Tempo calculator.
Turn a lifting tempo like 3-1-2-0 into the numbers that actually run a set: seconds per rep, time under tension per set, and total time under tension across your sets. Enter the four tempo digits (eccentric, bottom pause, concentric, top pause), your reps and your sets, and read a plain-language note on what the tempo is doing.
enter your tempo, reps and sets
Four digits, seconds per phase. The first digit is always the eccentric (the lowering phase), even on a lift that starts by pulling up. Type X in the concentric box for an explosive lift.
Reads as: 3-1-2-0
time under tension per set
-- s / set
Enter your tempo, reps and sets, then press Calculate.
Time under tension is a description of the set, not a target to chase. An explosive concentric (X) is counted as 0 seconds here, so the number is a floor - a real explosive rep still takes a moment.
the short answer
A lifting tempo is four numbers, one per phase of a rep: eccentric, bottom pause, concentric, top pause. Add them for seconds per rep, then time under tension per set = seconds per rep x reps, and total time under tension = TUT per set x sets. So 3-1-2-0 is 6 seconds per rep; at 8 reps that is 48 seconds of tension per set. The first digit is always the eccentric, even on a lift that starts by pulling up.
Common lifting tempos.
| Tempo | Common label | Reads as | Sec / rep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-1-2-0 | Control | 3s down, 1s bottom pause, 2s up, no top pause | 6s |
| 4-0-1-0 | Eccentric emphasis | 4s down, no pause, 1s up, no top pause | 5s |
| 2-0-X-0 | Power intent | 2s down, no pause, explosive up, no top pause | ~2s* |
| 3-1-1-1 | Strict pause work | 3s down, 1s bottom pause, 1s up, 1s top pause | 6s |
Labels are descriptive, not prescriptions. *An explosive concentric (X) is counted as 0 seconds, so the seconds per rep is a floor. Pick a tempo for a reason, not by default.
How to read tempo notation.
A tempo is written as four numbers, and each one is the number of seconds you spend in one phase of a single rep. Position one is the eccentric, the lowering or lengthening phase under load. Position two is the pause at the bottom, the stretched position. Position three is the concentric, the lifting or shortening phase. Position four is the pause at the top, the shortened position. So 3-1-2-0 means: lower for three seconds, pause for one, lift for two, and do not pause at the top before the next rep begins.
The one convention that trips people up is this: the first digit is always the eccentric, regardless of whether the lift starts by going up or down. A squat starts with the eccentric, so you read 3-1-2-0 straight through in order: down, pause, up, pause. A pull-up is the opposite - it starts with the concentric, the pull toward the bar. The notation does not flip. You still list the eccentric first, so on a pull-up the first digit describes the lowering phase even though that is the last thing you do in the rep. Read the numbers as eccentric-pause-concentric-pause every time, then apply them to whichever direction is actually the lowering on that lift.
Time under tension per set = seconds per rep x reps
Total time under tension = TUT per set x sets
Some tempos use an X in place of a number, almost always in the concentric slot, to mean explosive: move the weight as fast as you can rather than counting. This calculator treats X as zero seconds for the math, which makes the time-under-tension total a floor rather than an exact figure - a genuine explosive rep still takes a fraction of a second to complete, so a stopwatch would read a little higher than the number here.
What tempo actually does (and what it does not).
Tempo does three useful things. It builds control, because a client cannot rush a lift they have to lower for four seconds. It builds positional strength, because a pause at the bottom of a squat or the top of a row forces the muscle to produce force from a dead stop with no bounce to help. And it can raise the felt difficulty of a lighter load, which is handy when equipment or a joint means you cannot simply add weight. Those are real, and they are why coaches reach for tempo.
Where it goes wrong is treating the time-under-tension number as the goal. Longer reps do not have a magic hypertrophy dividend. What drives muscle growth is training close enough to failure across enough hard sets over the week - total volume and proximity to failure are the levers that move the needle, and tempo is a way of earning better reps inside that, not a shortcut around it. Deliberately chasing a bigger TUT number usually just forces the load down and cuts the reps you can do, so you trade real stimulus for a bigger stopwatch reading. Use the calculator to understand a set, not to compete with it. If you want the lever that actually governs growth, size it with the weekly training volume calculator first, then use tempo to clean up the reps inside those sets.
