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5 Myths About Eccentric Training Every Coach Ought to Know

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How Young Coaches Can Set Their

Guiding Principles
Building Football Players from the In 1993, I began incorporating eccentrics into my training. But I didn’t really use the method well

Ground up with Bryant Harper
8 Ways to Grow as a GA or Intern
until I started coaching years later. Since most exercise science textbooks and bodybuilding
magazines inform and expose students and trainees relatively early in their development, we
assume we know the truths of eccentric training. I have also made some changes to my training
and rehabilitation programs because I have moved away from researching science to making
science now that I have better biochemistry data and instruments to observe transfer.

CATEGORY In this article, I will review some myths that science is changing as a result of better research.
Anyone—from the personal trainer working with geriatrics to elite performance coaches—can
ALTIS
bene t by learning more about the evolution of eccentric training.
Blog
Book Reviews My biggest annoyance is starting from ground zero because most readers want to skip to
Buyer's Guide workouts, exercises, or protocols. But we need to start with a working de nition of eccentric
Freelap Friday Five training speci c to coaches and sports medicine professional.
Power Lift
Uncategorized “Eccentric action is simply muscle lengthening from loading during negative work.”

I developed this de nition after reading research studies and online resources. When I read my
exercise or sport science texts, I saw a pattern that favored resistance training but wanted to get
away from the weight room to general body loading. Nearly every example of eccentrics was the
cliche “dumbbells during bicep curls,” so I wanted a broader spectrum.

We tend to think of eccentrics as a part of a repetition in lifting because of the popularity of tempo
numbers from strength and conditioning coaches who popularized Time under Tension (TUT). But
we need to look at all movements more closely, not stay compartmentalized in the weight room.
On the other hand, the irony of velocity-based training is that most data focuses on concentric
metrics, such as peak power and mean velocity.

Finally, I wanted to include more injury reduction strategies and return to play concepts because
the gray exchange area between discharging from therapists to strength coach intake is usually
botched. Eccentric exercise is not only a continuum of tension but also a process of preparing for
sports training and rehabilitation.

Myth #1. Adding Eccentric Training Creates Excessive Soreness

A common fear among strength coaches, especially at higher levels, is the reported discomfort of
elite athletes after heavy eccentric training. Even worse, some athletes overreact to simple DOMS
(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) from even the most gentle of workouts. So coaches must look at
readiness and athlete con dence from training. Some coaches, especially soccer and baseball,
battle cultural stigmas with weight training. So if coaches are already getting ack from weight
training at low levels, many of them don’t want to even think about eccentric training.

The truth is that avoiding soreness back res in the long run. Coaches who cater toward removing
the eccentric phase paint themselves into a corner later. I have seen trap-bar deadlifts, step-ups,
and hip bridges used as a way to activate. This leads to poor eccentric ability later, and even more
sluggish recovery. Durability comes from gradual adaption, not avoiding training or being overly
aggressive.

Coaches who cater toward removing the eccentric phase paint

themselves into a corner later. - Carl Valle
CLICK TO TWEET

So what to do? The simplest course of action is to be more precise on loading and timing of the
workout. No coach likes being blamed for injury, so what usually happens is the coach babysits
vocal players. Based on research on creatine kinase, we tend to see the more explosive type
athletes as more susceptible to soreness. The divas (read talented and slightly lazy) avoid training
and have a legitimate point of the uniqueness of their responses to training. As athletes increase
their ratio of explosive type II ber, so do their total output and recovery demands.

Some research indicates that improvement without DOMS is possible, and that also applies to
eccentric-heavy options. The solution is an incremental build-up (slow progression) and
opportunistic timing (early in the o season). So while soreness is normal and part of training,
eccentric training doesn’t need to be crippling to be e ective. Just like regular training, a focus on
eccentrics can be done without excessive soreness. A good rule of thumb is the more soreness in
the o season, the less soreness in the regular season.

Summary: Eccentric work like any option can be cycled in and is dose dependent. The body can
adapt to eccentric work, but it’s best to be more aggressive on the o season. Use a minimal
amount of eccentric work in the competitive phase, depending on your sport.

Myth #2. Eccentrics Must be Slow to Reap Benefits

Another myth is that eccentric training needs to be this slow countdown of lowering weights only.
Eccentric training is usually equated with tempo work, and coaches may think about metronomes
or Viking ship drums as a representation of that training option. Poliquin and King have helped the
profession by creating more articulation of rep prescription, but eccentric training is not just a
heavy and slow overload option. Depth jumps and sprinting, along with other ballistic actions, can
increase the eccentric contributions of muscles. Most coaches worry about weight on the bar being
too high and a risk to athletes; very few think about body velocity or box height. My earlier articles
have shared the Reactive Strength Index and quantifying speed with electronic timing, but what I
should have talked about is the length of negative work that can interact with an eccentric load. All
of this can get complicated, so a smart way to looking at things is this classi cation of velocity and
external and internal loading:

Rapid contraction internal load (locomotive height)

Rapid contraction internal load (jumping height)
Intermediate contraction load (loaded jumps)
Slow contraction external load (weight training)
Slow contraction internal load (body training)

Video 1. Light Squat Jumps help with reinforcing squatting patterns and transitioning to
more rapid eccentric action.

