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How to IncorporateEccentric Training Intoa Resistance TrainingProgramJonathan Mike, PhD, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D, USAW,1 Chad M. Kerksick, PhD, ATC, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D,2

and Len Kravitz, PhD3

1Department of Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico;2Department of Exercise Science, School of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Sciences, Lindenwood University, St.Charles, Missouri; and 3Exercise Physiology, Department of Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of NewMexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A B S T R A C T

ECCENTRIC TRAINING ANDECCENTRIC MUSCULAR CON-TRACTIONS FOCUS ON ACTIVELENGTHENING WHILE LOADED.WHEN COMPARED WITH CON-CENTRIC MOVEMENTS, ECCEN-TRIC ACTIONS YIELD GREATERFORCE LEVELS WITH CONCOMI-TANT LOWER NEUROMUSCULARACTIVATION LEVELS. ECCENTRICTRAINING IS MAINLY INCORPO-RATED INDIRECTLY BY STRENGTHAND CONDITIONING AND FITNESSPROFESSIONALS LEADING TO ITBEING OFTEN UNDERUSED ANDUNDERVALUED. ECCENTRICTRAINING CAN READILY BEINCORPORATED INTO A TRAININGPROGRAM ALONG WITH THE USEOF NONTRADITIONAL EXERCISESFOR ALL POPULATIONS. THISARTICLE EXAMINES THE SCIENCEOF ECCENTRIC TRAINING ANDEXTENDS THIS SCIENCE BYFOCUSING ON PRACTICAL REC-OMMENDATIONS. SUGGESTEDPROGRESSIONS ARE PROVIDEDDEPENDING ON TRAINING BACK-GROUND ALONG WITH CASESTUDY SCENARIOS.

INTRODUCTION

Dynamic muscular contractionscan be characterized by 2 pri-mary actions, concentric and

eccentric actions. A concentric con-traction results in muscle shorteningand occurs when the force producedduring a contraction exceeds the forceapplied to the muscle. Alternatively, aneccentric action occurs when the mus-cle is forcibly lengthened or elongated.An eccentric action results when theforce produced inside the muscle isless than what is applied to the muscleexternally (5) and results in activelengthening of the muscle fibers undersome level of load.

When directly compared, eccentricmuscle actions are able to producegreater force in amounts estimated tobe 20–60% greater than force levels gen-erated during concentric activities (18).Alternatively, lower levels of neural acti-vation have been shown in eccentric ac-tions when compared with concentricefforts creating a much greater force-to-neural activation ratio (40). Evidencesurrounding muscle damage (loss offorce production, increased soreness,and myocellular protein accumulationin the serum [e.g., creatine kinase, myo-globin, etc.] as well as Z-disk streaming)are routinely reported to a greater extent

when eccentric actions are completed(34,35). Finally, some evidence also indi-cates that a greater contribution fromeccentric actions may better facilitatephenotypic adaptations such asincreased strength and hypertrophy (38).

Eccentric training has lead to increasesin hypertrophy for both concentric-onlystrength and eccentric-only strength.Differences due exist, however, mainlyfrom methodological design, subject his-tory, specific load used, and equipment.Taken together, all of this evidence sug-gests that increasing the incorporationof eccentric efforts into resistancetraining programs for fitness, athletic,and clinical populations may aid in train-ing outcomes. Eccentric resistance train-ing incorporating submaximal, maximal(100% one repetition maximum [1RM]),or supramaximal (typically 105–120%1RM) training loads has been shownto stimulate greater increases in maximalmuscle strength in traditional activitiesinvolving both concentric and eccentricactions (17,21,22,33,39), compared withconventional types of strength training(6), or even using very light loads (3).

KEY WORDS :

eccentric; strength; hypertrophy;rehabilitation

Copyright ! National Strength and Conditioning Association Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 5

