• Lift more than ever

IN STRENGTH TRAINING, AS IN LIFE, YOU CAN’T EXPERIENCE THE HIGHS WITHOUT A FEW LOWS, AND A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ECCENTRIC TRAINING FOCUSING ON THE LOWERING PHASE OF EACH REP CAN UNLOCK SOME INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

G yms have fully reopened, and many have waved goodbye to grinding out front-room bodyweight workouts. However, if you’ve been revelling in your reunion with the squat rack, it’s time to shake up your pre-pandemic plan. After all, getting stronger relies on two core principles: progressive overload – the principle of increasing demands week on week to continue to see gains – and variety. Fail to mix things up with any form of training and your body will stop responding positively. Variation creates new stimuli, and new stimuli force continual, positive adaptations.

Enter: eccentric strength training.

Although the name suggests a certain amboyancy, this is a simple method that can allow you to master the basics of strength training if you’re just starting out, or add muscle and break through plateaus if you’re a weights-room regular.

HIDDEN STRENGTH

If you’ve performed any resistance exercise before, you will have completed an eccentric movement. Alongside the concentric contraction (the lift phase of an exercise) and isometric hold (generally the highest or lowest point), the lowering (or eccentric) stage makes up the holy trinity of the majority of curls, presses, extensions and squats.

Unlike a standard resistance routine, where the focus is on the concentric pushing or pulling apart, eccentric training shifts the focal point, slowing things down during

‘ the lowering phase – giving your muscles a blitz and leaving you with more DOMS than Barnard Castle.

“Eccentric (also known as ‘negative focus’) training involves tension being applied to a muscle as it lengthens,” says Matthew Dale, personal trainer at Six3Nine. “You’re naturally stronger in that lengthening or eccentric phase, so you still have some capability of being able to at least control or decelerate that load as you lengthen the muscle.”

is ability isn’t just a rumour that gets passed around the weights room, either. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that, when comparing concentric and eccentric bench-press repetitions to failure, participants were able to perform a higher number of the eccentric reps at various intensities of their one-rep max. It also estimated that the one-rep max of the eccentric phase would be 120 per cent, compared with the concentric equivalent.

at leaves us with two approaches to eccentric training, as explained by Ibi Ekineh, strength and conditioning coach, and co-founder of Onyx London: “ere’s one where it’s timed

retention – where you can really slow down that lowering phase to four or ve seconds – while the other type is eccentric overload: loading a weight heavier than your one-rep max, controlling that down slowly, and then having a spotter help you get it back up to the start position.” MORE MUSCLE FOR LESS While each has its own bene ts and disadvantages, both are a great way of adding both strength and size. A British Journal of Sports Medicine review found that, when compared side by side, eccentric training resulted in a greater increase in strength than training concentrically. at’s because the eccentric component of an exercise is the biggest contributor to hypertrophic response, aka muscle growth. “Eccentric contractions,” says Dale, “speci cally target muscles in such a way that they absorb the mechanical energy exerted by the heavy load, before that energy is released via a spring-like action that facilitates the muscular contraction. Typically, you would perform the concentric portion of a movement quite explosively and powerfully, with a nice squeeze at the top, and then perform the eccentric component in a very deliberately slow and controlled manner, trying to maximise the tension for as long as possible.” Aside from their muscle-building capabilities, the two takes on eccentric training have very di erent outcomes and uses. e low-and-slow approach allows you to up the di culty without increasing the load – making it a great way to safely add intensity to your workout. “You can get an equally intense stimulus with a lighter load, too, which should be less fatiguing on your central nervous system,” says Ekineh. at makes it a popular training method for those undergoing rehab for injuries, because it places less stress on the a ected area. “ere still might be some delayed onset muscle soreness for the muscle tissues, but it means less stress for joints and ligaments,” adds Dale. e slow-tempo technique can also help with motor control, potentially preventing injuries further down the line. A clinical review published in Sports Health found that eccentric exercise targets speci c neural and morphologic (aka form) alterations, with evidence that it improves muscle structure throughout an exercise. “If you’re trying to improve your squat technique, for example, doing it eccentrically and making sure you hit the right positions in the movement will help with motor control,” says Ekineh, “so when you add weight or increase the speed, you’re more primed to hit the positions that you’ve already covered.

SENSORY OVERLOAD

Overloading eccentric, meanwhile – where you go above and beyond your one-rep max just for the lowering phase of the movement – is very fatiguing on your central nervous system and will see you working at maximal intensity. “I’d only use that to break through the plateau of an exercise you’re very comfortable with and with an experienced spotter,” warns Ekineh. “e idea is that you’re adding a lot more volume on a relatively heavy weight, which will over time allow you to progress in that exercise.”

Techniques include simply loading a bar heavier than you can lift, controlling the lowering phase and getting a spotter (or two) to help you back into the starting position. Alternatively, you can work past your fatiguing point, having a spotter assist you with the concentric phase of another 2-4 reps that you only control down to the bottom. Repeated disclaimer: do not attempt this on your own. Make sure you have an experienced spotter who is able to assist you

“ECCENTRIC TRAINING SHIFTS THE FOCAL POINT BY SLOWING THINGS DOWN DURING THE LOWERING PHASE”

with the concentric portion of the lift.

Dale reiterates that the overloading method – particularly when using free weights – is an advanced technique that should be saved until you have achieved a solid base in traditional strength training: “If it’s done too early, it could lead to connective tissue damage, which can create long-term injuries.”

But the main downside to both types of eccentric training, that both Dale and Ekineh highlight, is just how fatiguing it is. “In general, eccentric training will likely cause more DOMS,” says Ekineh. “You have to consider how you’re going to implement it into your training programme, because it may a ect training sessions later on in the week.”

SLOW IT DOWN

Despite the fact that, put simply, it can be really hard work, eccentric strength training can be a highly e ective way to add both strength and muscle mass – when used correctly.

“You might want to limit the number of eccentric exercises to no more than one exercise per muscle group per week,” says Dale. “at allows for su cient recovery, so that when you come to your subsequent workouts that accumulated fatigue hasn’t a ected you to the point where your volume of quality work starts to drop o .”

He recommends starting o with weights somewhere between 70-100 per cent of your maximum manageable weight, and setting a tempo for each eccentric contraction. “e lengthening of muscles during the eccentric phase might be ve seconds per rep as a good marker, and when you reach a point where you’re struggling to control it for the duration, that’s probably a good place to stop that working set.”

Keeping the volume low – no more than 3-5 working sets of 3-5 reps – will also be bene cial, because of how fast fatigue can accumulate. When using just your bodyweight, it’s also a good way to build up your abilities with some key core exercises that most beginners struggle with. “A pullup is one you can do yourself without a spotter,” says Ekineh. “You can simply step up and then control yourself down. Many of my clients have been able to progress to conventional pull-ups by building up their strength on the eccentric phase.

So, before you resort to the familiar comfort of another three sets of eight on the bench press, consider freshening things up by slowing them down – your muscles, strength and motivation will all bene t.