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Is the Lengthening Phase of an Exercise the Secret to Muscle Growth?
The science behind training with a maximal eccentric stretch.
When you’re working out, do you know what the portion of the exercise is called when we lower the weight?
This is called the eccentric, the lengthening portion of a muscle contraction.
And no, it’s not just a chance to rest before the hard part. It’s critical for muscle growth.
Why? Because muscle doesn’t just grow from lifting, it grows from being stretched under load. Yet when they’re trying to build muscle, most people in the gym are focusing their attention on lifting heavier weights. I’ve been there!
Have they got it wrong?
This article explores how training our muscles at longer lengths can significantly boost muscle growth.
What is an Exercise’s Eccentric?
An exercise has four distinct portions, which we call muscle contractions. Two of these contractions are stationary, the isometric and isotonic, and two are moving, the concentric and the eccentric.
An isometric contraction is at the end of the eccentric, with our muscles lengthened; and the isotonic is when the muscle is fully shortened, such as…