Table

1Eccentricemphasizedex

ercises—

Upperandlowerbody

Exe

rcise

Eccentric

duration

Emphasis

Sets

andreps

Suggestedeccentric

tech

nique

TRXrow

3–5s

Upper

body

3–5sets

36-8reps

2/1;

superslow

Pull-ups(Figures6–

8)3–

5s

Upper

body.Can

focusoneccentric

only

or

perform

concentric

witheccentric

emphasis

3–5sets

38–

10repswith

concentric;3–5

sets3

6–8

repswitheccentric

only

Superslow

aCan

use

heavier

load

ingan

ddecreaseeccentricduration(i.e.,

85%

1RM

for4s

aBodyweightan

dstrength

dep

enden

t

Glute-ham

raise(Figures3–

5)3–

5s

Lower

body.Fo

cusoneccentric

only

oror

perform

norm

alconcentric

repswith

eccentricem

phasiswithprescribed

duration

3–5sets

38–

10repswith

concentric;3–5

sets3

10–

12repswitheccentriconly

Slow

aBodyweightan

dstrength

dep

enden

t.Can

also

use

plates

orban

ds

Man

ual

glute-ham

raise

3–5s

Lower

body.Can

focusoneccentric

only

3–5sets

310

–12repswith

eccentric

only

Supramax;slow

aReq

uires

apartner

aSu

pramax

was

chosenforthis

exercise

becau

seoftheoverall

diffi

culty

bBodyweightan

dstrength

dep

enden

t.Can

also

use

plates

orban

ds

Single-leg

Roman

iandeadlift

orgoodmornings(barbell

ordumbbell)(Figures1–

2)

3–5s

Lower

body.Can

focusoneccentric

only

or

perform

norm

alconcentric

repswith

eccentricem


duration

3–5sets

38–

10repswith

concentric;3–5

sets3

10–

12repswitheccentriconly

Two-m

ovemen

ttechnique

Glute-bridgean

dhip

thrust

(bodyweight,plates,or

barbell)(Figures9–

13)

3–5s

Lower

body.Can

focusoneccentric

only

or

perform

norm

alconcentric

repswith

eccentricem


duration

3–5sets

38–

10repswith

concentric;3–5

sets3

6–8

repswitheccentric

only

Supramax;slow

aCan

also

perform

single-leg

movemen

ts

aTh

euse

ofplates,orload

edbarbellcanbeusedfor

supramax

inad

ditionto

slow

techniques

Half-kn

eel-bottom-uppress-

eccentric

only

3–5s

Upper

body.Mainly

focusedoneccentric

only

while

also

incorporatinghalf-kn

eelin

gpositionan

dad

ditionalcore

andhip

stab

ility

3–5sets

36–

8reps

2/1technique;

slow;supramax

aCan

beusedforconcentric

portionan

deccentrically

emphasized

oreccentric

only

aCan

beusedas

amix

ofall

Practical Applications of Eccentrics

VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 1 | FEBRUARY 20156

Table

2Eccentrictrainingtech

niques

Tech

nique

How

toperform

Eccentric

duration

Sets

andreps

Exa

mple

exercises

2/1technique

Lifttheweightconcentrically

using2

limbs(both

armsforupper

body,both

legsforlower

body)

5s

70–8

0%1R

Mofyourselected

exercises

Rowing,variousbicep

san

dtricep

sexercises

that

canbeperform

edusingthetricep

srope,

dumbbells,freeweight,an

dmachines

Return

weighteccentrically

with1lim

b60

-srest

SeeTable

1

Two-m

ovemen

ttechnique

Use

acompoundmovemen

t(i.e.,ben

chpress

andpower

clean)an

dthe

eccentric

portionofan

isolation

movemen

t

5s

4–5sets

35

Power

clean/reverse

curl

90–1

10%

1RM

oftheweight

typically

usedforyo

ur

selected

exercises

Close-gripben

ch/tricepsextension

Forexam

ple,use

90–1

10%

1RM

ofyo

urreversecurlor

tricep

sextension.6

0-srest

DBben

ch/flies,DB

Squat/single-leg

DBsquat

Slow/superslow

Execute

asupersloweccentricphasewhile

concentricallyliftingthebar

explosively

Variesdep

endingon

theload

60–8

5%ofyo

urmaxim

um

60-s

rest

Varioussingle-arm

andsingle-leg

exercises(i.e.,

tricep

spushdowns,dumbbellsplit

squat

Lower

%1R

Myields

alonger

eccentric

duration(i.e.,60

%10

–12s

Neg

ative

(supramax)

