FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#13 - Flipbook - Page 12
why train eccentrically?
Believe it or not, your
muscles can handle more
force while lengthening
than shortening. That
means you’re stronger
during the eccentric
phase — and there’s
serious training potential
in tapping into that.
THE BIG BENEFITS:
Strength & Power Gains:
Because your muscles
are capable of producing
more force eccentrically,
this style of training can
give your strength and
power a serious boost.
Research shows it’s
especially effective in
developing fast-twitch
muscle 昀椀bres, which
are key for explosive
movement and speed.
Muscle Growth
(Hypertrophy): Eccentric
training creates more
mechanical stress on your
muscles — which can
lead to greater muscle
breakdown and, over
time, more growth. A
2020 meta-analysis in
Frontiers in Physiology
con昀椀rmed that eccentric
overload training can
lead to superior gains in
muscle mass compared to
traditional methods.
Fat Loss & Metabolism:
Even though eccentric
contractions use less
oxygen and energy during
the actual movement,
they cause more muscle
damage — which ramps
up your metabolism postworkout. Translation?
You burn more energy
during recovery.
Flexibility Improvements:
Yep, eccentric training
may also help you
become more 昀氀exible.
Lengthening your muscles
under load helps to
increase range of motion,
which can be especially
useful for people with
tight hamstrings, hips
or shoulders.
Injury Rehab and Joint
Support: Eccentric
training has been used
in physio clinics for years
— especially to help
treat issues like Achilles
tendinopathy or patellar
tendon pain. It builds
strength in a controlled
way and places less stress
on joints compared to fast,
high-intensity movements.
