Time Under Tension Calculator

How the Time Under Tension Calculator Works

A tempo such as 3-1-1-0 means three seconds eccentric, one second at the bottom, one second concentric, and zero seconds at the top. Adding those phases gives seconds per rep. Multiplying by reps and sets gives active time under tension, while optional rest is reported separately as elapsed workout time.

Formula or method: seconds per rep = eccentric + bottom pause + concentric + top pause; set TUT = seconds per rep x reps; exercise TUT = set TUT x sets

Choose the Inputs That Match Your Goal

Enter each phase in the stated order, using zero for a phase with no deliberate pause. Forward mode adds whole reps and sets. Reverse mode hides reps and divides a target set TUT by seconds per rep, then rounds up to the minimum whole repetition count that actually reaches the target.

Read the Result in Context

Forward mode leads with total exercise TUT, then shows seconds per rep, TUT per set, the four phase totals, and optional rest and block duration. Reverse mode leads with minimum whole reps and preserves the exact fractional answer and achieved duration so rounding is transparent.

Worked Example

At 3-1-1-0 for 10 reps and 4 sets, each rep lasts 5 seconds, each set contains 50 seconds of tension, and the exercise totals 200 seconds. With 90 seconds between sets, three rest events add 270 seconds, making the full block 7 minutes 50 seconds.

Assumptions and Practical Limits

Rest time never counts as time under tension. The arithmetic assumes the entered tempo is maintained on every repetition and does not infer movement range, velocity changes, lockout behavior, or whether a particular repetition duration suits the training goal.

Sources

Brad Schoenfeld, Dan Ogborn, and James Krieger, Effect of Repetition Duration During Resistance Training on Muscle Hypertrophy.
Giuseppe Coratella, Appropriate Reporting of Exercise Variables in Resistance Training Protocols: Much More than Load and Number of Repetitions.

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