Converge Flourish July 25 - final - Flipbook - Page 25
h the slow
WHY ECCENTRIC STRENGTH
TRAINING DESERVES A SPOT IN
YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE
When it comes to
building strength, most
of us think the only
way to level up is to lift
heavier weights. While
that’s certainly one way
to do it, there’s another,
often overlooked
strategy that can be just
as powerful — slowing
things down.
Welcome to the world
of eccentric strength
training — where going
slow can actually get you
results faster.
What Is Eccentric
Training?
Let’s start with a li琀琀le
muscle science (don’t
worry, we’ll keep it short
and simple!). Every 琀椀me
you move, your muscles
perform one of three
types of ac琀椀ons:
• Concentric: This is
when your muscle
shortens during a
movement — like
when you curl a
dumbbell up towards
your shoulder in a
bicep curl.
• Isometric: This is
when your muscle
is working, but not
moving — like holding
that same bicep curl
halfway up and just
pausing there.
• Eccentric: This is
the lowering or
lengthening phase —
like when you slowly
lower the dumbbell
back down.
Eccentric training focuses
on that lowering part
of the movement —
the phase where your
muscles are actually
at their strongest.
