Why Tempo & Pause Training Make You a Better CrossFit Athlete
As you may have noticed, we love tempo and pauses in our lifting at CFGG! Tempo (lifting at a controlled speed) and pauses (holding a position mid-lift) might look like simple tweaks — but they’re powerful tools for anyone who wants to lift better, move safer, and get stronger. Here’s why:
1. Builds true strength & control
Slowing down removes momentum from the lift. When you add a pause at the bottom of a squat or slow the eccentric (lowering) phase, your muscles and connective tissues have to do all the work — which builds raw strength and better muscle recruitment.
2. Improves technique under fatigue
CrossFit workouts often demand speed, but quality always comes first. Tempo and pauses help you:
Find and hold correct positions
Train better posture and bar path
Fix common issues (like collapsing in the bottom of a squat or rushing a pull)
3. Creates better mind–muscle connection
You’re forced to feel each part of the movement — making it easier to notice and fix weaknesses or asymmetries that can lead to injury.
4. Builds capacity & stability for metcons
When you spend extra time moving or pause in a front rack or overhead position, you train your core and stabilizers to stay strong — even under fatigue. This carries over to thrusters, overhead squats, cleans, and heavy metcons.
5. Strengthens weak points
If your sticking point is coming out of the bottom of a squat or catching in a clean, pausing right at that spot forces adaptation — helping you break through plateaus.
In our programming, this looks like:
3s eccentric (lowering) on squats
2s pause at the bottom of a front squat
clean deadlifts with pauses in various positions such as above the knee
3s eccentric on clean deadlifts
These aren’t just “extra work” — they’re targeted tools to help you lift more safely, move better under fatigue, and ultimately perform better in WODs, competitions, and everyday life.
Train smart. Move with purpose. Get stronger where it matters.