You’ve probably heard that weight lifting is good for you, but did you know there’s a special type of weight lifting called eccentric training that provides extraordinary health benefits? Eccentric training has been shown to:
- Reduce chronic pain
- Increase strength
- Increase muscle mass
- Accelerate tendon & muscle healing
- Promote bone growth
- Decrease belly fat
- Promote healthy blood sugar levels
Eccentric training helps your body regenerate new tissue and counteracts many of the driving forces behind chronic injury and chronic pain.
What is Eccentric Training?
Eccentric training focuses on the lowering phase of a lift or exercise, when tendons and muscles lengthen. The image of a bicep curl is a good example: most people focus on the concentric phase, where the muscle and tendon shorten. However, research suggests that the real benefits happen during the lengthening phase of muscle activation — the eccentric lift.
How Does Eccentric Lifting Work?
Eccentric lifting generates greater force within the muscles and tendons compared to other types of resistance training, fully catalyzing growth and healing signals. The stronger your muscles and tendons, the less likely they are to get injured.
Eccentric training also uses less energy, allowing for longer exercise periods without becoming fatigued or risking overuse injuries.
Key Principles of Eccentric Exercise
- Focus on Lowering the Weight: Elongate your muscles and tendons.
- Control the Movement: Proper form is crucial to avoid injury.
- Work Slowly: Each repetition should take around 4 seconds.
- Choose a Heavier Weight: Use a weight that is 20% greater than what you would use with concentric training.
- Use Both Limbs to Lift, One to Lower: This approach ensures controlled and effective eccentric activation.
- Repetitions and Frequency: Aim for 2 sets of 6-8 repetitions per set, twice per week.
Eccentric lifts can be a bit challenging to grasp at first. It’s helpful to watch someone perform them before trying it yourself, but you’ll catch on quickly.
Also check out 4 Must-Have Herbs & Spices for Chronic Pain, Top 3 Teas to Battle Chronic Pain, 5 Strategies to Eliminate Chronic Pain. 7 Must-Have Herbs & Spices for Musculoskeletal Health, & Yoga for Arthritis
