The Hidden Benefits of Eccentric Training (And Why You're Probably Skipping It)

If you've been hitting the gym regularly but feel like your progress has plateaued, it might be time to take a closer look at how you're performing your exercises. Specifically, you might be neglecting one of the most powerful components of strength training: the eccentric phase.

Most of us focus on the lifting part of an exercise, the concentric contraction, where we're actively working to move the weight. But what about the lowering phase? That's where eccentric training comes into play, and it could be the missing piece in your fitness puzzle.

What Is Eccentric Training, Exactly?

In every strength exercise, there are typically two main phases: concentric and eccentric. The concentric phase occurs when your muscles shorten under tension (like curling a dumbbell up during a bicep curl), while the eccentric phase happens when your muscles lengthen under tension (like lowering that dumbbell back down).

Eccentric training specifically emphasizes this lowering or lengthening phase of the movement. Instead of quickly dropping the weight back to the starting position, you deliberately slow down and control the descent, creating more time under tension for your muscles. To learn more, we got the chance to interview Mena of Fit4it, a fitness and personal trainer in Dubai, to shed more light on how eccentric training works.

“Think about it this way: when you lower slowly into a squat, your quadriceps are working eccentrically to control that descent. When you're lowering a heavy bench press to your chest, your pectoral muscles are working eccentrically. These moments are goldmines for strength development, yet many of us rush through them.”

Why Most People Skip the Eccentric Phase

Before diving into the benefits, let's acknowledge why eccentric training often gets sidelined:

1. It's mentally challenging - Slowing down the eccentric phase requires focus and discipline. When fatigue sets in, the natural tendency is to rush through the lowering phase.

2. It's uncomfortable - Let's be honest, eccentric work burns! That slow lowering phase creates significant metabolic stress in the muscles, which can be uncomfortable.

3. It's not as visible - People tend to focus on how much weight they can lift (the concentric phase), not how well they can lower it. There's less obvious glory in eccentric control.

4. Lack of awareness - Many fitness enthusiasts simply don't know about the importance of eccentric training or how to properly incorporate it.

Now that we understand why it's often overlooked, let's explore why you should make eccentric training a priority.

The Science-Backed Benefits of Eccentric Training

Greater Muscle Growth Potential

Research consistently shows that eccentric training is exceptionally effective for stimulating muscle hypertrophy (growth). A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that eccentric training produced greater increases in muscle size compared to concentric-only training.

Why? During eccentric contractions, your muscles can handle about 1.5 times more weight than during concentric movements. This means you're exposing your muscles to greater mechanical tension.

Additionally, eccentric training causes more microscopic damage to muscle fibers, which, when repaired through proper recovery and nutrition, leads to muscle growth and strength adaptations.

Enhanced Strength Development

Here's something interesting: eccentric strength transfers to concentric strength, but not necessarily vice versa. By improving your eccentric strength, you're likely to see improvements in your overall lifting capacity.

This is partly because eccentric training helps develop neuromuscular efficiency, essentially teaching your nervous system to recruit more muscle fibers during all types of contractions.

A 2018 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that incorporating eccentric training led to significantly greater strength gains compared to traditional resistance training alone.

Improved Tendon Health and Injury Prevention

Tendons connect muscles to bones and play a crucial role in movement. Eccentric training has been shown to improve tendon stiffness and strength, which can help prevent injuries.

In fact, eccentric exercises have become a cornerstone of rehabilitation protocols for various tendon issues, including:

• Achilles tendinopathy

• Patellar tendonitis (jumper's knee)

• Tennis elbow

• Rotator cuff tendinopathy

A systematic review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that eccentric exercise programs were effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with various tendinopathies.

Better Metabolic Impact

If you're training for fat loss, eccentric training deserves your attention. The controlled lowering phase requires significant energy expenditure, and research suggests eccentric exercise may increase metabolic rate for longer periods after working out compared to concentric-only training.

Additionally, the muscle damage from eccentric training requires more energy to repair, potentially increasing your caloric burn during recovery.

Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion

Contrary to the old belief that strength training decreases flexibility, proper eccentric training can actually improve your range of motion. By controlling movements through a full range, you're teaching your body to be strong in extended positions.

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that subjects who performed eccentric training improved flexibility more than those who did static stretching alone.

How to Incorporate Eccentric Training Into Your Routine

Now that you understand the benefits, let's talk about practical implementation:

The 3-1-3 Method

A simple approach is to use a tempo prescription, such as 3-1-3:

• 3 seconds for the eccentric phase

• 1 second pause at the midpoint

• 3 seconds for the concentric phase

For example, in a squat, you would take 3 seconds to lower down, pause for 1 second at the bottom, and take 3 seconds to stand back up.

Eccentric-Focused Sets

You can also dedicate entire sets to eccentric work:

• Use a weight that's about 10-20% heavier than your typical working weight.

• Focus solely on the lowering phase. (3-5 seconds)

• Have a training partner help you return to the starting position, or use your non-working limb to assist. (for unilateral exercises)

Eccentric-Only Exercises

Some exercises naturally emphasize the eccentric component:

• Nordic hamstring curls

• Negative pull-ups or chin-ups

• Reverse nordics for quadriceps

• Eccentric heel drops for Achilles tendons

Progressive Overload Principles Still Apply

Remember to progressively challenge yourself by:

• Increasing the duration of the eccentric phase.

• Adding weight.

• Increasing the number of repetitions or sets.

• Decreasing rest periods between sets.

Important Considerations and Precautions

While eccentric training offers tremendous benefits, it's not without considerations:

Increased Muscle Soreness

Eccentric training is notorious for causing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The microscopic muscle damage that drives adaptation also triggers inflammation and soreness, which typically peaks 24-72 hours after training.

To manage this:

• Start slowly with modest volumes.

• Gradually increase eccentric emphasis over several weeks.

• Ensure adequate recovery between training sessions.

• Stay hydrated and consider anti-inflammatory foods in your diet.

Recovery Demands

Because eccentric training creates more muscle damage, it requires more recovery time. You might need to reduce training frequency for muscle groups that receive intense eccentric work.

For beginners, limiting eccentric-focused training to once per week per muscle group is prudent. More advanced trainees can potentially handle twice weekly sessions with proper recovery strategies.

Technical Proficiency Requirements

Eccentric training demands excellent technique. The controlled lowering phase exposes any weaknesses in your movement patterns and can potentially increase injury risk if performed improperly.

Consider working with a qualified trainer when first incorporating eccentric training, especially for complex movements like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses.

Real-World Success Stories

To illustrate the impact of eccentric training, consider these scenarios:

Sarah, a recreational runner, had been struggling with persistent Achilles tendon pain. After six weeks of eccentric heel drops (3 sets of 15 repetitions, twice daily), her pain decreased significantly, and she returned to running without discomfort.

Mark, a plateau-stuck powerlifter, incorporated eccentric-focused bench press training (5-second lowering phase) once weekly for eight weeks. His bench press max increased by 15 pounds after being stalled for months.

Lisa, focused on body composition changes, found that adding eccentric-emphasized training twice weekly accelerated her muscle definition progress, particularly in her legs and shoulders, without changing her overall training volume.

What Is The Eccentric Advantage?

Eccentric training isn't a magic bullet, but it's certainly a powerful tool that most fitness enthusiasts underutilize. By deliberately controlling the lowering phase of your exercises, you can unlock new pathways for strength development, muscle growth, injury prevention, and overall performance.

The best part? You don't need to completely overhaul your current routine. Simply being mindful of the eccentric component and occasionally emphasizing it can yield significant benefits.