Looking to add some intensity to your weight training sessions? Researchers from across the pond have been looking at a novel training method that may be able to help. They hit on the idea of increasing the amount of eccentric loading prior to a concentric movement. In most human activities an eccentric motion precedes a movement in the intended direction: this combination of eccentric and concentric actions is termed a stretch shortening cycle, and it is well established that performance is enhanced by the prior countermovement. To see if their hunch was correct the research team recruited eight male subjects to perform maximal attempts on a barbell bench press, using detaching hooks that allowed them to lower 105% of their concentric 1 repetition maximum and raise 100% the bottom of the lift. The nifty device developed by the team allowed the attachment of extra weight to the bar via hooks that would release from the bar at the bottom of the lift, reducing the weight lifted during the concentric phase of the lift.

The researchers found that additional loading during the eccentric phase of a lift significantly increased the weight that could be lifted on the subsequent concentric phase, which is good news for those looking to get the maximum benefit from their training programmes. Admittedly we don’t all have access to such a device, but these findings certainly offer food for thought, and it may not be long before gym equipment manufactures catch onto the research and start building machines that will allow us to overload the eccentric portion of a lift.

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 16 (1), pp 9-13

Nick Grantham