Let’s Go Lower Some Weights

A few of the Discover Strength staff spent the weekend in Orlando attending Strength Forum, a small conference (hosted by Discover Strength) that brought together a small group of strength training practitioners, exercise science researchers, physical therapists, and medical doctors from around the world to talk all things strength training.  The most important theme: Accentuate the eccentric.  Lifting a weight involves concentric muscle contractions (also known as the “positive”), while lowering the weight involves eccentric muscle contractions (also known as the “negative”).

Mounting research suggests that the lowering portion, the eccentric, is the most important part of a strength training exercise. 

Over the weekend, three different presenters emphasized this, all with very different applications.

A former bodybuilding champion (now a PhD and author in his 80s).

An academic exercise scientist.

An orthopedist working with patients with osteoporosis.

For a variety of applications, ranging from packing on lean muscle, safely building bone, and for tapping into “fast twitch” muscle fibers in an aging population, the most viable solution is to accentuate the eccentric. 

How do we do this?

• Lift for 2 seconds and lower for 4 seconds.

• Have someone else lift the weight for you, and you lower for 10 seconds.

• Lift a heavy weight once for 2 seconds and then lower it slowly for 60 seconds.

• Start by lowering the weight for 30 seconds, then slowly lift it for 30 seconds, and then finish by lowering it for 30 seconds.

• Lift with both limbs for 2 seconds and then remove your right limb and let just your left limb lower for 8 seconds (then repeat) – this works on a “bilateral” machine.

• When you reach muscle failure, have someone lift the weight for you while you continue to lower it for 4, 10, or 30 seconds. 

• Start a set by lowering slowly for 30 seconds, then do as many normal reps as possible, when you reach muscle failure, finish with another 30 second eccentric. 

Take home message: Accentuate the eccentric.