How do you calculate time under tension?

Add up the four phases of your rep tempo — eccentric (lowering), pause at the bottom, concentric (lifting), and pause at the top — to get the seconds per rep, then multiply by reps for per-set time under tension and by sets for the total. A 3-1-1-0 tempo is 5 seconds per rep; at 10 reps that's 50 seconds per set, and across 3 sets that's 150 seconds total.

What is a good time under tension for hypertrophy?

A commonly-cited general range for muscle growth is roughly 40–70 seconds of tension per set (with a lower-hypertrophy band around 20–40s), but this is guidance, not a rule — total volume, load, and effort matter more than tempo alone. This calculator shows the zone your per-set TUT falls into and lets you edit the boundaries to match your own standard.

What does a tempo like 3-1-1-0 mean?

The four digits are seconds for each phase of a rep in order: 3 seconds lowering (eccentric), 1 second paused at the bottom, 1 second lifting (concentric), and 0 seconds paused at the top. Summed, that's 5 seconds of time under tension per rep.

Is per-set or total time under tension what matters?

Per-set TUT is what most tempo-based programming targets and what training-zone guidance is usually quoted against, so it's the headline number here. Total TUT (per set × sets) is useful for comparing overall workout demand. The calculator gives you per-rep, per-set, and total so you can use whichever your program is built around.

Are these training-zone ranges scientific fact?

No. They're commonly-cited general guidance — different coaches and sources use different numbers, and time under tension is only one of several drivers of adaptation. That's why every threshold in this tool is shown and editable: set them to your own certification's or program's standard rather than treating any single set of numbers as gospel.

Personal trainers

Time Under Tension Calculator

Turn a lifting tempo, reps, and sets into per-rep, per-set, and total time under tension — and see which training zone the per-set TUT lands in. Tempo reads in coach order: eccentric · pause-bottom · concentric · pause-top.

Neutral · No signup · No tracking

Tempo & volume Tempo in coach order: eccentric · pause-bottom · concentric · pause-top.

Eccentric (lowering)

First digit — the lowering phase.

Pause at bottom

Second digit — hold at the stretch.

Concentric (lifting)

Third digit — the lifting phase.

Pause at top

Fourth digit — hold at lockout.

Reps per set

Whole reps.

Sets

Whole sets.

Training-zone guidance (general — edit these) Per-set TUT boundaries. Ranges vary by source and goal — this is guidance, not a rule.

Strength / power below

Per-set TUT under this = strength / power.

Hypertrophy (lower) below

Default 40 — the lower-hypertrophy band tops out here.

Hypertrophy (classic) below

At or above this = muscular endurance.

Time under tension

50 s per set

Hypertrophy (classic) zone · 5s per rep · 150s (2m 30s) total across 3 sets · tempo 3-1-1-0

Tempo E-PB-C-PT: 3-1-1-0
Per-rep TUT: 5s
Per-set TUT: 50s
Total TUT (2m 30s): 150s
Training zone per-set: Hypertrophy (classic)

General guidance (per-set TUT)

Strength / power
Hypertrophy (lower)
Hypertrophy (classic)
Muscular endurance

Tempo 3-1-1-0 (E-PB-C-PT) · 10 reps × 3 sets
Per-rep TUT: 5s
Per-set TUT: 50s — Hypertrophy (classic)
Total TUT: 150s (2m 30s)

Read before you program from this

This is a programming aid, not exercise prescription or medical advice. Time under tension is one input among many — load, total volume, proximity to failure, rest, and exercise selection all matter, and TUT alone does not determine an adaptation. The training-zone ranges here are commonly-cited general guidance, not a rule: sources disagree, the boundaries are approximate, and they're editable so you can match your own standard or certification's. The calculator does pure arithmetic on the tempo and volume you enter — it doesn't know your client's experience, injury history, or goals. Use professional judgment, and consult a qualified professional for individual programming or medical concerns.

How this is calculated

Tempo notation writes a rep as four phase seconds in a fixed order — eccentric (lowering), pause at the bottom, concentric (lifting), and pause at the top. A 3-1-1-0 tempo means 3 seconds down, 1 paused at the stretch, 1 up, and 0 at lockout. The on-page order is fixed to this convention so a coach who learned a different ordering isn't silently miscounted.

The three numbers. Per-rep TUT is just the sum of the four phases (here, 5 seconds). Per-set TUT multiplies that by your reps (5 × 10 = 50 seconds), and total TUT multiplies the per-set figure by your sets (50 × 3 = 150 seconds, or 2m 30s). There's no division anywhere — it's straight multiplication, so the answer is exact.

The zone. Per-set TUT is the headline because it's what tempo-based programming targets and what zone guidance is quoted against. The defaults encode commonly-cited ranges — under 20s = strength/power, 20–40s = hypertrophy (lower), 40–70s = hypertrophy (classic), and 70s or more = muscular endurance — with half-open boundaries (a value exactly on a boundary belongs to the higher zone). All three thresholds are editable fields, not baked-in constants; edit them and the zone re-evaluates live. If you enter them out of order, they're re-ordered into an ascending ladder so the classification stays well-defined.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate time under tension?: Add up the four phases of your rep tempo — eccentric (lowering), pause at the bottom, concentric (lifting), and pause at the top — to get the seconds per rep, then multiply by reps for per-set time under tension and by sets for the total. A 3-1-1-0 tempo is 5 seconds per rep; at 10 reps that's 50 seconds per set, and across 3 sets that's 150 seconds total.
What is a good time under tension for hypertrophy?: A commonly-cited general range for muscle growth is roughly 40–70 seconds of tension per set (with a lower-hypertrophy band around 20–40s), but this is guidance, not a rule — total volume, load, and effort matter more than tempo alone. This calculator shows the zone your per-set TUT falls into and lets you edit the boundaries to match your own standard.
What does a tempo like 3-1-1-0 mean?: The four digits are seconds for each phase of a rep in order: 3 seconds lowering (eccentric), 1 second paused at the bottom, 1 second lifting (concentric), and 0 seconds paused at the top. Summed, that's 5 seconds of time under tension per rep.
Is per-set or total time under tension what matters?: Per-set TUT is what most tempo-based programming targets and what training-zone guidance is usually quoted against, so it's the headline number here. Total TUT (per set × sets) is useful for comparing overall workout demand. The calculator gives you per-rep, per-set, and total so you can use whichever your program is built around.
Are these training-zone ranges scientific fact?: No. They're commonly-cited general guidance — different coaches and sources use different numbers, and time under tension is only one of several drivers of adaptation. That's why every threshold in this tool is shown and editable: set them to your own certification's or program's standard rather than treating any single set of numbers as gospel.

How to use this calculator

Enter your tempo Type the four phase seconds in order: eccentric (lowering), pause at bottom, concentric (lifting), pause at top — the 3-1-1-0 style code.
Add reps and sets Enter reps per set and number of sets so the tool can scale per-rep tension to per-set and total.
Read your TUT and zone Get per-rep, per-set, and total time under tension plus the training zone your per-set TUT lands in (edit the zone boundaries to your own standard), then copy the tempo string or full summary into your program.