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Eccentric muscle training is a type of strength training that involves targeting the lengthening phase of a repetition. This is done by slowing down the lowering phase of an exercise, such as lowering a dumbbell during a bicep curl, to increase the intensity and difficulty of the exercise. Eccentric training is used by athletes, bodybuilders, and physical therapists to build muscle, improve athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury. This type of training can lead to stronger muscles, faster muscle repair, and an increased metabolic rate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A type of strength training that involves using the target muscles to control weight as it moves in a downward motion. |
| Muscle Action | The lengthening of the muscle-tendon complex. |
| Muscle Strength | Greater muscle strength is achieved during eccentric training compared to concentric training. |
| Muscle Mass | Eccentric training increases muscle mass. |
| Muscle Repair | Eccentric training leads to faster muscle repair. |
| Energy | Eccentric contractions use less energy and absorb energy that will be used as heat or elastic recoil for the next movement. |
| Muscle Soreness | Eccentric training causes muscle soreness and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). |
| Muscle Damage | Eccentric training can cause muscle damage. |
| Injury Prevention | Eccentric training helps prevent injuries and rehabilitates injured muscles. |
| Athletic Performance | Eccentric training improves athletic performance. |
| Muscle Control | Eccentric training improves muscle control. |
| Joint Stability | Eccentric training improves joint stability. |
| Suitable For | Athletes, bodybuilders, elderly individuals, patients with injuries or chronic diseases, and individuals with neurological disorders. |
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What You'll Learn
Benefits of eccentric muscle training
Eccentric muscle training is a common strength training technique that involves manipulating the muscle-lengthening portion of an exercise, usually by slowing down the movement. This type of training can help build muscle, improve athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation
Eccentric training is an effective way to enhance your strength, stability, and control around joints such as the knees, hips, and spine, helping to prevent injury and chronic pain. Research has shown that eccentric training can reduce both new and recurring injuries. This type of training is also commonly prescribed as a treatment for overuse injuries, such as tendinopathies, and has been found to improve the size and quality of soft tissue, reduce pain, and improve recovery.
Increased muscle strength and mass
Eccentric training results in superior increases in muscle mass and strength. During eccentric contractions, the muscle lengthens as resistance gradually increases, allowing the muscle to handle more weight than normal training. This type of training can also lead to faster muscle repair.
Improved movement efficiency
Eccentric training can improve an athlete's efficiency of movement, as they are better able to absorb potential energy during the eccentric phase of movement and then exert it concentrically. This can lead to increases in speed, power, strength, and change of direction ability.
Greater muscle hypertrophy
Eccentric training allows for supramaximal training, providing greater movement efficiency and promoting greater muscle hypertrophy.
Increased metabolic rate
Slowing down the eccentric movement challenges the muscles and can increase metabolic rate, improving calorie burning even when at rest.
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How to perform eccentric muscle training
Eccentric training is a common strength training technique that involves manipulating the muscle lengthening portion of an exercise, usually by slowing down the movement. This type of training can help build muscle, improve athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
To perform eccentric muscle training, you can follow these steps:
Bicep Curls:
- Begin by holding dumbbells at your sides with the balls of your feet on a step and your heels touching the floor.
- Push through the balls of your feet so that your arches are high.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down for a count of 3 to 5 seconds, ensuring that your biceps are in a state of contraction to control the rate of descent.
- Push back up through the balls of your feet to return to the starting position.
Calf Raises:
- Stand with your feet flat on the floor, keeping your legs straight but not locked.
- Slowly raise your heels off the floor, lifting yourself onto the balls of your feet.
- Hold this position for a moment, ensuring your calves are engaged.
- Slowly lower your heels back down to the floor, taking 3 to 5 seconds to return to the starting position.
Squats:
- Start with your feet hip-width apart and slowly lower down as if sitting back in a chair.
- Keep your chest up and back straight throughout the movement.
- Lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, taking at least 3 seconds to reach this point.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position, engaging your glutes and core.
It is important to note that eccentric training can be intense and may cause muscle soreness or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Therefore, it is recommended to have adequate rest days between eccentric training workouts to allow for proper recovery. Additionally, eccentric training is best suited for individuals with some prior training experience to avoid potential injury.
By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can effectively target the eccentric portion of the movement, enhancing your strength, stability, and control.
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Eccentric muscle training for injury prevention
Eccentric training is a strength training technique that involves manipulating the muscle-lengthening portion of an exercise. It is commonly used by athletes, bodybuilders, and physical therapists to enhance strength, stability, and control around joints such as the knees, hips, and spine. This type of training can also help build muscle, improve athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
During eccentric training, the muscle is lengthened under load to return to its starting position. The cadence or speed of the eccentric phase is slowed down to make the exercise more challenging. This type of training is particularly effective for injury prevention as it strengthens tendons and ligaments, enhances flexibility, and promotes stability. It also helps to reduce common injuries like tendonitis or ligament tears by specifically targeting the connective tissues and helping them handle increased stress.
