Sleep, recovery, hydration. Fields that have seen massive progress in research and technology in the last few decades. Weightlifting, strength training, and hypertrophy have seen the same progress in research… but the technology never came along for the ride. We still track the exact same few metrics - sets, reps, and weight - that were being tracked 50+ years ago.
Tensio exists to bring weightlifting technology up to speed.
Our goals are limited by our lack of metrics. The result? All we can do is either try to have our weight or reps go up. But those metrics simply don't tell the whole story. The tempo of the reps, the total tension derived from the set, the speed of our explosiveness - we know NONE of these. Yet they are just as important! A controlled, explosive set of 8 is superior for growth over a shaky, rushed set of 10.
Having to manually count reps distracts us from the main purpose of being in the gym: the lift itself. Rather than focusing on form and the mind-muscle connection, we have to focus on keeping track of our rep count.
Tensio changes this.
Now you can get your standard metrics - sets, weights, and reps - plus advanced metrics - your tempo, your total time under tension, and data on any asymmetries between your left and right side performance.
This is why we chose the dual-wristband model: lifting is a two-armed endeavor. With both wrists tracking data, we can more accurately track reps, tempo, and show if one side is lagging behind the other. It means when you do alternating arm exercises, you don't have to switch the band between arms. It just works.
The app will be fully customizable for you, the lifter. Are you a powerlifter who cares more about RPE and less about total time under tension? Customize your dashboard to see only the stats you care about. If you are a science-based lifter who wants every single metric possible, you can have the dashboard of your dreams. And if you just want your reps automatically tracked without getting overloaded with metrics - you can do that too!
The ultimate vision for Tensio is to become each user's personalized terminal for lifting. The bands and app will learn about your programming, your progress, and your exact strength and performance. From there it can accurately track your progress and show you where you are improving. No more apps guessing on your strength levels and progress based on unreliable markers like age and weight. Through its hardware, Tensio will know exactly what rep you begin to struggle on, how hard each rep was, and how your reps degrade as you fatigue.
Never wonder if you are actually making progress: with standard tracking, you might see that two workouts in a row you did the same weight for the same reps. You might feel that you are stuck or plateaued. Tensio will be able to show you that in this workout you actually maintained better control of the weight, and fatigued one rep later than last time, indicating real progress despite the same rep count.
Tensio will also create a first-of-its-kind Progressive Overload (or PO) Score. This score will be based on all the metrics the bands track, and compared to your previous performances. Weight, sets, reps, tempo, tension, and fatigue will all be factored in to determine if you actually performed better than last time. As a lifter, this is one of the things I am personally most excited about. Gone are the days of wondering if you really are progressing - Tensio will be able to provide immediate, data-backed feedback telling you exactly that.
There is so much more planned for Tensio, all with the goal of permanently evolving the lifting experience. It is long past due.