NO ONE BEGINS a workout hoping to lift less than they did in the last one. The goal is always to raise the bar (literally and figuratively), move more iron, crush more advanced exercise variations, do more total reps and sets.
And while such a mindset is crucial for making gains—indeed, it’s the basis of progressive overload—paying too much attention to raising the bar might cause you to overlook an equally important aspect of strength training: lowering it.
We’re not talking about adjusting your goals downward. We’re being literal.
What Are the Eccentric and Concentric Phases
Every exercise (squat, deadlift, bench press, curl, row, etc.) is comprised of two distinct phases: Concentric and eccentric. The concentric phase is when you contract the targeted muscle—bringing the weight toward your shoulder in the biceps curl or pressing it away from your chest in the bench press, for example. The eccentric phase is when you lengthen a muscle, such as when you lower the weight in each of those moves.
Benefits of the Eccentric Phase
Thing is, most guys rush through the eccentric phase, focusing almost exclusively on the concentric one. Here’s why you shouldn’t: Focusing more intently on the eccentric portion of each rep can significantly enhance muscle growth and strength building.
Indeed, research suggests that it might be even more powerful in those regards than the concentric phase. In practice, you'll also extend the amount of time the muscle is spending under tension, which is a key to increasing the growth stimulus of each rep.
What Is an Eccentric Exercise
There are two primary ways to train eccentrically, and you’re likely already familiar with the first: slowing down the lowering phase of each rep. Think of the last time you did the pullup—you likely controlled the ascent, but chances are you returned to a dead hang faster than you raised your chest to the bar. Next time, try to make the descent last as least as long as (and preferably longer than) the ascent (e.g., three seconds up and five seconds down). If you’re feeling particularly strong, you can even throw in a few pauses, like you would in the triple-stop pushup. You can also challenge yourself to resist gravity as long as possible on the last rep of your last set, seeing how long you can hold out before reaching full extension.
Another strategy is to lower more weight than you could lift on your own. This approach is called eccentric overload training, and you’ll need a spotter for most free weight exercises. Start by grabbing a heavier dumbbell or loading a bar with more plates than you typically would. Your spotter will help you raise the load during the concentric phase of each rep (e.g., the curling portion of a preacher curl), and then back off during the eccentric (lowering) phase, leaving you to fight gravity on your own. (If you’re on a machine like the leg extension, you can be your own spotter—use both legs to lift the stack and one leg to lower it, alternating legs with each rep.)
Eccentric Training Mistakes to Avoid
Whatever approach you take, don’t get too carried away with it in your workouts. Eccentric lifting is extremely taxing, so overdoing it can increase muscle soreness and prolong recovery. Strength also tends to be directional, so focusing too intently on either the lifting or lowering of weights will make you disproportionately stronger in that particular muscle action. That’s why it’s important to weave both concentric and eccentrically-focused training into your program, with the bulk of your lifts focusing on the former.
It's also important to note that some exercises lend themselves better to eccentric training than others. The barbell back squat and the barbell bench press aren’t generally recommended for eccentric training unless you have a couple of seasoned spotters helping you out, for example. Why? Because failing to raise the bar in those exercises can lead to serious injury, and in the weight room, it’s safety first. Always.
Eccentric Exercises to Add to Your Workout
But there are a number of exercises for which eccentric training works particularly well. Here are a handful to get you started.
Pushup
The eccentric portion of the pushup here is easy to identify. It's when you lower from the starting high plank position down to the floor. Make sure to keep constant tension to get as much from every rep as you can.
How to Do It:
- Start in a high plank position (hands stacked below shoulders), squeezing your shoulders, abs, and glutes while maintaining a straight spine.
- Bend your elbows to begin lower your chest down slowly, taking at least tfour to six seconds to reach the bottom position.
- Press back up to return to the start.
- If you run out of steam, try emphasizing the eccentric portion as advised, then allow your chest to reach the ground and reset into the starting position without pressing back up.
Pullup
Eccentric reps are one of the top methods trainers use to help beginners build up the strength for full-reps of pullups—but you can use them to build up strength no matter how many reps you can string together.
How to Do It:
If you can do a standard pullup rep:
- Begin with your hands holding the bar in an overhand grip. Squeeze your shoulders, abs, and glutes to create tension as you hang.
- Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
- Slowly lower yourself down, spending four to six seconds until your elbows are extended.
If you want to work the eccentric only:
- Use a weight bench or or ladder to reach the bar, and grip it in an overhand position, with your elbows bent in the top position of the standard pullup.
- Lower yourself down, spending four to six seconds until your elbows are extended.
Biceps Curl
Yes, the contraction of the biceps curl and the squeeze at the top of the movement are important for muscle building, but don't underestimate the value of controlling the weight as you lower it back down to the starting position. This can also be a valuable tool to eke out some extra reps when you're struggling to lift any more weight up and your main goal is volume.
How to Do It:
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides in a neutral grip (hands facing each other). Squeeze your shoulders, abs, and glutes to create full-body tension.
- Squeeze one of your biceps to lift the dumbbell up. Move only at the elbow, keeping your upper arm and shoulder totally vertical.
- As you curl up, turn your hand over so that your palm is facing the sky by the time your elbow is parallel with the ground.
- Continue lifting up to the top end of your range of motion without shifting your upper arms forward, emphasizing the biceps squeeze.
- Lower the weight back down with control, taking four to six seconds to emphasize the eccentric. Rotate your wrist back to neutral once you've passed the halfway point.
Skull Crusher
The skull crusher is unlike some of these other movements in the sense that you likely always give some focus to the eccentric portion of the exercise (if only to avoid fulfilling the promise of its name). Still, you can slow down even more to give your triceps even more of a challenge.
How to Do It:
- Lie on a flat bench, holding a pair of dumbbells in a neutral grip. Press the weights up above your chest, then shift your upper arms to a roughly 92 degree angle relative to your torso.
- Move only at the elbows to lower the weight. Emphasize the eccentric by taking four to six seconds reach the bottom point next to your head.
- Extend your elbows to lift the weight back to the starting position.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Slow down as you lower the weight, emphasizing the time under tension and giving your upper chest even more of a challenge.
How to Do It:
- Start seated in a strong position on an incline bench (feet driving into the ground, glutes driving into the seat, back flat on the pad).
- Raise the dumbbells to your shoulders and press them directly overhead, with dumbbell heads slightly turned in.
- Lower the weights back down, taking four to six seconds to lower to the starting position just above your upper chest as your mobility allows.
Goblet Squat
Start with lower body eccentrics with this beginner-friendly squat variation, which will also give your core more of a challenge than you might expect (especially as you're extending the amount of time you're forced to hold the weight in place).
How to Do It:
- Take a comfortable stance and grab your weight, holding it in front of your chest with both hands. Squeeze your shoulder blades to create mid-back tension to help support the load.
- Before you descend into the squat, take a deep breath and brace your core.
- Push your butt back, then bend your knees to squat down. Descend for four to six seconds, pushing your knees out and keeping your core engaged, until you hit a bottom depth comfortable for your mobility.
- Press off the floor with both feet to stand back up, squeezing your glutes and exhaling at the top.