Eccentric training can be applied to various exercises such as bicep curls, calf raises, squats, and chin-ups. For example, during a bicep curl, the eccentric phase involves slowly lowering the dumbbell back down after the lift, ensuring the biceps are in a state of contraction to control the rate of descent. This type of training can also be performed using a flywheel machine, which generates resistance based on the force applied, allowing for eccentric overload without the need for a training partner.
It is important to note that eccentric training can initially lead to increased muscle soreness as the body adapts to the more intense workout. However, incorporating this training into regular workouts can reduce long-term soreness as muscles adapt and become better equipped to handle the stress, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. Additionally, eccentric contractions require less energy and can absorb energy that will be used as heat or elastic recoil for the next movement.
Overall, eccentric muscle training is an effective strategy for injury prevention, helping to strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments, improve flexibility, and enhance stability. It is a valuable tool for athletes, bodybuilders, and individuals seeking to improve their strength and reduce the risk of injuries.
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Eccentric muscle training for rehabilitation
Eccentric muscle training is a type of strength training that involves using the target muscles to control weight as it moves in a downward motion. Eccentric training is an effective way to enhance strength, stability, and control around joints such as the knees, hips, and spine, helping to prevent injury and chronic pain.
Eccentric training is widely used in rehabilitation settings due to its ability to help promote recovery from injuries and help preserve muscle mass. It is particularly useful for older adults with comorbid disease conditions and/or those recovering from surgery and joint injury. The eccentric phase of strength training involves slowing down the movement of the muscle as it lengthens under load to return to its starting position. This is also known as performing "'negative' reps", which is necessary to reverse the muscle from its initial trajectory.
The benefits of eccentric training in rehabilitation settings include its ability to stimulate muscle and connective tissue regeneration, as well as improve mobility. The high force and low energy cost of eccentric contractions make it ideal for rehabilitation populations who may be impaired in their ability to produce sufficient muscle force or lack the energy capacity to do so. For example, eccentric training can be used as an alternative form of exercise for those with diabetes due to its lower energetic cost and perceived exertion. Additionally, eccentric training has been shown to improve neuromuscular control following injury, which may be of particular importance in recovery.
However, it is important to note that eccentric training can cause substantial muscle soreness and even inflammation, especially in the elderly population. Therefore, rehab experts usually keep loads and intensity relatively low to maximize results without negative side effects. To avoid injury, it is recommended to start with lighter loads and gradually increase the weight over time.
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Eccentric muscle training in sports
Eccentric muscle training is a type of strength training that involves using the target muscles to control weight as it moves in a downward motion. Eccentric training is a commonly used technique to increase muscle and strength numbers. It is a powerful training tool used by athletes, bodybuilders, and physical therapists for its wide range of muscle-enhancing benefits.
Eccentric training is particularly effective for high-performance athletes and is used in various sports. For example, Canadian Olympian Kim St-Pierre incorporates eccentric training into her regime. Eccentric training is also used in sports that require an explosive element, such as soccer, basketball, sprinting, and volleyball. This is because eccentric training can result in greater force output and movement acceleration.
The technique can also be used to improve performance in bodyweight exercises like the press-up, pull-up, or pistol squat. This is because, during the eccentric phase of the movement, we are approximately 20–50% stronger. Therefore, while someone may not be able to complete the concentric phase of advanced movements, they may be able to complete the eccentric phase, building the strength to eventually perform the full movement.
Eccentric training is also used in rehabilitation settings to stimulate muscle and connective tissue regeneration and improve mobility. It is used as a form of rehabilitation for sports injuries and as an alternative form of exercise for the elderly and those with neurological disorders, COPD, cardiopulmonary disorders, and cancer. Eccentric training can also be used to prevent injuries, as it enhances stability and control around joints such as the knees, hips, and spine.
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Frequently asked questions
Eccentric muscle training is a type of strength training that involves using the target muscles to control weight as it moves in a downward motion. This type of training can help build muscle, improve athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
Eccentric training focuses on the eccentric phase of an exercise, which is when the muscle is lengthened under load to return to its starting position. This is done by slowing down the cadence or speed of the eccentric phase to increase the intensity of the exercise.
Eccentric training can lead to stronger muscles, faster muscle repair, increased metabolic rate, and improved stability and control around joints. It can also help prevent or rehabilitate injuries and is used in clinical settings for patients with neurological disorders, COPD, cardiopulmonary disorders, and cancer.
Eccentric training can be applied to various traditional exercises such as bicep curls, bench presses, leg presses, and squats. For example, in a bicep curl, the eccentric phase is the lowering of the dumbbell back down from the lift, which should be done slowly to control the rate of descent.
