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Eccentric Training does not mean that you have to wear a dress made from mud in the gym whilst reciting spells and living a lifestyle that other people would never understand. No my friends that would be an eccentric that you are thinking about, I am talking about Eccentric Training which is the controlled lengthening of a muscle and annoyingly spelt the same. This is a technique that you can introduce to your training in the gym or at home. The idea behind it is to improve your strength quicker than "normal" training. I use this training with many clients who want to improve muscular size or when I need them to improve strength quickly in a particular area.
How is it done?
It is not a difficult style of training to pick up. First you have to understand the full movement used in nearly all exercises. The first movement is known as the concentric phase where your muscle shortens to complete that movement. The eccentric phase is the part of the movement that lengthens the muscle back to the start position in a slow controlled manner. The muscle is still working whilst getting longer. Now you understand the part of the movement we are referring to, we can now get into the essence of eccentric training. It is understood that we can use much more weight in the eccentric phase of the movement than we can in the concentric because it is easier to lengthen the muscle than it is to shorten it. Due to the extra weight involved you will always need a partner to train this form of exercise as it is nearly impossible and unsafe to try on your own. You will need them there to "spot" you (meaning they will be there to take the weight if you lose control - Beeble).
Weight Selection
Before you get overenthusiastic and pick the heaviest weight you can find, STOP. This is not quite the idea, you should still be able use the weight in the concentric movement but only be able to complete around 1 to 4 repetitions with perfect technique. If you choose a weight that is too heavy you could literally rip the muscle from the bone, so be very careful and don’t get carried away.
An Example
We are going to take the bicep curl as our example. Stand with your arm bent so that you have the hand at shoulder level. Let your training partner place the (carefully selected) weight into your hand. Now it is your job to lower the weight until your arm is straight. The movement should be very slow and very controlled taking anything from 2 seconds to 5 seconds to complete. Once you reach the bottom you should relax and let your partner take the weight back up to the start position (with you still holding on) and repeat the movement. Keep this going until you cannot keep the timing at more than 2 seconds. As soon as it is less than 2 seconds stop, as you have lost absolute control.
What is it good for?
As already mentioned, it is great for improving the strength of the muscle being worked. It is also good for improving muscle function as you are training the muscle to be strong in a new direction. It is a good exercise to introduce to nearly all sports and requires careful planning from a fitness professional. They will be able to pick which muscles are good to work in this manner and which need improvement for your chosen sport.
It is a very good way to train the hamstring if you are an avid runner and have suffered from hamstring injuries in the past. In the running movement the hamstrings are partly used to slow the forward momentum of your legs so that they can power backwards and drive you forwards. Without this ability your legs wouldn’t stop, you would tear your hamstring muscle and kick yourself in the face. Not a good look! So the hamstrings are prime candidates for this form of training as it would increase the load they could handle from running and therefore potentially improve your speed. The equipment most suitable for this is the Hamstring Curl machine. It will allow you and your partner to get the legs in the shortest position then it will be down to you to slowly let your legs straighten.
Recommendations
This type of training is not the sort of training you should dedicate a whole exercise routine to. Keep to your usual exercise program but add this form of training at the end of your workout. Use eccentric training for the muscle that you have been told to train by your fitness professional or the muscle that you want to see a marked improvement in after completing the standard exercises for that muscle. By doing this you will be able to fatigue the muscle that much more than is possible with normal training, which will make your body adapt that much quicker and the end result will be a faster gain in strength than you would normally see.
And a Warning…
I have already mentioned the importance of correct weight selection, so don’t get carried away. It is also important that the partner you select is attentive to you throughout the exercise and that they are strong enough to take the weight from you if you lose control. They also need to be experienced enough in exercise to know what to look for. A personal bit of advice: if you are training at the gym I would always ask for one of the gym staff to "spot" for you rather than a friend as their knowledge should be perfect to help you. This type of training is hard work and as such I would generally only recommend it to people who have a moderate to high fitness level and experience. It is also tempting to hold your breath when performing this type of training, don’t! as it will put a huge strain on your heart. Breathe in at the start and slowly out on the way down. If you suffer from a heart condition or have high blood pressure do not consider doing this at all. If you are unsure always check with your doctor before you take on any new form of exercise. Be safe!
Good luck with it. Let me know if it helps you get the improvements you have been looking for by leaving a comment. Remember if you have any questions on any fitness related issue please send them through and I will do my best to answer them all.
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September 18th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
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