Concentric, eccentric and isometric movement - these are the phases of muscle movement during physical activity. Each of the phases affects our muscles and affects the growth of mass and strength. If we know the characteristics of each phase of movement, we will be able to use them effectively during training. Find out what concentric, eccentric and isometric movement is and find out how to choose the right exercises for our training goals!

Contents:

  1. Movement phases - what are they?
  2. Negatives, stops, positives - what happens in the various phases of the movement
  3. Movement phases - influence on muscle development and strength
  4. Movement phases - training methods
  5. Eccentric training methods
  6. Isometric method
  7. Exercise methods - example exercises

Movement phases are an important part of effective training. When training in the gym or exercising at home, we often do not realize what phase of movement takes place during a specific exercise. As a result, we are not able to use the training potential, we have weaker training effects, and our enthusiasm for exercise weakens. When we learn the characteristics of a given phase of movement, we will be able to increase the effectiveness of a given exercise and choose it according to our structure and training goals.

Movement phases - what are they?

  • Concentric movement- occurs when the muscle shortens due to the fact that the muscle attachments contract and bring them closer together. The concentric phase is otherwise known as positive movement. For example, it appears when you pull up on a bar or extend your hips while performing hip thrusts.
  • Eccentric movement- this is the phase of movement in which the muscle lengthens and its attachments move away from each other. This movement is called a negative movement and occurs, for example, when bench press, lowering the bar into the chest, or doing a squat.
  • Isometric movement- is a movement in which the length of the muscle remains unchanged, but is constantly tense. We encounter isometric movement, for example, when stopping the position in a given exercise or static exercises such as a plank.

Negatives, stoppages, positives - whathappens in particular phases of movement

Each movement phase has a different course. The concentric phase (that is, the positives) shortens the length of the muscle and brings its attachments closer together. This affects the blood supply to the muscle, but the muscle damage that causes it to grow is not as strong here as in the eccentric phase. In this case, the muscle pumps up, but its subsequent growth is less effective than in the opposite phase of movement.

On the other hand, during eccentric movement (negatives) our muscles lengthen, and during the load, while moving the muscle attachments away from each other, a much greater hypertrophy occurs. The muscle fibers are damaged, which translates into more effective regeneration of the body, which rebuilds these fibers and creates new ones. As a result, our muscles grow and their strength increases. Moreover, in the eccentric phase, our muscles are able to generate 120% of the total muscle strength.

The isometric phase of movement consists in stopping it in one specific and fixed position. Isometric movement is much more efficient for building muscle strength than concentric movement. The isometric phase is most often used in the middle of a given movement, e.g. when lifting a dumbbell while exercising the biceps, stopping is done in the middle of this movement. The isometric phase works similarly effectively to the concentric phase, but with the difference that when you stop, your muscles gain strength, but only in this one specific position. For example: when performing the position of a chair against a wall (isometric exercise), our quadriceps gain strength only in this particular degree of movement.

Worth knowing

Studies show that eccentric training causes muscle hypertrophy, while concentric training only supports muscle strength but does not affect muscle growth. In one study, men were instructed to perform only the eccentric phase or only the concentric phase in 4-6 series over a repetition range of 8-12, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. It turned out that the number of slow twitch fibers did not increase in any of the groups, while the number of type II fast twitch fibers increased tenfold in the eccentric group compared to the concentric group!

Movement phases - influence on muscle development and strength

Each of the individual phases of movement has a specific and separate impact on muscle development and muscle strength. Let's take a closer look at them.

The concentric phaseis much less efficient than the concentric phase in terms of building muscle mass, but works well for muscle strength. As the muscle attachments come closer together, we generate their strength, butmuscle fibers do not get damaged as much as in the eccentric phase. The concentric movement is recommended when we return to exercise after an injury or after a long recovery and we do not have too much strength for effective eccentric training.

The phase of concentric movement is characterized by the fact that after training with its use we will not have the so-called soreness, because the positives do not lead to internal muscle microdamages and their subsequent regeneration in order to "regrow".

