May 15, 2026 · 52 min · 16 segments
The word "tempo" might be one of the most commonly misunderstood words in coaching vernacular, even as it might be the most commonly prescribed type of workout. It's also one of the most important…
I think tempo is an interesting word in our sport, because it can be used in a lot of different ways, and I think for th- that reason, it can sometimes be confusing.
'Cause you might have that term used by one sort of training philosophy in one way, another training philosophy in a, in a different way, and that's kinda the nature of coaching, in a sense, where terms kinda get used slightly different ways.
We're gonna talk about how we mean it, and which I think is down the middle of m- what most commonly held perspectives is on the tempo world.
But talk about how we use it, and obviously how to execute on it, which tempo workouts are tricky to get right.
I was actually think- it's funny 'cause you, you started with the idea that it's, like, often misunderstood, and I wonder if we should at least cover a couple of misunderstandings.
I, I'm curious what you're thinking, because I just heard a recent one that I was like, "What?"
It took, like, 30 minutes of a conversation before I realized we weren't using that term-
I think tempo is an interesting word in our sport, because it can be used in a lot of different ways, and I think for th- that reason, it can sometimes be confusing.
'Cause you might have that term used by one sort of training philosophy in one way, another training philosophy in a, in a different way, and that's kinda the nature of coaching, in a sense, where terms kinda get used slightly different ways.
We're gonna talk about how we mean it, and which I think is down the middle of m- what most commonly held perspectives is on the tempo world.
But talk about how we use it, and obviously how to execute on it, which tempo workouts are tricky to get right.
I was actually think- it's funny 'cause you, you started with the idea that it's, like, often misunderstood, and I wonder if we should at least cover a couple of misunderstandings.
I, I'm curious what you're thinking, because I just heard a recent one that I was like, "What?"
It took, like, 30 minutes of a conversation before I realized we weren't using that term-
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3 of 9
Tempo Is An Effort
First, let’s define tempo precisely.
Where Tempo Lives Scientifically
Here’s the physiology behind that.
The Fidgety Effort Explained
So what does tempo actually feel like?
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