Eccentric Training

We use eccentric, or lengthening, contractions often in daily life simply by fighting gravity in all of our movements. Walking down the stairs without falling and rolling down them requires eccentric muscular action. Slowly lowering a child you've holding in your arms to the floor without dropping him also requires eccentric muscular action.

Because an eccentric contraction recruits many more muscle fibers than a concentric contraction, eccentric training is extremely effective for strength improvements. Unfortunately eccentric contractions also generate the most damage and soreness in muscles, so you should use them in moderation and only if you have a weight-training background. Frequently eccentric exercises are recommended as part of a rehabilitation protocol under the supervision of a rehab professional.

Whereas eccentric contractions have to follow concentric contractions in isotonic exercise programs, eccentric training focuses on performing only the eccentric portion of the exercise. How do you do it? Some exercises require spotters or special equipment, but some are easy to do on your own. For instance, you can lift a weight with both arms or legs and lower it with just one arm or leg. That way you are getting an overloaded resistance on one limb in the eccentric phase. Eccentric training can rectify strength discrepancies between limbs and also improve overall strength. Because of the complexity of this kind of training program and the potential for injury, I do not include eccentric programs in this book.