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The eccentric phase , i.e. the negative, has a great influence on the improvement of neuromuscular coordination. This is because when a muscle is lengthened we have to control the movement more than in its concentric phase. The eccentric phase therefore improves and refines the technique of a given exercise. What's more, slow movement in stretching the muscle strengthens tendons and ligaments and increases muscle endurance. In the eccentric phase, the greatest damage occurs to the muscles, which increases their mass.

During the isometric phase, we generate large reserves of muscle strength and also influence their growth. Adding a stop to max stretch will affect the total duration of muscle tension and increase muscle strength and size. During the isometric phase, the muscle remains at a constant length, so this is the perfect move for those who, at one point or another, do not have as much muscle strength as they need to do. For example, when doing a squat, it is worth stopping down for a moment to increase muscle strength in this position and contribute to better hypertrophy (muscle growth).

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Movement phases - training methods

There are many methods in eccentric and isometric training that can bring positive training effects. Undoubtedly, the most effective are the methods used in the eccentric phase of the muscle, because when it comes to muscle strength and development, this phase is the most efficient and effective.

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Eccentric training methods

  1. Slowing down the eccentric phase- during the exercise we perform both phases of the movement, but focus more on the eccentric phase by slowing down its pace. This method is expected to lead to maximum muscle fatigue and greater muscle hypertrophy in terms of increasing the number of fibers.
  2. Eccentric Phase Acceleration- This method stimulates genetic signaling pathways and type II fibers. It consists in performing negative repetitions as soon as possible, despite high muscle fatigue. It is one of the best training methods for hypertrophy, but the effectiveness of the slower or accelerated method depends on the genetic predisposition of the body.
  3. Forced repetitions- additional eccentric repetitions to muscle exhaustion are not only very effective, hypertrophic, but also highly traumatic, so they must be performed wisely and in moderation. Used well, they can bring us many benefits. Forced eccentric movements consist in the fact that after the series is finished, we make a few additional repetitions, but only in the negatives. For example: when pressing the bar while lying down, we ask our partner to pass the barbell to us, and we bring it closer to the cage, not extending the bar anymore, and the partner takes the bar from us at this point.
  4. Increasing resistance- this method slows down the negative phase by increasing the resistance in this phase of the movement. This can be done in three ways:
    • ask your training partner to resist our muscles in the eccentric phase. For example: while lowering the barbell, the partner presses against it and thus hinders the negatives and adds additional resistance.
    • alternate one-sided (eccentric) and two-sided (concentric) movements. For example, we can pull ourselves up with two hands and lower ourselves with one.
    • use training bands or rubber bands (mini band, power band, thera band etc.) during training. When using the tapes, our muscles are constantly tense in both the concentric and eccentric phases. The tape generates resistance that our free weights will not provide. To slow down the elasticity and strength of bands / bands, we need to use twice as much muscle strength as in the case of exercises with dumbbells or a barbell. It's a good idea to add a few resistance exercises to each workout.
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Isometric method

Stopping the eccentric phase- stopping the movement in the phase of the greatest stretch of the muscle. This is well illustrated by doing squats. When we go down and we are in the maximum range of motion, we should stay in it for a few seconds before going up. Restraining movement strengthens the muscle in a given position and contributes to its hypertrophy.

Exercise methods - example exercises

Isometric exercises - examples

ExerciseTimeSeries
Board30 seconds4
Chair20 seconds3

In the case of exercises for the concentric and eccentric phases, it is difficult to distinguish both of these phases and separate them from each other, because our muscles contract and stretch at the same time. However, there are some exercises in which a given phase of movement is more emphasized or is ideal for activating it more.

Exercises with a predominance of eccentric movement

ExerciseNumber of repetitionsSeries
Deadlift (lowering the load)64
Push-up (go down)124

Exercises with a predominance of concentric movements

ExerciseNumber of repetitionsSeries
Hip thrust104
Crunches (raises up)124
About the authorMałgorzata Kośla She is a qualified fitness instructor and certified personal trainer. Since childhood, her greatest passion was sport - she played football and basketball. Then a new love came - dance, especially dancehall. He likes to sweat at the gym and relaxes in yoga and meditation sessions. He is constantly expanding his knowledge about training and a he althy lifestyle. What besides sports? He runs a store with natural cosmetics and he althy food, writes his own blog (stylzyciadowolny.pl) and deals with copywriting.

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