The Positives about Negatives

Want to add variety to your resistance training program, increase results and protect against injury?

Try eccentric (negative) weight training.


Description:
Resistance is applied primarily to your muscles during the lengthening phase of a repetition.  Eccentric muscle movements act a brake against the concentric (shortening / contraction) action to protect joints from damage.

Examples:
With the Back Row, the eccentric movement occurs after pulling the weight to your torso (the concentric phase) while resisting against the weight as your arms straighten back to your starting position.

Walking down hill is also an eccentric action.

Technique:

• Perform the concentric movement in one second and the eccentric movement over 3-5 seconds.

• As you approach the end of the set and start to fatigue, you may need help lifting in the concentric phase.

• To progress, increase the amount of time you spend on the eccentric phase.

Interesting Facts:

• Because eccentric training uses little energy while producing markedly high force, “muscles respond to eccentric training with meaningful changes in strength, size and power,” according researchers.
• Total body eccentric training will burn more fat by increasing your resting metabolic rate 9%, with the highest fat burn occurring during the first two hours.
• Adding periods of eccentric training to your conditioning program helps protect against injury and/or re-injury.
• Most people can use heavier weight with an eccentric exercise.
• Eccentric training is a good post rehabilitation program for lower-body injuries
• Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) often presents as tenderness rather than soreness

Source:   IDEA Fitness Journal, October 2010

Keep in Mind:   When starting eccentric training, regardless of fitness level, I strongly recommend consulting a certified personal trainer for instruction on proper technique! -- Jeanie