Perform

ingtheeccentric-only

portionof

anexercise

Theeccentric

actionis

load

dep

enden

tSetof1rep

Close-gripben

ch,bicep

curls

aReq

uires

aspotter

110–

130%

ofyo

urmaxim

um

8–10

siftheload

is11

0–12

0%

4–6s,6–

8secondsiftheload

is12

0–13

0%

Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 7

Current and recent evidence does indi-cate that eccentric muscle contractionsare important in practically all sportsthat involve jumping, running, orthrowing as a critical part of thestretch-shortening cycle (44). Studiesshow a relationship between improvedeccentric strength and improved ath-letic performance exists. For example,in fast movement (i.e., sprinting), preac-tivation of muscles is observed betweenthe onset of electromyographic signaland the subsequent limb movement(45). In addition, preactivation ofmuscleimmediately enhances sensitivity ofmuscle spindles, leading to improvedregulation of reflex potentiation and

stiffness throughout the subsequenteccentric phase (24), and that in jump-ing exercises, high and fast muscle acti-vation during the eccentric phase of thetakeoff improves performance (25). Inaddition, evidence suggests that in thelong jump, the maximal stretch in fibersof leg extensor muscles is achieved ina very short time (i.e., 15 milliseconds)after touchdown, leading to greatereccentric force enhancement than theconcentrically generated force immedi-ate before the kickoff (41).

In addition, although both concentricand isometric muscle contractionselicit a hypertrophy response, numerousstudies have reported that eccentric

actions may have the greatest effect onskeletal muscle growth (15,21,22,32,37).Importantly, some studies go 1 step fur-ther and indicate that the speed of theeccentric action may preferentiallyimpact hypertrophic changes (11,42).Farthing and Chilibeck (12) examinedthe effect of isokinetic eccentric and con-centric training at 2 velocities (fast, 1808)and (slow, 308) on muscle hypertrophywhere they trained 1 arm eccentricallyfor 8 weeks followed by concentric train-ing of the opposite arm for 8 weeks. Tensubjects served as nontraining controls.Subjects were tested before and aftertraining for elbow flexor muscle thick-ness by sonography and isokineticstrength. The results indicated thateccentric training resulted in greaterhypertrophy than concentric training.The fast eccentric training group (1808)resulted in greater hypertrophy thanconcentric training group (1808) trainingand concentric (308) training. However,the slow-velocity (eccentric, 308) traininggroup resulted in greater hypertrophythan the concentric group (1808) train-ing. It is important to note that thehypertrophic superiority of eccentrictraining is largely attributed to a greatertime under tension. It is postulated this isbecause of a reversal of the size principleof recruitment, resulting in fast-twitchfibers being recruited first (42). In addi-tion, eccentric training has been shownto lead to increased hypertrophy forboth concentric-only strength andeccentric-only strength (4,11,17,20,22).Thus, from a hypertrophy perspective,it seems that movement speed duringthe eccentric portion of a repetition(rep) may play a role in determininghow the involved muscle responds.

Eccentric training is mainly incorpo-rated in an indirect manner by strengthand conditioning and fitness professio-nals; as a result, it is often underusedand undervalued, and it is our conten-tion misunderstood. Many techniquesof eccentric training are available forincorporation into a training programalong with the use of nontraditional ex-ercises for able-bodied clinical and ath-letic populations. This article examinesthe scientific basis of eccentric training

Figure 1. Starting position of single-leg stiff-legged deadlift. Athlete should strive tostay arched as much as possible while driving the back leg up with hipextended and use a slight knee bend in the front leg. There should be littlehip rotation.



Jonathan N Mike

and extends this science by emphasiz-ing the delivery of practical recommen-dations for all potential applications. Inaddition, suggestions for progressionsare provided depending on trainingabilities and experience and furtherhighlighted using case study scenarios.

BENEFITS OF ECCENTRICSTRAININGIncorporating eccentric training andprogramming into a resistance trainingprogram can facilitate numerousbenefits that extend well beyond sim-ple increases in strength and hypertro-phy for populations ranging fromathletes desiring peak performance toclinical patients involved in physicalrehabilitation. With eccentric exercise,

greater force output is produced dur-ing a maximal eccentric action primar-ily because of the ability to use higherexternal loads. Research focusing onthe effects of overload training (100–120% 1RM) during the eccentric phaseof a movement has routinely demon-strated a greater ability to developmaximal strength.

