The Most Underrated Aspect of Strength Training: Eccentrics

The most beneficial aspect of resistance training might also be the most underutilized: eccentric exercise.

When we lift a weight, we are performing concentric exercise.
When we pause with no movement, we are performing isometric exercise.
When we lower the weight, we are performing eccentric exercise.

All three types of muscle contractions matter. But over the last 30 years, a preponderance of research has pointed to one clear conclusion: eccentric exercise may be the most effective method for driving meaningful improvements in strength, health, and performance.

A brand-new paper published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science provides one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date summaries of the benefits of eccentric training.

Here’s what you need to know.

10 Evidence-Based Insights on Eccentric Exercise

1. Eccentric training benefits nearly everyone
Eccentric exercise has broad applicability. Research shows it is effective for children, older adults, clinical populations, sedentary individuals, and high-level athletes alike.

2. It causes soreness—but less over time
Eccentric exercise is well known for causing muscle soreness, especially when first introduced. However, this effect diminishes quickly with repeated exposure—a phenomenon known as the repeat bout effect.

3. It extends beyond the weight room
Eccentric muscle actions occur in everyday activities like walking, running, or hiking downhill. For example, athletes preparing for events like the Boston Marathon often incorporate downhill running to prepare for the unique demands of the course.

4. You’re stronger eccentrically
Muscles can produce more force during eccentric contractions than concentric ones. This increased force production is one of the key reasons eccentric training is so effective.

5. It allows for high loading with lower effort
Because of this higher force capacity, eccentric training allows for greater mechanical loading with lower perceived exertion. This makes it especially valuable in rehabilitation settings.

6. It has a lower metabolic cost
Eccentric exercise places less demand on the cardiovascular system compared to concentric-focused training. In other words, you can stimulate the muscles effectively without the same level of systemic fatigue.

7. It enhances cross-education
Training one limb can improve strength in the untrained limb—a phenomenon known as cross-education. Eccentric training appears to amplify this effect compared to traditional strength training.

8. It drives meaningful performance and health outcomes
Research demonstrates improvements in muscle strength, power, lean body mass, balance, and functional ability. Additional benefits include enhanced cardiovascular health, metabolic function, and even cognitive performance.

9. It preferentially recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers
Fast-twitch fibers are critical for power, speed, and maintaining functional independence as we age. Eccentric training effectively targets these fibers across populations—from young athletes to older adults.

10. Almost no one does it well
Despite the overwhelming evidence, most people neglect eccentric training. In most gyms, you’ll see people lift weights with control—and then let gravity do the rest on the way down.

How to Incorporate Eccentric Training

The good news: applying eccentric principles is simple.

• Lift a weight for 2 seconds, then lower it for 4–10 seconds

• Have a partner assist with the lifting phase, then lower the weight slowly (e.g., 10 seconds)

• Perform extended lowering phases (30–60 seconds)

• Use two limbs to lift and one limb to lower (e.g., leg extensions)

• Incorporate downhill walking, running, or hiking

The Bottom Line

Eccentric exercise is not new. But it remains dramatically underutilized.

If your goal is to improve strength, enhance performance, and maximize the health benefits of resistance training, the evidence is clear: how you lower the weight matters just as much—if not more—than how you lift it.

Slow it down. Control the descent. And take advantage of one of the most effective tools in strength training.