Tempo also pairs naturally with effort-based programming. A slow eccentric or a strict pause changes how hard a given weight feels, so the load that hits a target effort shifts too. If you program by feel, cross-check with the RPE calculator or the RIR calculator so a tempo change does not quietly turn an RPE 8 into an RPE 9.
When and how coaches prescribe tempo.
The strongest case for tempo is a beginner learning control. A 2 to 3 second eccentric stops a new client from dropping into the bottom of a squat or letting a dumbbell freefall, and a short pause removes the bounce so every rep starts clean. It is a teaching tool as much as a training one. Tempo also shines in dedicated pause work, where the point is to build strength from the exact position a lifter tends to fail, and in accessory or single-joint work where slowing down keeps tension on the target muscle instead of on momentum.
Tempo and pauses also show up a lot in rehab-adjacent training, but that is a line to respect. Programming around an injury, pain, or a return from surgery is a clinical decision. Refer those clients to a qualified physiotherapist or physician and coach within the plan they set, rather than treating a slow tempo as rehab in itself.
When you do write a tempo, write it so a client can actually follow it. Put the four digits next to the exercise, define them once at the top of the program, and add a plain cue: lower for three, pause, then drive up. Keep it consistent - a different tempo on every lift gets ignored - and only attach one when it has a job to do. A tempo with a reason behind it gets used; a tempo everywhere becomes decoration.
Doing this by hand across a full client list is where it gets tedious. Coachway lets coaches attach tempo, RPE and percentages to each exercise, so the cadence and the cue live next to the movement inside a branded app the client already opens - the same math as this free tool, applied across every program instead of one set at a time.
Tempo calculator FAQ.
How do you read tempo notation like 3-1-2-0?
Read the four numbers as seconds for four phases of a rep, in this order: eccentric (the lowering or lengthening phase), the pause at the bottom or stretched position, the concentric (the lifting or shortening phase), and the pause at the top. So 3-1-2-0 means a 3-second lower, a 1-second pause, a 2-second lift, and no pause at the top, which totals 6 seconds per rep. Multiply by your reps to get the time under tension for the set.
Which number is the eccentric in a tempo?
The first number is always the eccentric, no matter which direction the lift starts. In a squat you begin by lowering, so the tempo runs in the order written: down, pause, up, pause. In a pull-up or a deadlift you begin by lifting, but the notation still lists the eccentric first, so you apply the first number to the lowering phase even though it happens later in time. When in doubt, the first digit is the controlled negative.
What does the X mean in a tempo like 2-0-X-0?
X in the concentric position means explosive: move the weight as fast as you safely can rather than counting seconds. In 2-0-X-0 you lower for 2 seconds, then drive up with maximal intent. This calculator counts X as 0 seconds for the time-under-tension math, so the number it shows is a floor. A real explosive rep still takes a moment, so measured time under tension will read slightly higher.
Does a slower tempo build more muscle?
Not on its own. Time under tension is a description of a set, not a growth lever you can chase in isolation. What drives hypertrophy is training close enough to failure across enough hard sets over the week. A slow tempo can help by improving control and by making a lighter load feel challenging, but grinding out very long reps usually just cuts the load and the total reps you can do. Use tempo to earn quality reps, then let weekly volume and proximity to failure do the heavy lifting.
What is a good tempo for beginners?
A controlled, repeatable tempo such as 3-1-2-0 or 2-1-2-0 works well for most beginners. A 2 to 3 second lower teaches them to own the eccentric instead of dropping the weight, and a short pause removes bounce so each rep starts from a stable position. The goal early on is consistent technique, not chasing seconds. Once movement quality is solid, you can vary tempo for a specific reason rather than by default.
How do I write tempo into a program clients can follow?
Write the four digits next to the exercise, define them once, and keep them consistent across the program. A short cue helps more than the raw numbers: lower for 3, pause, then drive up is easier to follow than 3-1-2-0 alone. Only prescribe a tempo when it has a purpose, because a tempo on every lift is quickly ignored. Inside a coaching app you can attach the tempo and a note to the exercise so the client sees the cadence at the moment they lift.
This calculator gives estimates for general training use, not medical advice. Tempo and pauses can be part of rehab-adjacent work, but programming for injury or pain is a clinical decision - refer clients to a qualified professional and coach within their plan.
Keep going: set the load for a tempo set with the RPE calculator or the RIR calculator, estimate a working max with the one-rep max calculator, and size the weekly stimulus that matters more than TUT with the weekly training volume calculator. Browse the full set of free coaching calculators.
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