There is not too much middle ground here since most training seeks to create a clear contractile
signal. That usually means running fast or doing heavy lifting. While plyometrics and loaded jumps
are common, most early progress comes from absolute extreme training. Over time, more power-
based options versus speed and strength modalities will become a better method, as coaches want
to develop more force through shorter time periods.

Research is not clear on the phenomena of new or di erent exercises causing soreness. One
theory is that a less-coordinated contraction leads to more ber ruptures from poor inhibition
recruitment. Simply stated, change or unfamiliar exercise may increase DOMS, but that is just
theory. I like gradual transitions—what most coaches call blending—by slowly migrating to new
exercises or transitioning smoothly to new workouts or phases.

As you can see from the list above, eccentrics don’t need to involve super-slow training protocols
from the 1980s. They can be ballistic. Moving away from slow overloads with very heavy weights to
a spectrum or pallet of contractile patterns is how coaches can nd ways to introduce e ective
training options.

Summary: Eccentrics are about the muscle lengthening, and the speed is a continuum from slow to
very rapid. Also, the loading in addition to the velocity of contraction is another variable to
consider.

Myth #3. Eccentrics Makes Athletes Stiff and Tight

It’s true that eccentric training creates some feelings of being tight. Sti ness is more of a sensation
of swelling (meaning free proteins), and other leakage makes the body feel restricted. The truth,
though, is that good eccentric training is the best way to get muscle length. Sound eccentric
training will increase lower body exibility, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine. I
have used eccentric work and over time the injury resilience bene ts with adductors and
hamstrings have shown up time after time.

So what’s the sweet spot? The art of eccentrics is to minimize sti ness but still get length. That
means progressive overload with repeated and simple programming, not expecting much over a
few weeks but rather over several months. Coaches can see dramatic changes over the years when
athletes commit in the o season and preserve the range in the competitive season. This is very
hard in elite soccer, because the longer the season the shorter the preparation phases. Marco
Cardinale points out the limits of elite soccer here, and the trick is to make progress incremental
and be patient.

Think about the average strength coach. He is likely working with an athlete over three years—
sometimes less, sometimes more. Some coaches will give up using eccentrics and say “I will try
next year” as they are all or none. Even one set done right will build into more sets or higher loads.
I have a saying that I don’t care if you lift pink dumbbells from the tness class, make sure you lift
powder blue dumbbells eventually. Over time rivers make canyons, and the secret is to do what
you can and not give up on anything. At youth levels, we see many sel sh programs that jump to
advanced training because the coaches want to be advanced. That haste ruins it for later when
coaches at advanced levels have to deal with the lack of a proper foundations.

I recently had a great conversation with muscle physiologist Dr. David Opar. It was like an open
book about hamstring injuries. His discussion was pure—no marketing nonsense, just
straightforward science. The research was crystal clear—hamstring length and hamstring strength
matter. The length he was talking about was fascicle length, not crude range of motion. If I had to
do things over in my career, one certainly would be investing in people who use sonography to
measure year-to-year changes.

In Dr. Opar’s research, longer hamstrings increase the success of returning to play or reducing
injury. Hamstring strength and length are more important than athlete symmetry. As I have often
said publicly, too many programs baby athletes and worry about symmetry without strength. Being
symmetrically weak isn’t helpful, as a strength reserve is a great investment for athlete health.

Summary: Athletes may feel sti after heavy eccentrics, but over time length of tissue is actually
increasing with some options and exercises. Too much eccentric work can reduce the feeling of
being free and uid, so precision and progression must be made in choosing the right workouts.

Myth #4. Eccentrics Are Only for Elite Athletes

I am at fault for possibly being part of the problem by showing elite athletes on YouTube. This
publicity could lead many people to assume eccentrics is something done only at that level. A
better way of thinking is that eccentrics is for anyone at any age and any level. Eccentrics is more
popular with elites because world-class athletes look for a Holy Grail to get better when they hit a
plateau. Things get questionable when athletes feel like they need to shock the system. Instead of
a simple progression of what to do with eccentrics, I will share examples of how we are already
generally doing a good job.

Physical Education – Teaching a child to land carefully is eccentric training. Progression is simple
with pedagogical challenges from doing movements on one leg instead of two, or something a little
faster. Absorbing energy is important, but PE often gets robbed of time and money. If schools
focused on PE as a primary way to improve total body and mind health, we would see amazing
things in the classroom as well. Cutting programs early means athletes will be cutting class later or
getting cut for surgery down the road.

