Benefits of Eccentric Exercise Training
Resistance or weight training has many health benefits such as stronger bones, weight control, better posture, and improved balance. However, you can receive additional benefits from your workouts by including a particular movement known as eccentric contraction. We’ll talk more about the three types of muscle actions and the benefits of eccentric movements.
The Three Categories of Strength Training
The three possible muscle actions during an exercise are isometric, concentric, and eccentric. Most weight training and bodyweight exercises potentially involve all three components. One way to look at these three types of exercises is to notice the change in a muscle’s length during the exercise.
· Isometric. An isometric movement entails the contraction of a muscle without its movement. This is a static hold such as that seen in a plank or wall sit exercise.
· Concentric. You stimulate muscular strength with concentric movements. The muscle fibers shorten as you move weight against gravity during the exercise. Concentric movements include pushing up during a bench press, pulling up during a pullup, and the upward movement of a bicep curl.
· Eccentric. The eccentric part of an exercise places a greater demand on your central nervous system and the muscle fibers as the muscle lengthens. Examples of eccentric movements include lowering yourself from a pullup bar and lowering a weight during bicep curls.
What is Eccentric Exercise?
When performing the eccentric part of an exercise, you resist the pull of gravity as you lower the weight. As a result, you may hear eccentric exercises referred to as “negatives.” You can maximize the benefits of negatives by slowing down the lowering movement as much as reasonably possible. For example, you maximize the benefit if you slowly return the bar to your chest after pushing the weight up during a bench press.
Eccentric training often utilizes a partner to assist in the movement. The partner helps you during the concentric movement and offers support and stability as you make the eccentric or lowering movement. This allows you maximum eccentric movement since you can slowly lower more weight. Alternatively, if you don’t have a partner, you can receive a similar benefit by quickly performing the concentric movement. After this, you resist the pull of gravity as slowly as possible as you lower the weight.
Ten Benefits of Eccentric Exercise Training
Researchers have suggested unique benefits to eccentric muscle contractions, leading to distinctive benefits for rehabilitation and clinical purposes. Besides these applications, eccentric exercises offer many benefits, such as:
1. Greater muscular strength
2. Longer, more flexible muscles
3. Muscular hypertrophy or growth
4. Improved concentric contraction strength
5. Increased range of motion
6. Stronger tendons and ligaments
7. Enhanced neural adaptations for better mind-body connection
8. Boosted metabolism for increased calorie burning
9. Decreased risk of injury
10. Better balance
What is Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness?
Although there are many benefits to eccentric exercise training, you may hear or read that it causes something called DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness. When learning about DOMS, it is important to remember that you need a certain amount of muscle damage or tearing to increase muscle strength and size. Also noteworthy is that medical professionals acknowledge that much is still unknown about this post-exercise condition. However, here is what is known that may help you as you implement these exercises into your workout:
· Unlike acute soreness that develops during the activity, DOMS begins 12-24 hours after performing the exercise.
· DOMS produces the most soreness one to three days following exercise.
· Lactic acid buildup is not a component of this condition.
· Although many activities can cause micro-tears in muscle that lead to DOMS, eccentric movements induce these tears more frequently.
· Other symptoms often accompany DOMS, such as swelling, joint stiffness, and reduced strength.
· The most effective approach to minimize DOMS is to slowly progress when starting a new program that includes eccentric exercises.
· Don’t become discouraged by sore muscles since this is an expected part of resistance exercise and is normal.
How to Safely Incorporate Eccentric Exercise Training in Your Routine
You can easily and safely add eccentric training to most workouts, including barbells, dumbbells, weight machines, or bodyweight exercises. Here are some tips to help you receive the most benefit from these exercises:
· To help prevent DOMS, allow more time for recovery when you begin using eccentric exercises.
· Develop a solid foundation of strength, endurance, and mobility before adding these movements.
· When performing the eccentric or lowering movement, maintain a five to ten-second count for each repetition. This helps minimize the risk of injury and ensures your control of the weight during the movement.
Work With Our Physical Therapists
Our physical therapists are movement specialists who can help you rehabilitate an injury or learn the best exercise techniques to improve muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. Located on Johns Island, SC, Coastal Movement Specialists serves the entire Charleston area. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you improve your health and fitness.