muscular neuromuscular efficiency and motor unit recruitment; crucial for developing efficiency and passing of skills to subsequent generations.
Thriving Under Tension
The human body thrives under tension. The known benefits of a 1 second concentric (lift) / 1 second transition (end of lift preparing to return to start) / 2 second (return to starting position) is the gold standard in stimulating adaptation and strength. When targeting muscular endurance and eliciting muscle and connective tissue repair, a slow tempo of 4 second (lift) / 1 second (transition) / 4 second (return to start) can be an exceptional protocol for rehab and prehab; stimulating collagen turnover and strengthening through length. Many real world feats of strength are often expressed in isometric, slow paced domestic chores, or in endurance of walking with load; model your training accordingly.
~Cave Implementation~
Train your body & mind under tension. Understand the concept and feel of concentric (muscle contracting / shortening), eccentric (controlled muscular relaxing / lengthening), isometric (contracting without appreciable muscle length changes), and endurance (>60 minutes of sustained & repetitive action). Start with body weight exercises, yoga flows (choreographed body weight practice), walking, backpacking, or banded resistance. Muscles and mind need tension to recall ancient strengths.
Muscles & Mind Need Tension To Recall Ancient Strengths; Remember Your Ancestors.
