How to It is possible to lift the weights halfway and have the same result: the key is in this gesture

The eccentric phase is the most important phase of strength training, but the one we pay the least attention to. It's common to see people training like they're in a hurry, and by not stopping to control the load on each rep, they're missing out on a big chunk of the pie. We are left with the crumbs of the concentric phase, that is when we exert force, but we lose the great remaining part. New research has once again highlighted the importance of the eccentric phase. We report their findings here, as well as different techniques to enhance that eccentric phase. The eccentric phase is more than half of the movement When we perform a repetition in the gym, there are three phases of the movement: concentric, transition, and eccentric. Taking the bench press as an example, the concentric phase is when we make the force, that is, when we push the bar from the chest up. The transition phase occurs in two moments, both when the bar is at the top, and we have our arms stretched out, as well as when the bar is hitting the chest. This phase can be shorter or longer, but it does not produce force execution. The eccentric phase occurs when the load overcomes us, and we control the load. In the bench press, this phase happens when the bar is lowered towards the chest. This eccentric phase has been widely studied in the scientific literature, as it induces more muscular adaptations than the concentric phase. The eccentric phase is half of the training but generates the greatest results A recent investigation has evaluated what happened to the strength and muscle mass of the biceps if three different types of muscle contraction were performed. One group performed a normal contraction of a biceps curl (concentric + eccentric), another group did only the concentric phase, and another group did only the eccentric phase. The group that performed only the eccentric phase obtained the same results as the one that performed the complete phase (concentric + eccentric), but with half the volume. The group that performed only the concentric phase was the one that obtained the worst results in gains in strength and muscle mass. In some previous investigations, even greater strength gains had been reported in the group that performed only the eccentric phase, compared to the complete movement (concentric + eccentric). This shows that this eccentric phase is vital when it comes to gaining strength. Practical application Today we cannot completely isolate the eccentric phase from the concentric phase, except in some specific machinery that is not for public use in typical sports centers. However, there are different methods that help us enhance this eccentric phase. When the load overcomes us, and we control it, we are able to lift more weight than when we are the ones who do the force. In other words, if we can push 100 kg on the bench press, we are able to slowly control the descent with 20 kg or 30 kg more, that is, with 130 kg. Therefore, we can play with it so that the concentric phase is done with some kind of help so that the eccentric is heavier, and we work more. Here are some examples that you can easily do, whether you train alone or with partners. Ways to enhance the eccentric phase to gain strength and muscle mass, Technique 2/1 The 2/1 technique is an advanced training technique that is as simple as it is effective. It consists of performing the concentric phase with both arms or both hands, but the eccentric phase with only one arm or one hand. It is very simple to carry out thanks to the gym machines. In a seated chest thrust, as we can see in the previous video, we push forward with both hands. Once we have both arms extended, we remove one and perform the eccentric phase slowly with that one. We will do as many repetitions as we have marked with that arm, and we will repeat with the other limb. We can do it on any machine, and even with a little creativity in exercises like lunges. In a multipower machine, we perform the rise (concentric phase) with both legs as if it were squat, but we will lower it with one leg adopting the stride position. A partner assists in the concentric phase If we want to focus on the eccentric phase, we can use our partner to help us in the concentric phase. In this way, we will be able to hold more kilos in that phase that interests us, which is controlling the eccentric phase. We can also be ourselves who skip the concentric phase with a bit of cheating. We can do that in the pull-ups by jumping to get the chin over the bar, and thus focus only on the descent. A partner hinders the eccentric phase, Another option is for the partner to increase the load in the eccentric phase and remove it in the concentric phase. Returning to the example of the bench press, we can perform the concentric phase by ourselves with little load, and once up, the partner pushes the bar down while we control the descent slowly. This can be done in any exercise, since the only thing to keep in mind is that the load used for the concentric phase is less than normal. The strength of our partner will be the extra load in the eccentric phase. Inertial machines or yo-yo machines An option that is increasingly present in more high-performance sports centers is inertial machines, commonly known as yo-yo machines. Its operation is as simple as it is complex, since it consists of accumulating energy in the concentric phase and returning it in the eccentric phase. When we overcome the load in the concentric phase, the energy accumulates in the device, so that it will return to us in the eccentric phase. This causes the load to increase in this eccentric phase, which makes this machinery the best option for working on eccentric strength. The simplest: do not forget the eccentric phase when you train It is common to see people in the gym training as if they are in a hurry. The eccentric phases last even less than the concentric ones, leaving out the big part of the cake. We focus on the concentric phase, but let go of the load on the eccentric phase. Before using complex methods like the ones above, train with a tempo of 311, which seems to make the most sense for gaining muscle mass. The "3" means the duration of the eccentric phase in seconds, that is, hold the eccentric phase for three seconds. The "1" in the middle shows the stop, which can be a second or less, but the goal is that there is no rush and that we prepare for a slow eccentric phase from the beginning. The last "1" alludes to the concentric phase. First, we will start by performing this 311 tempo on each repetition, and then we can play with other more complex techniques.