Double Your Strength by Slowing Down at the Right Time
By: Nicole Nichols,
SparkPeople Blogger
12/5/2008 5:53 AM
: 125 comments
No, you don't need a trainer or a fancy fitness gizmo to double your strength training results. You can use whatever equipment you have right now (or none at all) and still get a benefit from this research-proven lifting technique.
A recent article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined whether concentric or eccentric muscle contractions resulted in greater strength gains. If you feel confused already, stick with me. A concentric muscle contraction is the shortening phase of an exercise, typically when you're lifting a weight (like lifting a dumbbell during a biceps curl). An eccentric muscle contraction is the opposite: when the muscle lengthens, usually when you're lowering a weight or returning to the start position of an exercise (like lowering the weight during a biceps curl).
Most of the time, people spend about an equal amount of time in both phases, say 2 counts to lift (concentric phase) and 2 counts to lower (eccentric phase). But research suggests that slowing down the eccentric phase has greater benefits. In one study, subjects who emphasized the eccentric contraction of an exercise gained nearly twice the strength as those who focused on the concentric portion of the exercise.
Why try this technique? For one, slowing down during your strength training is usually a safe bet—it reduces your risk of poor form and injury. Secondly, slower is usually better when it comes to strength training. Slower, more deliberate form provides greater challenge to your muscles and can give you better results overall. But it's good to know that you don't necessarily have to slow down your entire work out to reap these benefits—just slow down for a part of each exercise.
How to do it: Try not to get bogged down figuring out which phase of an exercise is eccentric and which is concentric. A very safe bet is that the lifting phase is concentric (keep a normal pace for that), and the lowering phase is eccentric (slow down there). Spend about 2 counts on the lifting phase, but take 4-5 counts when lowering or returning to the start position of an exercise. As a bonus, you can use this technique whether you use dumbbells, gym machines, resistance bands, or even body weight as your resistance.
Personally, I do use this technique from time to time. I try to change up the pace of my exercises regularly in order to keep my muscles guessing. I've long known that slowing down the eccentric phase of an exercise has benefits, but I'm more apt to make it a regular thing now that science is on my side, too.
How about you: Do you slow down on the lowering phase to increase the burn? Will you try this lifting technique?
A recent article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined whether concentric or eccentric muscle contractions resulted in greater strength gains. If you feel confused already, stick with me. A concentric muscle contraction is the shortening phase of an exercise, typically when you're lifting a weight (like lifting a dumbbell during a biceps curl). An eccentric muscle contraction is the opposite: when the muscle lengthens, usually when you're lowering a weight or returning to the start position of an exercise (like lowering the weight during a biceps curl).
Most of the time, people spend about an equal amount of time in both phases, say 2 counts to lift (concentric phase) and 2 counts to lower (eccentric phase). But research suggests that slowing down the eccentric phase has greater benefits. In one study, subjects who emphasized the eccentric contraction of an exercise gained nearly twice the strength as those who focused on the concentric portion of the exercise.
Why try this technique? For one, slowing down during your strength training is usually a safe bet—it reduces your risk of poor form and injury. Secondly, slower is usually better when it comes to strength training. Slower, more deliberate form provides greater challenge to your muscles and can give you better results overall. But it's good to know that you don't necessarily have to slow down your entire work out to reap these benefits—just slow down for a part of each exercise.
How to do it: Try not to get bogged down figuring out which phase of an exercise is eccentric and which is concentric. A very safe bet is that the lifting phase is concentric (keep a normal pace for that), and the lowering phase is eccentric (slow down there). Spend about 2 counts on the lifting phase, but take 4-5 counts when lowering or returning to the start position of an exercise. As a bonus, you can use this technique whether you use dumbbells, gym machines, resistance bands, or even body weight as your resistance.
Personally, I do use this technique from time to time. I try to change up the pace of my exercises regularly in order to keep my muscles guessing. I've long known that slowing down the eccentric phase of an exercise has benefits, but I'm more apt to make it a regular thing now that science is on my side, too.
How about you: Do you slow down on the lowering phase to increase the burn? Will you try this lifting technique?
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Comments
I'm still on the working-out-the-details stage. But I have learned about "muscle burn" and how strength is gained. This author actually suggests a 10 sec. concentric movement, then 2-sec. hold, then 10 sec. eccentric movement, then immediately continue with next rep (without stopping) until muscle comes to point of "burn" or fatigue. This is where the strengthening begins if adequate rest and recovery is scheduled.
The author presents a 3-pillar platform for health: nutrition, exercise, rest & recovery.
As I said, I'm still in the discovery stage of this program. I will evaluate in 6 weeks! - 5/16/2010 1:31:27 AM
This really isn't anything new. But they did write an article about it in the latest issue of Oxygen magazine. - 12/17/2008 9:22:39 PM
SUYRADROP mentioned a DVD, "there's an excellent strength-training dvd called SLOW & HEAVY featuring/designed by cathe friedrich... she also advocates lifting heavy, and maxing out earlier with a smaller number of reps." I am familiar with this DVD and other heavy weight training methods.
Mike Mentzer, famous bodybuilder in the 70's, left the Weider organization to preach his Heavy Duty weight-lifting program. Basically the program provided a few warm-up sets, to be followed by one low-rep super-heavy set to complete failure. I tried this routine for a while and it eventually caused soreness in my joints. It is a great program to minimize your time in the gym, but should be used only by those that consider themselves experienced weight lifters.
I continue to use heavy weights, but only on a 8 week cycled schedule (beginning of the cycle with light weights - building to my 2-rep max at the end of the cycle), and only with an attentive spotter.
Heavy weight training is one of several methods to gain muscle, increase strength, and overall conditioning. With that said, do not make it your only weight training method. Regularly change-up your lifting techniques, amount of weight, and sets and reps, to maximize your results.
What I am attempting to stress is that if you are an experienced weight lifter, but new to eccentric focused weight lifting, you should condition your muscles with moderate to moderately heavy weights before going for the max. Staying healthy includes smart-safe-well planned training; Good luck. - 12/11/2008 9:34:25 AM
I am so glad to have it confirmed..great article! - 12/10/2008 12:36:34 PM
Very interesting article, to know I'm doing something right. LOL
MistyPaws - 12/10/2008 12:15:47 PM
she also advocates lifting heavy, and maxing out earlier with a smaller number of reps, in many cases. it's definitely worth checking out her workouts at collagevideo.com. a good number of them are programmable, and you can mix different segments up as you choose for different days of the week.
hmmm...i have to find where my copy of this got off to, so i can get back into it. although way challenging for me, i remember feeling really good after doing thes kinds of workouts. - 12/10/2008 6:51:42 AM
- 12/9/2008 11:36:48 PM
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