Research byDoan et al. (9) reported thatapplying a supramaximal load ($105%of 1RM) on the eccentric phase of thelift elicited increases in 1RM concentricstrength by 5–15 lbs. These abilities toincrease strength have been shown to begreater when compared with concentricresistance training using lighter loads(17,21,22,33,39). In addition, a numberof other adaptations have been reported

in the literature in support of eccentrictraining and include heightened neuraladaptations in response to eccentrictraining when compared with concen-tric training (22). These neural adapta-tions likely include spinal and corticalmechanisms (i.e., larger excitability andgreater involvement of brain areas) andare areas in need of greater research (19).In addition, the energy cost of eccentricexercise is comparably low, despite thehigh muscle force being generated. Thismakes eccentrics an appealing strategyfor those wishing to gain additionalstrength and hypertrophy because ofthe fact that more volume can be per-formed without excessive fatigue.Exercise-induced hypertrophy fromeccentric exercise is likely manifestedby greater muscular tension under load.This is a situation that has been mech-anistically explained to represent a rever-sal of the size principle of motor unitrecruitment, resulting in fast-twitchmotor units being preferentially re-cruited earlier in the process (42).Finally, and as a mechanistic link to re-ports of greater hypertrophy, eccentricexercise is also linked to more robustincreases in protein synthesis (31) as wellas a larger rise in IGF-1 mRNA expres-sion (42) when compared with concen-tric muscle actions.

Scientific literature indicates thateccentric training sessions elicit greatermuscle damage compared withconcentric training as represented bya loss of force production and in-creases in soreness as well as increasedconcentrations of serum-based pro-teins of myofibrillar origin (34,35).The response to damage from eccen-tric training is thought to be associatedwith a mechanical disturbance ofthe actomyosin bond versus ATP-dependent detachment, leading togreater stress and strain on the contrac-tile apparatus compared with othermuscle actions, increasing the suscep-tibility to muscle damage (16).

Other interesting findings related to mus-cle damage include indications that thedegree of eccentric-induced muscle dam-age is greater in upper-limb musculaturewhen compared with lower limb (23,36).

Figure 2. Finish position of single-leg stiff-legged deadlift.


It also seems that fusiform muscles (i.e.,biceps brachii) are more susceptible toeccentric-induced damage than penni-formmuscles (i.e., rectus femoris) becauseof pennate muscles having short fasciclesthat attach obliquely to a central tendonrunning the length of the muscle (23).Finally, evidence also indicates thata fiber-type specific response to muscledamage may occur whereby type IImuscle fibers seem to be more vulnerableto damage during eccentric exercisethan type I muscle fibers (30,43).Whether these intramuscular factors willeventually result in altered eccentric

prescriptions primarily in clinical popula-tions to avoid (or promote) damage andits ensuing repair and remodeling phasesremains to be seen, but the scientificfoundation is present for such consider-ations to be entertained.

As mentioned previously, incorporat-ing eccentric training not only benefitshealthy adults and athletic popula-tions, but these benefits also extendto a number of clinical populations.For example, the aging process resultsin a progressive and continual reduc-tion in muscle strength. For this reasonalone, incorporation of eccentric

training could be considered in anelderly population for its known abilityto improve muscle strength and powerwhile also reducing their risk for fallsand potential fracture risk (26,27). Withrespect to increases in power, eccentricexercise training serves an importantpart in all aspects of sports and is crit-ical during the stretch-shortening cycle(44) and has been shown to be an effec-tive modality in increasing (explosive)muscle strength, muscle cross-sectionalarea, leading to increased sarcomerelength. Recent evidence suggests thateccentric and over-speed trainingmodalities are effective in improvingcomponents of muscular power, andeccentric training induces specifictraining adaptations relating to muscu-lar force. It was found that eccentrictraining with over-speed stimuli wasmore effective than traditional resis-tance training in increasing peak powerin the countermovement jump (8).

Other clinical populations can benefitfrom incorporating eccentric training,particularly if the patient exhibitsa low level of strength and is justbeginning a resistance training or reha-bilitation program. For example,research involving patients with strokeand chronic obstructive pulmonarydisease has demonstrated a significantpreservation of eccentric strengthwhen compared with age-matchedhealthy controls (10,29). Additionally,increases in collagen synthesis and im-provements in overall bodily function(13) regularly occur as part of a com-prehensive rehabilitation program.

