Strength and Power

 

A positive attitude is good for your health, business and relationships. Positive people live longer, have lower rates of heart disease and cancer and are generally pleasant to be around but sometimes it pays to get negative. Negative or eccentric training is a very intense form of training that increases strength, power and muscle mass in a short period of time.

 

During the negative part of the movement, where the weight is lowered and the muscle is lengthening, you are 20-40% stronger than during the concentric or lifting phase of the movement, allowing you to use substantially more weight during the negative than you can lift. It is this extra weight and the tension it places on the muscle fibers that is most responsible for the activation of satellite cells that allow the muscles to grow and become stronger.

 

Most of the research suggests that eccentric training is most effective when combined with concentric training but because you need to lift more during the eccentric than the concentric you will need to choose machines that will allow you to lift the weight with both limbs and lower it with one. Load the machine to about 70% of your 1RM, lifting the weight with a controlled speed and lower it using a 4 count, alternating limbs on each eccentric. Perform 8-10 concentric reps which will give you 4-5 eccentric reps for each limb. Because of the intensity of the eccentrics you will only need to use 1-2 exercises for a total of 6-8sets per body part. Take long rest periods, 3-5 minutes, between sets to ensure that you can handle the heavy weight for a four count on every rep.

 

While eccentric training can lead to increases in strength, size and power there is a price to pay in delayed onset muscle soreness that will peak 24-72 hours after the training session and lasting for several days. Accompanying the soreness is a decrease in strength that can last for up to 10 days. Fortunately your body adapts quickly to the eccentric stimulus and the DOMS eventually stops and the strength decrements disappear, allowing you to fully benefit fro the eccentric portion of the workout. When you start eccentric training you will only be able to handle one session per week for the first 1-2 weeks and then you can increase to two and then three sessions per week over the first month. Maintain this frequency for another four weeks and then back off the eccentrics to allow your body to fully recover and adapt to the intense work you have just completed.

 

Unless you want to walk around for a couple weeks like a Frankenstein monster, the body parts you use for eccentric work should be cycled throughout the year. Focus on one body part in each eight week block, alternating upper and lower body muscles each cycle. This will allow you to focus more energy on the eccentric training and still allow you to train other body parts effectively.

  

Ed McNeely is a founding partner of StrengthPro; a South Florida based consulting company. He has a M.Sc. in exercise physiology and has been a consultant to 32 Olympic medal winners.