Wellness
Concentric vs Eccentric: A Deeper Dive Into Muscle Work
Understand the difference between concentric and eccentric muscle contractions and why focusing on both phases is a growing trend for maximizing workouts.
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What is it?
Every exercise that involves lifting and lowering a weight has two main phases of muscle contraction: concentric and eccentric. A concentric contraction occurs when your muscle shortens as it generates force, like when you lift a dumbbell during a bicep curl. This is often called the "positive" phase of the lift. Conversely, an eccentric contraction happens when the muscle lengthens under tension, controlling the weight against gravity. An example is slowly lowering the dumbbell back down in that same bicep curl. This lengthening phase is often referred to as the "negative" part of the movement. While concentric work is about overcoming a force, eccentric work is about controlling and resisting it.
Why is it trending?
The distinction between these contractions is gaining attention because fitness professionals and researchers increasingly recognize the unique benefits of emphasizing the eccentric phase. Eccentric training has been shown to be highly effective for building muscle mass (hypertrophy) and strength, potentially more so than concentric training alone. It causes more microscopic muscle fiber damage, which stimulates greater repair and growth during recovery. This focus on "negatives" is popular in athletic training for improving power, speed, and preventing injuries, as many sports-related injuries occur during deceleration or eccentric movements. It's also a valuable tool in physical rehabilitation to rebuild strength safely.
How does it affect people?
For the average person, incorporating an eccentric focus can lead to greater strength gains and more efficient workouts. Because you can typically control more weight eccentrically than you can lift concentrically, it's a powerful method for breaking through strength plateaus. This can lead to improved muscle definition and enhanced performance in daily activities that involve controlling objects or your own body weight, like walking downstairs or setting down a heavy box. While highly effective, eccentric-focused training can also lead to more delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Therefore, it's important to introduce it progressively into a balanced fitness routine that values both the lifting and lowering phases of each repetition.