Physical rehabilitation populations canalso derive benefits from eccentrictraining, starting first with the knowncross-education effect or the transfer ofstrength gains unilaterally from 1limb/side to the other (11). Protocolsusing cross education have been shownto successfully improve quadricepsstrength in the limbs of healthy unin-jured participants, although the exactmechanism is still not yet fully ex-plained. Recent evidence examinedthe effect of eccentric exercise on quad-riceps strength and activation gains inthe unexercised limb. Eighteen healthyFigure 4. Mid-position of glute/ham raise.

Figure 3. Starting position of glute/ham raise: Athletes should place your feet againstthe footplate in between the rollers as they lie facedown. The kneesshould be just behind the pad. Incorporating the eccentric emphasizedtechnique(s), the athletes should start from the top of the movement.Keep your body straight and stay braced with the core. Slowly move downfocusing on the eccentric portion while keeping the upper body straightand continue until you are fully extended.



individuals were randomly assigned toan eccentric training group or a controlgroup. Quadriceps strength and activa-tion measured pre-, mid-, and postinter-vention. Eccentric training participantsexercised their dominant limb witha dynamometer in eccentric mode at608$s21, 3 times per week for 8 weeksand found greater eccentric strength inthe unexercised limbs in eccentric train-ing participants between trials. It wasconcluded that exercising with eccen-tric actions resulted in mode-specificand velocity-specific improvements inquadriceps strength in the unexercisedlimb, suggesting that strength gains mayhave occurred because of enhancedneural activity (28).

INCORPORATING ECCENTRICSINTO YOUR PROGRAMA variety of eccentric training techni-ques are available along with the use ofa number of nontraditional exercises forable-bodied clinical and athletic popula-tions. Although several eccentric techni-ques exist that strength and conditioningand fitness professionals can use, 4 cate-gories of eccentric techniques are mostcommonly used. These 4 techniques arehighlighted in the following section.

2/1 TECHNIQUEThe 2/1 technique for emphasizing theeccentric component involves lifting theweight through its concentric range ofmotion with 2 limbs, while moving theweight back through the eccentricphase with 1 limb. It should be empha-sized that the load should be heavyenough to pull through the concentricphase as quick as possible but heavyenough to challenge the individualthroughout the eccentric portion. Spe-cifically, the load during the eccentricphase should be twice as high as duringthe concentric phase, and an approxi-mate load of 70% of bilateral concentric1RM is considered to be a general start-ing point. Sets of 3–5 reps per limb areperformed (6–10 total reps per set), witha rest interval of 60 seconds. Tables 1and 2 provide examples of several exer-cises that can be modified to accentuatethe eccentric phase using any of thetechniques highlighted throughout this

Figure 6. Starting position of eccentric pull-up using a supinated grip. The athletescan also use various grip positions such as double overhand, neutral,narrow, or wide.

Figure 5. Finish position of glute/ham raise.


article. Finally, past experiences of usingthis technique indicate that a wide vari-ety of populations can benefit fromits use.

TWO-MOVEMENT TECHNIQUEThe 2-movement technique is slightlymore technical as compared with the2/1 eccentric technique. With the 2-movement technique, it is recommen-ded that the concentric portion shouldbe a compound (multijoint) exercisecoupled with an isolation exercise forthe eccentric portion of the lift. It isour contention through personal expe-rience and coaching that this techniqueshould be practiced among more highlytrained individuals. The volume andload parameters should consist of 90–

110% of your maximal load while incor-porating 4–5 sets of 5 reps with aneccentric duration of 5 seconds. Restperiods should be 1–2 minutes inbetween sets. Sample exercises usingthis technique (i.e., power clean/reversecurl, close-grip bench/triceps extension,etc.) and basic prescription recommen-dations are provided in Table 2.

SLOW/SUPERSLOWThis technique is relatively simple. Thelifter executes an exaggerated slow-speedeccentric phase while concentrically lift-ing the bar explosively. This is perhapsone of the more common eccentricallyemphasized techniques in comparisonwith other techniques, and as a result, ithas been used to a greater extent. Again,

we have attempted to provide detailsregarding this technique in Table 2. Itshould be emphasized that the eccentricduration varies depending on the loadused. For example, a lower % 1RM yieldsa longer eccentric duration (i.e., 60% 10–12 seconds), whereas a heavier load (i.e.,85%) would likely yield approximate 4-second eccentric action duration. Aload ranging from 60 to 85% 1RM iscommonly used with eccentric actiondurations ranging from 2 to 15 sec-onds, depending on load assignment,type of movement, size of musclegroup, etc. A rest period of 60 secondsis commonly used, which could be fur-ther modified depending on other de-tails found within the overall exerciseprescription.

