Go Slow to Get Strong with Eccentric Training

You may have been using this training method without even realising. Eccentric training is a commonly used technique which will supersize your muscle and strength numbers. Working towards your first pull-up? Eccentric training is the ultimate solution to tick advanced bodyweight manoeuvres off your list of gym goals.

Personal trainers are notorious for throwing this method into their sessions, causing their clients debilitating DOMS. Aside from sadistic PTs at your local gym, eccentric training is also used by strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists and bodybuilders alike, and for good reason.

Men's Health explains what is eccentric training, the benefits and how to use it. We've also added an eccentric training focused upper-body workout for you to try.

What is Eccentric Training?

Also called negatives or negative reps, the eccentric part of the movement is the lengthening of the muscle while it is under resistance.

According to a review published in Frontiers in Physiology, 'An eccentric [lengthening] muscle contraction occurs when a force applied to the muscle exceeds the momentary force produced by the muscle itself, resulting in the forced lengthening of the muscle-tendon system while contracting.'

In other words, eccentric muscle contractions occur when a greater force (the resistance) is applied to the muscle than the muscle can produce. This would typically account for the lowering portion of a lot of our exercises, like the lowering part of a press-up, pull-up or even a bicep curl.

The opposite of this would be the concentric portion of the movement, where the muscles shorten. For example, this would be the part where you push yourself out of a squat or press-up. There are also isometric (constant length) contractions. This is when you hold the contraction static for an amount of time, like a plank.

Eccentric training is used to regress bodyweight exercises like the press-up, pull-up or pistol squat. This is because in the eccentric phase of the movement, we are approximately 20–50% stronger, as stated in research published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

So, while we may not be able to complete the concentric phase of advanced movements, we may be able to complete the eccentric phase of them, therefore building the strength necessary to eventually perform them complete.

As well as this, according to evidence published in Research Online, the muscles require less oxygen during the eccentric phase, contributing to the amount of effort we can exert and potentially enhancing those efforts.