Eccentric Exercises: More Time Under Tension
Eccentric contractions create more force with less energy. Eccentric strength training is about maintaining tension through your muscles while extending them in a controlled way. Eccentric contractions are when your muscles lengthen. These contractions essentially act as a braking mechanism. When you do the eccentric part of an exercise, for example, when you resist the pull of gravity as you lower a weight, you move with the resistance instead of against it. When performing eccentric exercises you are less likely to overtax injured joints and muscles and you can more effectively improve strength, power and speed performance safely. We recommend eccentric exercises for at home exercises in the cases when our patients don’t have access to heavier weights. Studies have shown that eccentric exercises can increase flexibility, help you to power through plateaus, and can reduce the risk of injury.
