Eccentric squats generally make use of weight releasers. These are hooks that attach to the barbell, which can add more weight to the movement while the lifting is squatting down. During eccentric squats, the most common tempos seen are usually between a second contraction.
For concentric squats, the tempo utilized tends to be anywhere between seconds in duration for the concentric. Many lifters have found excellent success using eccentric squat training during their rehabilitation period to decrease tendon pain and restore function. Specifically, tendon pain related to their knees. For example, a study by Kongsgaard and colleagues found that lifters who did 12 weeks of 3-second eccentric-focused training had better long-term outcomes than those who received corticosteroid injections.
For lifters who struggle with their technique during the descending phase of the squat, eccentric squats can work wonders. The deliberate practice of spending additional time going through the eccentric contraction helps to dial in a higher level of technique proficiency. Using equipment such as weight releasers can have their place for lifters seeking to improve the speed and power of their concentrics.
At the end of the day, this helps athletes be more explosive. The tempo squat is a barbell squat variation that manipulates the time required for the lifter to descend to the bottom of their squat — making it a 3 second eccentric.
While the lowering phase is emphasized, the lifter still must lift the bar up on their own for the concentric. The weight releaser squat is a barbell squat variation that overloads the eccentric phase using weight rods that disengage at the bottom of the first repetition. You can check out what weight releasers look like on Rogue Fitness. A frequent sticking point for most lifters in the back squat is a few inches above parallel during the ascent.
Performing concentric squat variations — perhaps starting an inch above parallel — will target this weak range of motion to assist with locking out the weight. Since athletes are weaker during the concentric contraction versus the eccentric , lighter weights must be used when performing concentric squat variations. Below, I dive into the differences between concentric vs.
All exercises — pushups, squats, curls, and everything in between — have both a concentric and eccentric component. A concentric movement happens when your muscles contract, while an eccentric movement occurs when the muscle lengthens. The best example of both concentric and eccentric movements is the biceps curl. When you curl your arm up toward your shoulder, your arm muscles contract a concentric movement. When you lower the weight back toward your waistline, your arm muscles lengthen an eccentric movement.
The third type of muscle movement is an isometric contraction. With isometric movements, your muscle is under tension, but does not move at all. If you performed a static bicep hold holding out two dumbbells with both arms at a degree angle , this would be an isometric movement. Concentric movements occur when your muscle fibers shorten. The concentric portion of a movement works against the force of gravity again, think of your arm raising away from the ground in a bicep curl , and are known as "positive" movements.
Benefits of concentric exercises include increased power and speed. Examples of concentric movements include:. Unlike a muscle contraction , eccentric exercises involve increasing muscle length. During the eccentric phase of an exercise, you work with the force of gravity like lowering your arms back toward your sides in a bicep curl.
These are often called "negative movements," and have been shown to help build muscle mass and increase strength. The majority of muscle damage which sounds like a bad thing, but is actually necessary for muscle growth occurs during eccentric training. Therefore, one of the main benefits of eccentric exercises is muscle hypertrophy , or the growth of your skeletal muscle cells.
Unfortunately, this comes with increased delayed onset muscle soreness DOMS in comparison to concentric movements. Examples of eccentric exercises include:. Lengthening while contracting puts a very large strain on muscles so when your exercise involves a lot of intense eccentric work you can get very, very sore.
Spin classes are an example of an exercise that is heavy on eccentric work—it happens as your legs slow and control the spinning wheel during the return phase of pedalling.
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