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Concentric muscle action occurs when a muscle shortens, generating enough force to move an object. This is the most popular type of muscle contraction and is essential to building muscle. In weight training, a bicep curl is an easy-to-recognise concentric movement. When you lift a dumbbell towards your shoulder, you may notice your bicep muscle swell and bulge as it shortens. This type of movement is one of the main ways to strengthen your muscle and encourage hypertrophy, an increase in muscle size.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A type of muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens |
| Example | Bicep curl |
| Joint action | Elbow flexion |
| Agonist/prime movers | The muscles that do the work during the exercise |
| Force | The heavier the object, the more strength is generated |
| Muscle mass | Effective in producing muscle mass |
| Repetitions | Twice the amount of repetitions are needed to produce the same results as a combined eccentric and concentric workout |
| Risk | Can cause wear and tear on joints, increasing the risk of injury and overuse |
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What You'll Learn
Concentric contractions
A concentric contraction is a type of muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens. As your muscle shortens, it generates enough force to move an object. This is the most popular type of muscle contraction. In weight training, a bicep curl is an easy-to-recognise concentric movement. When you lift a dumbbell towards your shoulder, you may notice your bicep muscle swell and bulge as it shortens. This type of movement is one of the main ways to strengthen your muscle and encourage hypertrophy – an increase in your muscle size.
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Agonist/prime movers
Concentric muscle action occurs when a muscle shortens and generates enough force to move an object. This is the most popular type of muscle contraction.
During a bicep curl, for example, the concentric (work) phase occurs when the dumbbell is raised towards the shoulders. This causes the bicep muscle to shorten and bulge as it generates enough force to lift the weight.
The agonist/prime movers are the muscles that do the work during an exercise. In the case of a bicep curl, the agonist/prime mover is the bicep muscle itself. It is the muscle that shortens and generates force, causing the arm to bend at the elbow and lift the weight.
Similarly, during a press-up, the concentric phase occurs when you push yourself up off the floor. The agonist/prime movers in this case are the muscles in the arms and chest that shorten and generate force to push the body upwards.
For a squat, the concentric phase occurs when you stand up straight from a squatting position. The agonist/prime movers are the muscles in the legs that shorten and generate force to push the body upwards against gravity.
In all these examples, the agonist/prime movers are the muscles that are primarily responsible for the concentric action, generating force to move the body or an object. They are the muscles that shorten and do the work during the exercise or movement.
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Joint movement
Concentric contractions are essential to building muscle mass. They are the most popular type of muscle contraction and are effective in producing muscle mass. However, they can cause wear and tear on joints, increasing the risk of injury and overuse.
During a press-up, the concentric phase occurs when you push yourself up off the floor. This involves flexion or horizontal flexion at the shoulder, as well as elbow extension. Similarly, during a squat, the concentric phase occurs when you stand up straight, involving knee extension and hip extension.
The same muscles are working during both the concentric and eccentric phases of an exercise. During the concentric phase, the muscles shorten as they work against gravity to push the body upwards. During the eccentric phase, the muscles lengthen as the body is lowered with the help of gravity.
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Eccentric contractions
Concentric muscle contractions involve movements that shorten your muscles. In weight training, a bicep curl is an easy-to-recognise concentric movement. When you lift a dumbbell towards your shoulder, you may notice your bicep muscle swell and bulge as it shortens. This type of movement is one of the main ways to strengthen your muscle and encourage hypertrophy, an increase in your muscle size.
For the press-up, the concentric (up) phase occurs when you push yourself up off the floor. For the squat, the concentric (up) phase occurs when you stand up straight. For the biceps curl, the concentric (up) phase occurs when the dumbbell is lifted towards the shoulder.
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Building muscle mass
Concentric muscle action occurs when a muscle shortens, creating tension and generating force to move an object. This is the most popular type of muscle contraction and is essential to building muscle mass.
During a bicep curl, for example, the concentric phase occurs when the dumbbell is lifted towards the shoulder, causing the bicep muscle to shorten and bulge. This type of movement is one of the main ways to strengthen the muscle and encourage hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle size.
Concentric contractions can also be observed in other exercises such as press-ups and squats. In a press-up, the concentric phase occurs when you push yourself up off the floor, resulting in either flexion or horizontal flexion at the shoulder, along with elbow extension. For squats, the concentric phase happens when you stand up straight, involving knee extension and hip extension.
While concentric movements are effective in building muscle mass, they should be combined with eccentric movements for optimal results. Eccentric contractions occur when a muscle lengthens, acting as "brakes" to concentric contractions. In a bicep curl, for example, the eccentric phase takes place when the dumbbell is lowered back down. By incorporating both concentric and eccentric contractions, you can achieve greater muscle growth and strength compared to relying solely on concentric contractions.
It is important to note that concentric movements can cause wear and tear on joints, increasing the risk of injury and overuse. Therefore, proper form and a balanced workout routine that includes a variety of muscle contractions are crucial to minimising these risks while maximising the benefits of concentric muscle action for building muscle mass.
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Frequently asked questions
A concentric contraction is a type of muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens.
Some examples of exercises that involve concentric muscle action include press-ups, squats, and bicep curls.
A concentric contraction involves movements that shorten your muscles. The heavier the object you're trying to lift or move, the more strength is generated.
A concentric contraction causes the muscle to shorten and the angle of the joint to change. An eccentric contraction results in the elongation of a muscle, decelerating the muscle joints and acting as a "brake" to concentric contractions.
