{"id":411129,"date":"2026-05-04T10:25:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T10:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/411129\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T10:25:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T10:25:07","slug":"put-those-weights-down-how-eccentric-exercise-opens-up-a-whole-new-world-of-fitness-training-programmes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/411129\/","title":{"rendered":"Put those weights down! How \u2018eccentric\u2019 exercise opens up a whole new world of fitness | Training programmes"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all love a power move, such as running, jumping, throwing balls, swinging kettlebells or scaling walls. In comparison, deliberate, controlled movement can seem a bit boring. But this slower side of exercise is frequently safer and less physically demanding than its more showy rival. And according to the latest research, one form of it is more effective than it has traditionally been given credit for.<\/p>\n

\u201cEccentric exercise training provides numerous benefits for physical fitness and overall health, making it suitable for a wide range of individuals,\u201d Prof Kazunori Nosaka writes in a new paper<\/a> published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. It \u201coffers unique advantages over concentric or isometric exercise, particularly in promoting neuromuscular adaptations\u201d.<\/p>\n

Eccentric? Concentric? To explain this in slightly friendlier terms, any movement you make with your body involves one or more sort of muscle contraction: concentric (shortening), isometric (generating force to stay in one place, as you\u2019d do in a plank), or eccentric (lengthening). Practically speaking, it\u2019s usually safe to think of what sports scientists call the eccentric phase of a movement as \u201cthe lowering bit\u201d. In a press-up or squat, it\u2019s the part where your body\u2019s descending towards the floor; in an overhead press, it\u2019s the part where you\u2019re lowering the weights from the top of the move. Typically, this means that eccentrics feel a bit less sexy than concentrics, but increasingly, it seems they\u2019re an excellent option for almost everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne recent meta-analysis<\/a> found that eccentric training is consistently effective for improving strength, power, muscle growth and flexibility across all populations, from athletes to older and clinical groups,\u201d says Callum Roberts, head coach at Results Inc gym. \u201cWe usually use eccentric movements to reinforce technique and develop better range of motion \u2013 slowing down and taking the time to really focus on the movement. If you want to perform better, look better and stay functional over the long term, they really should be part of your training.\u201d<\/p>\n

double quotation markEccentric training is consistently effective for improving strength, power, muscle growth and flexibility Composite: Guardian design; Posed by model; dampphoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Exactly how easy it is to emphasise the eccentric bit of an exercise depends a lot on what you\u2019re doing. Some exercises don\u2019t really have an eccentric phase \u2013 explosive movements such as a kettlebell swing don\u2019t have a part where you control the weight as it comes back down, and sled pushes or pulls don\u2019t involve a part where the sled pushes you back. In everything else, the simplest way to focus on the eccentric is to make the lowering bit slower. \u201cThree to five seconds is a good rule of thumb,\u201d says Kurt Johnson, co-founder of physiotherapy and performance clinic One Body LDN. \u201cFor example, if you\u2019re doing a biceps curl, you\u2019d curl up normally, but in the lowering phase take your time and count the seconds. The same goes for squats or push-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n

For tougher movements, you can also experiment with eccentric-only reps \u2013 in a pull-up, for instance, you can just do a small jump (or stand on a step) to get your chin over the bar, then lower yourself down as slowly as you can. In a press-up, things can be a bit more ungainly, but the principle is the same \u2013 just wrangle yourself into the top position of the movement (a plank, essentially), then try to descend with a bit of decorum.<\/p>\n

In other exercises, you can make the \u201cup\u201d bit easier than the \u201cdown\u201d: in the biceps curl, for instance, you\u2019d do this by \u201ccheat\u201d curling the dumbbells up (using a bit of momentum from your body to help), or by switching standard palms-up curls for palms-facing-each-other hammer curls, which recruit more muscles to the effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cA more advanced option is to add eccentric overload by using two limbs to lift but one to lower, like using both legs to push up in a leg press but one in the down bit\u201d says Anwen Davies, a former gymnast and trainer at The Lady Lab<\/a>. \u201cThis isn\u2019t necessarily something to try as a beginner, but it\u2019s worth bearing in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traditionally, the biggest problem associated with eccentric exercise (apart from how to pronounce the word, which turns out to be ee-centric) is delayed onset muscle soreness, or Doms \u2013 the dreadful feeling when you\u2019ve done too many squats and can\u2019t walk down the stairs properly. This partly happens because it\u2019s easy to accidentally overdo eccentrics. \u201cDespite the workout feeling far less demanding, the body and muscles can end up feeling much more fatigued,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cIt\u2019s important to start with fewer repetitions of each exercise and lower weights before building up \u2013 that way, the soreness will largely become a non-issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

In summary, then: it\u2019s not loud, it\u2019s (probably) not as much fun as leaping on to a box, and you\u2019ll have to use less weight than you normally would, but prioritising eccentrics might actually help you to build some strength. Time to take it slow.<\/p>\n

Composite: Guardian Design; Posed by model; gradyreese\/Getty ImagesFive eccentric exercises to try<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to eccentric exercise (or exercise in general), start easy \u2013 try doing two or three eccentric-focused exercises twice a week, with at least three days between sessions. Do three sets of around five to eight reps, focusing on the slow eccentric phase.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter three to four weeks, your body will adapt to the soreness and you can increase the frequency or add exercises,\u201d says Anwen Davies. \u201cThe beauty of this approach is that you can get significant strength gains in 20 to 30 minutes without needing equipment or getting out of breath.\u201d Take your pick from the below:<\/p>\n

1. Eccentric-focused squats
Squat down slowly for three to five seconds, then stand up at a normal pace. \u201cYou can hold on to a door frame for balance initially, or lower to a chair,\u201d says Davies. \u201cThis helps to build leg strength without the cardiovascular demand of regular squats.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Wall press-ups
Put your hands on a wall shoulder-width apart, and slowly lower your chest towards the surface \u2013 again, three to five seconds is a good count before you pause and press back up. Lower the incline (so that you\u2019re using a table or couch) as you get stronger.<\/p>\n

3. Push presses
Using dumbbells, a barbell, or a couple of bottles of water, bend your knees slightly and then stand up straight, using the momentum to help push the weight overhead \u2013 then lower it slowly. Warm up your shoulders first, though.<\/p>\n

4. Heel drops
\u201cStand on the edge of a step and rise up on to your toes, then, lower your heels slowly below the level of the step before returning to the start,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cThis is a brilliant option for anyone with calf or Achilles issues.\u201d You can also do it while you\u2019re waiting for the bus.<\/p>\n

4. Eccentric calf raises
Similar to heel drops, but a bit more intense, as you\u2019re working on one leg. \u201cRise up on to your toes with both feet, then take one foot off the floor and slowly lower down over three to five seconds,\u201d says Davies. \u201cUse both feet to rise again. This is good for calf strength and ankle stability.\u201d If balance is a problem, putting a hand on the wall or a table is fine.<\/p>\n

5. Slow descent step-downs
Stand on a step or sturdy box, and slowly lower one foot toward the ground over three to five seconds without fully stepping down, then bring it back up. \u201cThis helps to build single leg strength and control, which translates to better balance and injury prevention,\u201d says Davies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We all love a power move, such as running, jumping, throwing balls, swinging kettlebells or scaling walls. In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411130,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-411129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}