Why You Need Both Eccentric and Concentric Exercises in Your Workouts
When it comes to building strength, improving function, and aging strong, it’s not just what you do—it’s how you move. That’s where eccentric and concentric exercises come in. Understanding the difference between these two types of muscle contractions—and how to train both—can change the way you feel in your workouts and in your everyday life.
First, what do “eccentric” and “concentric” mean?
Think of a basic bicep curl:
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Concentric is when the muscle shortens. In this case, when you lift the weight up and your bicep contracts.
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Eccentric is when the muscle lengthens under tension. When you slowly lower the weight back down, that’s eccentric.
Both are equally important—and both serve different purposes in your fitness journey.
Why Concentric Exercises Matter
These are your strength-builders. The pushing, lifting, pulling part of the move—this is where power is generated. Concentric work helps you:
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Build muscle mass and strength
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Improve your ability to lift, push, and pull in daily life
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Boost metabolism through muscle activation
Examples: Standing from a squat, lifting a dumbbell, pressing up from a push-up.
Why Eccentric Training Is Essential (and Often Overlooked)
Eccentric movement is where the control happens. It’s what helps us slow down, stabilize, and prevent injury. Think: lowering into a squat, walking down stairs, or catching yourself from a fall.
Benefits of eccentric work:
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Improves muscle control and balance
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Reduces injury risk, especially for knees, hips, and shoulders
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Builds strength and flexibility at the same time
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Creates more muscle damage, which actually helps with hypertrophy (lean muscle growth)
Eccentric training is also incredible for midlife and beyond—especially as we work to stay agile, strong, and resilient.
How to Incorporate Both Into Your Workouts
The best strength routines don’t pick one or the other—they train both.
💪 Try slowing down the lowering phase of your movements.
Take 3–4 seconds to lower from a squat, lunge, push-up, or even a Pilates roll down. This builds control and deep strength.
🏋️♀️ Add tempo work:
For example: 3-second down, 1-second up. You’ll feel your muscles working in a totally new way.
🧘♀️ Control in Pilates and bodyweight training:
Eccentric work shows up all the time in Pilates—think leg lowers, teasers, or slow bridges.
Final Thoughts: Why You Should Care
As we age, it becomes less about “lifting heavy” and more about moving well, staying strong, and avoiding injury. By working both eccentric and concentric movements, we build the kind of strength that actually supports us in real life.
So the next time you’re working out, don’t rush through the “down” part of your movement. Slow it down. Feel the control. That’s where the magic—and the strength—happens.