Want to boost your strength and muscle? If the answer is yes, are you training in the best way to unlock those gains? Well, it turns out there’s an underutilized part of every exercise that you can emphasize to actually gain more strength than ever before. We’re here to break down what “eccentric” exercises are and the 10 best eccentric exercises to build muscle.
Let’s quickly go over two important phases for every exercise. One is called “concentric.” This is where your muscles contract to move a weight. For example, when you do a pushup, the concentric portion is when you push yourself back up. For a squat, it’s when you squat up. For a pull-up, it’s when you pull yourself toward the bar from the starting position.
Another is called “eccentric:” This is when your muscles lengthen while moving a weight. To use those same exercises, when you do a pushup, the eccentric portion is when you lower yourself. For a squat, it’s when you squat down. For a pull-up, it’s when you lower yourself from the bar back to the starting position.
The eccentric phase is where a lot of magic happens. Why? Because you can handle far more weight with your eccentric movement. By emphasizing this portion, you can actually build more muscle and strength or even blast through plateaus because you can overload your muscles. (Also, having more eccentric strength can improve your concentric strength.) Yet many people try to do every repetition as fast as possible, negating many of those benefits.
Below, we’ll share 10 exercises where you can easily and safely train the eccentric phase. This is important to mention because, when training eccentrically, you’ll want to use more weight—as a result, you don’t want an exercise where, if you struggle or fail, it could be dangerous. Instead, you want a movement where you can easily stop or put down the weights.
Now, let’s explore 10 of the best eccentric exercises to build muscle. For each movement, focus slowly on doing the eccentric portion for three to four seconds on every single repetition.
Single-leg Box Squats
Start by facing away from a bench or box. Lift one leg, sit back on the bench, and come up without putting your other leg down. Lower the bench to make the exercise more challenging.
TRX Pushups
Face away from the anchor point with TRX handles in each hand. Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend.
TRX Inverted Row
Grab TRX straps from underneath with your feet closer to the anchor point. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull yourself up while keeping your body straight like a plank.
Pull-ups
Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing away. Start by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pull yourself up and lead with your chest.
Dips
Get on a dip bar, keep your chest out, and lower yourself until your elbows make a 90-degree angle. At the bottom, drive back up. To keep pressure off your neck, look at a spot on the ground a few feet before you.
Bicep Curls
Hold a set of dumbbells so your palms are facing away. Curl the dumbbells, and don’t swing your body.
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Grab two dumbbells and hold them by your shoulders. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed, and push the dumbbells directly overhead. At the top, your biceps should be next to your ears. Don’t lean back or arch your lower back.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
Start with your feet hip-width apart while holding two dumbbells before your hips. Push your hips backward, keep your back neutral, and descend until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Drive through your heels and return to the start position.
SHELC
Lie on your back with your feet on the top of a stability ball. Start by squeezing your glutes and extending your hips. Then, curl your feet underneath your knees while extending your hips and maintaining a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Remember: Every inch you curl your feet is another inch your hips need to rise.
Dumbbell Floor Press
Lie on the floor with your knees bent. Keep your chest up, shoulders squeezed together, and feet flat on the ground. Drive the dumbbells upward, keeping your shoulders back. Keep the dumbbells directly over your elbows throughout.
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