In the fitness world, there is a principle called “Time Under Tension” (or better known as TUT). This concept is based on the principle that by putting the targeted muscle under enough tension, it will cause more muscle fibers to be recruited, thus leading to a fuller contraction/extension of an exercise.
This is something that is absolutely vital to your workouts, and here is why:
Most people go into a workout thinking that the most important part of a movement is the contraction part. For example, most people would safely assume that the upward motion of bringing the barbell or dumbbells upward would be the most important part of a movement. While this part of the movement is key when it comes to producing the most power that leads to strength gains, it’s only HALF of the full movement. Most people are prone to just contract and then drop the weight quickly to get on to the next set… YOU’RE SKIPPING A STEP PEOPLE!
The extension part of the movement (where the muscle is relaxing) is a huge opportunity for you to put on more muscle and get stronger as well! By controlling your movements through both the contraction and extension stages of a movement, you are getting the FULL workout that your muscles require in order to see substantial progress.
However, too much TUT too many times could lead to injury since you are overusing the muscles. So now the question remains, “Where’s the happy medium? I’m supposed to keep my muscles under tension but not for too long, how will I know how long is enough to get a good workout without hurting myself?”
My golden advice is that in order to utilize this technique to its fullest potential while also avoiding injury, you will want your contraction phase of the movement to be about 1 second and the extension part to be about 2 seconds.
Now that you understand the concept of TUT when it comes to fitness, it’s time to see where the correlation lies with this concept when it comes to your business.
Now the concept of TUT states that in order for a movement to be fully utilized, the muscle must be placed under a certain amount of tension for a certain amount of time in order to see optimal results. This means that if you don’t put enough tension or resistance into the movement, you won’t see any results. On the other end of things, if you put too much tension or too much resistance on a movement you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself.
This is the same in your business as well! When building and running business as a solopreneur, you may have the image in your head that you will need to grind 24/7 365. You might have the idea that no one can execute your idea better than you so that means you will have to take control of everything in your new business. Both of these statements are absolutely false and here is why…
On social media, we are bombarded with messages from influencers like Gary Vaynerchuk or Grant Cardone saying that they key to success is to grind your face off and give up your 20s. Now, I’m no Gary Vee or Grant Cardone, but I think it is fair to say that those guys are an anomaly. 1% of the 1% behaves just like they do, so DO NOT compare yourself to these guys in order to “be successful”.
What they say is true, you do need to work more to become free as an entrepreneur, but you have your own limits. You can only take so much resistance at each stage of your life. As we grow up and develop as individuals and go through tougher and tougher obstacles, our willpower and determination become stronger. This is done through something called “Progressive Overload”.
In the fitness world, you don’t just hop on a bench and start benching out 225 for 10 reps, that’s done with weeks upon weeks or months upon months or even years upon years of training depending on where your starting point is. You have to build up to it overtime and slowly to become better and better every day. This same thing applies to business and entrepreneurship, you are not going to be able to just jump into hustling 24/7. You might have to start with just working on your business for an hour a day. Then maybe 2 or 3. Then 4 or 5. By that point you may be able to go all in financially and bust out 10+ hours a day on your business. You can’t expect to be a Gary Vee or Grant Cardone right out the gates, this is a learned behavior, it is built through years and years of dedication and hustle.
On the flip side of things, you can’t do everything by yourself. Of the dozens of high-level entrepreneurs and executives I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or having on my podcast, not a single one of them got to where they are alone. Just the other day, I was speaking with a millionaire speaker and he said something to me that will resonate forever. “Your first 100k is 80% you and 20% everyone else. Your first million is 80% your team and 20% you.” You can’t do everything by yourself, no one got successful from going off of their own knowledge and expertise. If you are the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room. Make sure to build a network of like-minded individuals who will support you on your journey and build a team in your business that will help you carry out your vision.
I hope that this article has given you something to think about. Make sure that you are always pushing yourself to the limit. Do your best every single day. BUT do not bite off more than you can chew, it WILL bite back. It’s not just about working the hardest anymore, it’s also about working the smartest. Hire some VAs (Virtual Assistants), write some SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), invest in your knowledge and self-development, invest in your relationships, and never ever EVER give up on you goals and dreams. And as always, STAY HEALTHY and GET WEALTHY.
Alex Quin is a full-stack marketing expert and global keynote speaker. Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of UADV Marketing - a member of the Forbes Agency Council.
