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“Prolonging the isometric contraction at the mid-point of an exercise has value in increasing muscle tension, which in turn increases strength and muscle mass. If trainees performs the bench press in a “touch-and-go” manner, they will be able to lift more weight than if they pause with the weight on the chest, as doing so dissipates the kinetic energy that develops in the tissues during the descent; research done in Australia suggests that it takes four seconds for this energy to dissipate completely. So to improve the start of a bench press, I might perform a cycle that has the athlete using a 44X1 tempo prescription, meaning they would pause for four seconds with the bar resting on the chest.
 
Likewise, prolonging the second isometric contraction of an exercise can improve force production by allowing the muscles to rest – this rest is one reason for the effectiveness of cluster training. Again using the bench press as an example, compare the tempo prescriptions of 40X1 to 40X3. Having the extra two seconds of rest with the barbell at extended arms will enable trainees to use more weight, thus increasing the intensity of the set.
 
I am not suggesting that a trainee should prolong the isometric components of every single exercise forever, but an occasional emphasis on isometrics in the tempo prescription does has value in helping athletes reach higher levels of strength and muscle mass. As a general guideline for my more advanced trainees, I focus on tempo prescriptions that emphasize isometric contractions for 5-10 percent of their total training.”
 
 
read full article here..by charles poliquin
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/779/Slow_Your_Tempo_For_Fast_Gains_in_Strength_and_Siz.aspx