NEGATIVE (SUPRAMAX)This type of training primarily refers tothe eccentric action and is mainly usedas an eccentrically emphasized trainingtechnique. Although an effective tech-nique, 1 drawback is that it requires atleast 1 spotter, and depending on theexercise, load, and number of eccentricreps to be completed, 2 or 3 spottersmay be needed. For example, when per-forming a bench press, 1–2 spotters arerecommended. There should be noactual concentric lift with this type oftechnique, which commonly results inthe spotter concentrically lifting thebar to the starting position after the lifterperforms the eccentric rep. Therefore,the lifter should focus their efforts oneccentric control throughout the supra-maximal technique. As indicated inTable 2, sets of 1 rep should be usedwith 110–130% of concentric 1RM.However, the time of the eccentricaction is load dependent with 110 and130% of 1RM. For example, an 8- to 10-second eccentric action can be expectedif the load is 110–120% concentric 1RM.Furthermore, the lifter may increase theload percentage (125–130% concentric1RM) which will decrease the overallduration of the eccentric phase to some-where around 4–5 seconds in duration.When performing this specific tech-nique, it is recommended that 3–10 setsof singular reps be completed at a load of110–120% 1RM. We recommend

Figure 7. Mid-position of eccentric pull-up.



starting conservatively with this tech-nique, as it places a large demand onthe nervous system and therefore canelicit rapid periods of overreaching andpotentially overtraining. As a result, theindividual should take a longer rest inter-val when using this technique andclosely evaluate recovery, soreness, etc.,before completing a subsequent work-out using this technique. Provided thata muscle is not fully fatigued during con-centric training (46), the use of heavynegatives (supramax) may elicit greatermotor unit fatigue and thus provide anadditional hypertrophic stimulus. Thegreatest improvements using supra-maximal eccentrics (110–120%1RM) have been reported by Bran-denburg and Docherty (1) who re-ported an increase in elbow extensor

strength of 24% compared with 15%using standard resistance trainingafter 10 weeks of training 2–3 timesper week. Similar results were also re-ported by Doan et al. (9) who applieda supramaximal load ($105% of1RM) on the eccentric phase of thelift and elicited increases in 1RM con-centric strength.

SCENARIOSThe following section is included in thehopes that it will help facilitate a broad-er understanding of how eccentric tech-niques can be used and hopefullystimulate additional thought by thereader to further apply the differenteccentric techniques. Both scenariosare intended to build on the informa-tion outlined in Tables 1 and 2.

SCENARIO 1A 240-lb football player has a severehamstring strain. To facilitate recoveryand strength, it is recommended thatthe individual incorporates eccentrictraining into his program. His goalsare to restore range of motion andstrength and to use specific hamstringexercises to assist in this process. Oncethe initial inflammation phase has beenresolved (i.e., 1–4 weeks), he can beginto primarily use open kinetic chain andnon–weight-bearing exercises. Once theathlete has tolerated the non–weight-bearing exercises, Comfort et al. (7) havesuggested to implement low-velocityeccentric activities such as stiff-leg dead-lifts, eccentric hamstring–lowering exer-cises, and split squats. Based on therecommendations from Comfort et al.(7), the next phase involves higher veloc-ity eccentric exercises that include plyo-metric and sport-specific activitiesdesigned to increase hamstring torqueand lower-extremity power. Examplesinclude squat jumps, split jumps, bound-ing, and depth jumps. Finally, sports-related progressions should completethe program. Comfort et al. (7) suggestprogressing from unidirectional linearmovements to bidirectional and thenmultidirectional movements. These ex-amples may include progressions from2-leg jumps, single-leg hops, single-legbounding, backward skips, lateral hops,lateral bounding, and zigzag hops andbounding. Furthermore, evidence fromBrughelli and Cronin (2) proposes thatincorporating eccentric exercise forreducing the frequency of hamstringstrains should include the following:high force, maximal muscle elongation,high velocity, multijoint movements,closed-chain exercises, and unilateral ex-ercises. These include eccentric lungedrops, eccentric single- and double-legdeadlifts, and even a split stance “goodmorning” exercise with the load posi-tioned in front compared with a poste-rior load on the back. It should be notedthat we have provided similar eccentricemphasized exercises for the lower body(Table 1) that can also be used in thisscenario example for the specific

Figure 8. Finish position of eccentric pull-up.


eccentric action duration with the rec-ommended set and rep scheme.

