Tempo on the 10-8-6-15 Program


Hey Mr. Chan,

What should the lifting tempo be with this program? Any recommendation on what kinds of food I should be consuming while following this program?

Thank you very much,
-A. Herrera


My Answer: As a general catch all rule, it would be ideal to perform each rep with slow negatives, fast positives. Tempo is always tricky, however, because tempo depends on the mechanics of the exercise and the muscle group being worked. Some exercises simply don't allow for slow negatives without a reduction in weight.

Given the exercises listed in the program, this what their ideal tempos should look like:

Bench press- slow negatives, fast positives
Pulldowns- fast negatives, fast positives
Laterals- fast negatives, fast positives
Dumbbell curls- slow negatives, fast positives
Close grip bench press- slow negatives, fast positives

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