Eccentric Exercise is Your Secret Weapon to Leaner Body
How many of us are getting sloppy lowering weights down to start position? Ever happened to you? Can you remember how many times you gave up half way through out that last repetition or compromised move speed?
I bet it happened at least dozen of times to all of us.
When it comes to weight exercises we believe (at leased we try to) that what really matter is to move weights up. Well, you are wrong. Lifting them up is just a start, its like warming up muscles before real work begins.
Real challenge is to finish that move in controlled, even pattern, in full range and with the smile on face. Ok you can skip the smile (probably on the end phase of eccentric move your face looks like you are about to cry).
Eccentric exercise hurts, feels like every muscle fiber is on fire and in your head circulating one though … I want to stop that now.
Ignore voices in your head as eccentric exercise will give you leaner muscles, body, healthier joints and much better strength.
What is an eccentric exercise?
Eccentric exercise means lengthening the muscle or simply returning to start position.
Let’s take a simple move as an example – a biceps curl.
Step 1
You will start with your arms extended on the side of your body.
Step 2
You initiate the move by lifting forearms toward shoulder. CONCENTRIC
Step 3
You levering your arms with dumbbell to start position. ECCENTRIC
How eccentric exercise is the most beneficial part of each exercise?
- You will build strength faster
Performing eccentric part of each move better will give you bigger strength and better performance. Period.
Lets imagine you can’t do full sit up. It happens to a lot of us. Instead of starting on the floor and curling body up (concentric part of move) start on the top in the sitting up position and slowly, with control lower your body toward the floor (eccentric part). I guarantee you that in no time you will be performing full sit-ups.
If you can’t do proper push ups, initially focus only on eccentric part of exercise (lowering your body down). Simply by lowering your body slowly you are getting stronger and again soon lifting up will be easy.
The same goes for every exercise you may think of. If you can’t perform it as a whole thing, brake it down and master just eccentric part of it for a start.
- You will get healthier joints.
Healthier and stronger at the same time. If your muscles are weak eccentrically (as a result of too short, or to weak muscles) you may experience joint pain during performing some of the moves.
Knee pain is result of weak eccentrically quadricep muscle.
Upper back pain – weak eccentrically peck muscles (they are to short)
- Boosts your metabolism
Seriously it is true. Eccentric exercises not just make you stronger and leaner but also boost your metabolism.
If you are looking to burn fat focus on eccentric part of exercise.
Look at example again; bicep curl. Lift arms in one count, but lower in 3. count in your head.
Lifting….quick 1 (shortening muscle)
Lowering…1,2.3 (lengthening muscle)
Simple.
Use 3 to 1 ratio.
- You will lower risk of injury
It will protect you from nasty injuries. Most of daily functional movements, like walking down the stairs, or down the hill require eccentric strength and control. By focusing on those moves you are making daily activities easier and safer (especially for elderly).
- Faster muscle repair
- You will pass your plateau
If it is not losing weight anymore or not gaining enough strength and you are stuck in the same place for a while, your solution is simple…eccentric training.
Let’s say you would like to improve certain group of muscles by performing particular exercise, let’s say chest press. Perform on your own 6 or 8 full range chest presses and then ask your exercise buddy for help. They will do concentric part (lifting weights up) for you while you will perform eccentric part of move (lowering weights down) by yourself. You can use bigger weights now too.
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