To learn how to nail that negative squat properly — and find a few
more eccentric exercises to add to your workouts — check out Donavanik's suggestions below.
Not exact matches
Most people underestimate the importance of
eccentric training because they don't know that there is
more mechanical load per motor unit during the
eccentric phase of an
exercise, and the reason for this is that
eccentric contraction involves fewer motor units.
Type II / b muscle fibers are your strongest fibers and they are the most activated ones when executing the
eccentric (negative) part of the
exercise and one of the reason why everyone can handle
more weight while lowering it than lifting it.
The muscle can produce and sustain
more tension during the lengthening (
eccentric) phase of the
exercise, which increases the chances of a strain occurring.
The use of heavy
eccentric strength training
exercise together with
more explosive, plyometric - like movements, therefore, seems to provide the ideal combination of mechanical load and neuromuscular recruitment needed to improve the rate of force development.
More specifically, it is due to the high intensity
eccentric (lengthening) contractions during these
exercises.
I tend to do a little
more than this (not just
eccentric exercise), but only because it makes me feel better about myself to do so, and I actually enjoy it after 30 years of near couch potato levels of activity.
To learn
more, here's an interesting research article about using
eccentric exercise to tear muscle tissue more effectively: Eccentric Muscle Fatigue
eccentric exercise to tear muscle tissue
more effectively:
Eccentric Muscle Fatigue
Eccentric Muscle Fatigue Article.
It is suggested that this works due to the ability of the
exercise to increase the peak
eccentric force of the hamstrings at shallower angles of knee flexion (the knee is
more extended) vs. a leg curl which puts a premium on concentric force when the knee is in full flexion.
According to Sakhrani, «Doing [lower - body]
exercises works on muscles that help maintain an active lifestyle as well as enhance athletic performance,» listing benefits such as gait improvement for easier walking, better balance,
more eccentric control (the ability to absorb impact), and enhanced recovery through growth hormone production.
Overspeed
eccentric training has first been proposed by Louie Simmons as an alternative to
more conventional plyometric
exercises such as depth jumps and drop jumps.
Damage produced by
eccentric exercise was
more persistent than previously reported, indicating that
more than 10 days may be necessary for recovery of muscle ultrastructure and carbohydrate reserves.
So, emphasizing the
eccentric portion of an
exercise during some sessions may pay off with
more growth as you become
more advanced.
Compared to evenly - paced
exercises,
eccentric training may lead to
more muscle soreness thanks to the way it challenges muscle fibers.
Eccentric strength is preferentially improved by eccentric training, high - velocity strength is best enhanced by using fast bar speeds, strength in partial ranges of motion is improved more by training with partial exercises, maximum strength is increased more by training with heavy loads, and strength in unstable environments is best improved by strength training with a stability c
Eccentric strength is preferentially improved by
eccentric training, high - velocity strength is best enhanced by using fast bar speeds, strength in partial ranges of motion is improved more by training with partial exercises, maximum strength is increased more by training with heavy loads, and strength in unstable environments is best improved by strength training with a stability c
eccentric training, high - velocity strength is best enhanced by using fast bar speeds, strength in partial ranges of motion is improved
more by training with partial
exercises, maximum strength is increased
more by training with heavy loads, and strength in unstable environments is best improved by strength training with a stability challenge.