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Eccentrics are a different contraction
Lowering slowly isn't the whole story. Why the eccentric is a genuinely different contraction, not just a tempo cue.
Published
by Adarsh Gopal
Most popular takes on eccentrics are simplistic. As is how many coaches use them. It’s not just about tempo.
The ‘eccentric’ portion isn’t just the lowering portion. It’s a fundamentally different contraction.
A molecule called titin is more involved in the eccentric than the usual actin and myosin. It unfurls slowly and produces a contraction capable of bearing 20-30% more load than the concentric (the part where you fight against gravity).
The popular conception is that slowing down the eccentric is enough to take advantage of it. It isn’t. You can literally manage more load or produce more force on the eccentric.
On a glute ham, that means you can go past the point you can come back from.
On a deadlift, you can lower a heavier load than you can pick up.
On a pull-up, you can lower yourself down from the top even if you can’t pull yourself up.
On a single leg squat, you can lower yourself but not come back up.
So eccentrics aren’t just about slowing things down. They’re a way to strategically build tolerance and capacity in a pattern you don’t yet own.
The downside: true eccentrics are demanding on recovery. More soreness, more inflammation, more chemical damage in the muscle. Especially when you start out. So you space them out and pair them with regular full-range work.
Lowering portion of a dip with regular push-ups. Lowering portion of a pull-up with inverted rows. Glute ham eccentric with sumo squats. The options are aplenty.
As you ramp up, you can increase frequency, intensity and volume.
The added benefit: eccentrics improve tendon stiffness far more dramatically than less-controlled or speedier patterns. Which makes them incredibly useful for dealing with tendinopathies of the elbow, knee, ankle, and so on.