SCENARIO 2An advanced 28-year-old female lifterwith 10 years of training experiencewants to incorporate some eccentricemphasized training into her trainingprogram to assist in further developmentof strength and hypertrophy. She hascompeted in strength sports throughouthigh school and college and continues tocompete recreationally for the past 6years while recently completing 3

bodybuilding competitions in the past2 years. With this scenario, multipleeccentric-focused resistance trainingtechniques can be performed using exer-cises available in most commercial gyms.

2/1 technique. The 2/1 technique is anideal eccentric technique for this type ofscenario. For example, using bilateral ma-chines (i.e., leg press or chest press) whileraising the load with both limbs and low-ering with only 1 limb will limit fatigueand allow the lifter to complete more

eccentric actions. Both of these examplescan also be completed with dumbbells,but care and caution need to be paidtoward muscular failure with weightsoverhead. Additionally, eccentric 1-armpush-ups can be completed using the2/1 technique by pressing up with botharms and lowering with 1 arm.

Cluster sets with eccentric emphasis.Cluster sets involve a series of reps inter-spersed by a very short (i.e., 5–30 sec-onds) rest interval (14). A well-knownmodern-day example of this training styleis a “rest-pause” set. A partner or spotterhelps raise the weight to the starting posi-tion. From here, the lifter begins eachseries of reps with an eccentric actionand completes the set (after concentricfailure or as the last rep performed) withan eccentric action to a safe stoppingpoint. With the technique, the lifter canaccumulate additional eccentric actionsover the course of amultiseries cluster set.

Forced eccentrics (surpamaximal tech-nique). These are primarily completedin a fatigued state with lighter loads.For example, as one reaches concentricfailure at the end of a drop set, the spot-ter helps lift the weight and provides anadditional load during the eccentric por-tion so that the eccentric tempo is rela-tively normal or even slower. In thecurrent bodybuilding culture, this is oftenreferred to as “isotension,” where isomet-ric contractions are performed with addi-tional tension provided by a spotter.

CONCLUSIONSEccentric actions are a distinct phase ofnearly every muscular contraction thatare represented by a combination ofseveral unique factors, which ultimatelyimpact how the involved musculatureresponds. A number of eccentric train-ing strategies exist that can allow fora wide variety of applications acrossnearly all populations. Although eccen-trically dominated movements may notbe needed in all situations, it is our con-tention that nearly all populations canindeed derive benefit. Toward this aim,the approach taken throughout thisarticle was to highlight a number ofdifferent eccentric strategies along with

Figure 9. Starting position of barbell hip thrust. The bar should be positioned inthe crease of the hip with the hands holding the bar into positionthroughout the movement, so that the bar does not move forward orbackward.

Figure 10. Top position of barbell hip thrust. At the top, the hips should be fullyextended, with the shins vertical. The athletes should complete the lift bycontracting the glute hard and pushing the hips forward. The low backshould not be overextended. At the top of the movement, your torsoshould be parallel to the ground.



examples and potential prescriptive sce-narios on implementation to encouragethe reader to incorporate and exploreother means in which eccentric trainingcan be incorporated into their athlete’sor client’s programs. From this article,we hope to better highlight many wayshow eccentrics can be incorporated intothe training and therapy programs ofactive athletic and clinical populations.

Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:The authors report no conflicts of interestand no source of funding.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors thank Zia Strength Sys-tems, LLC, in Albuquerque, NM, forthe use of their facility and numerousphotographs taken for this article.

Jonathan Mikeearned his PhDin ExercisePhysiology at theUniversity ofNew Mexico.

Chad M.Kerksick is anassociate profes-sor of ExerciseScience at Lin-denwoodUniversity.

Len Kravitz isthe programcoordinator ofexercise scienceand a researcherat the Universityof New Mexico.

Figure 12. Middle position with leg elevated of barbell hip thrust (downward motion).

Figure 13. Finish position of barbell hip thrust.

Figure 11. Top position with leg elevated of barbell hip thrust. Athlete should striveto keep the lifted leg perpendicular to ground through movement forbalance and added core stability.


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