Youth Development – Teaching kids basic control of their bodies when doing pull-ups involves
focusing on lowering rather than how many reps they can do on their own. A bout of 3×5 negatives
builds more strength faster than fooling around with bands. I believe that bands are great if used
carefully, but partner-assisted negatives on pull-ups is a great way to build teams and focus on
body control.

Rehabilitation – The key with injured athletes and regular Joes is to get range and start
remodeling. The research on Insulin Growth Factor -1 with eccentrics is something exciting to
coaches. But remember, sports medicine is mainly submaximal training and more manual therapy
—so think early eccentrics. I shared a great example of early eccentric use to help muscle turnover
and healing with my article on the best exercises here. If I had to do it again, I would have written a
general science of eccentrics article rst. The key is aggressively remodeling the tissue. But being
sane and careful is the cornerstone to getting better.

Elite Sport – While Olympic sport is about maximizing output and team sport is about optimizing
(Hakan Andersson 2012), you still need to challenge adaptation. Most coaches chase their tails in
circles looking for a better way when in reality the ways they came up with are likely good enough,
and they need to be more precise. A lot of suggestions exist regarding loading percentages and
other formulas, but the truth is that linear progression works best. Those who are looking to
“shock” the system or “bust through barriers” are usually su ering from poor program design.
From time to time, a more aggressive form of training is needed, but making sure one is doing as
much as necessary instead of as much as possible (Henk Kraaijenhof) is still the name of the game.

As you can see, there is plenty of room for eccentrics at all levels and all purposes. The art is
determining the precise dose with the appropriate population in the correct form at the right time.

Summary: Nearly any population can bene t from eccentrics, it’s all dependent on the instruction
and planning. Eccentrics are not just for athletes; it’s a universal option for health and tness.

Myth #5. Eccentrics Slow Down Athletes

Many coaches fear eccentrics slows down athletes. Several plausible reasons exist why this may be
true. Bodybuilding with a focus on hypertrophy for the sake of getting bigger without trying to be
faster and more explosive may indeed create a bigger but slower athlete. If all you do is train slow,
you may still get faster but not as fast as someone who does both speed and eccentric training.
Finally, a focus on strength training without power and speed training will not create favorable
adaptions. Type IIX ber, the fastest and most explosive isoform, only improves during resting.
Some coaches have misinterpreted the research and assumed that any hypertrophy will slow an
athlete down. The myo bril versus sarcomere hypothesis popular ten years ago is not true, and
fascicle lengthening has been researched to be a potential mechanism for faster contractile
elements.

Anthony-Shield Is NMI a Risk Factor for Hamstring Strain Injury

Figure 1. The developers of the Nordbord understand the value of eccentric exercise to rehabilitation and
injury reduction when it comes to hamstrings.

The best way to get faster is to have eccentrics prepare for the hierarchy of priorities. Sports
performance is usually a set of compromises and combinations since no one quality can be a
winning ticket to stardom. When thinking about improving athlete speed and the use of eccentrics,
focus on the following:

Athlete injury reduction – We have already talked about preventing injuries, but it’s important to
note that staying healthy and having more time for great training is much better than having
genius training on paper but nursing a hamstring pull. I have focused on aggressive injury
reduction techniques early and touch-up work throughout the season. Eccentrics once a week will
not last more than 3-4 months of competing, so it’s a wise bet to do it twice and keep the second
session to 1-2 sets.

Athlete foundational strength – General and comprehensive programs elicit eccentric responses
without having to resort to arti cial overload protocols. Not to overcomplicate things, a good way
to think of foundational strength is sticking to the classics and maintaining constant and safe
tension. I think the reason the tempo training that Poliquin and King advocated worked in the past
was not because special timing numbers were magic, it just reinforced good lifting. A slower tempo
usually meant it was under control. A longer time frame means full range and tension on the
muscle and tendon, not falling and bouncing on passive connective tissue. We need more polishing
of the basics and less new and cute exercise ideas.

Athlete speed – After the two above elements are added, an athlete is more likely to have a
chance of running faster than by not doing the progressions. Eccentric work rapidly via reactive
options and maximum speed or natural overspeed options (wind) can help athletes provided they
can handle the opportunities. Athletes who sprint and do eccentrics with propulsive muscle groups
may see speed changes just from better muscle architecture.

Summary: Eccentrics may be a valid option in speed development if integrated properly. The old
school idea that eccentrics create slow athletes because of tempo training are overzealous, and
training is a composite of all variables, not just one workout.

A Word of Caution
Any exercise can be dangerous if done wrong or implemented incorrectly. Eccentric training is not
evil or risky; it’s actually more friend than foe. The problem is that some coaches get carried away
with experimentation and become more mad scientist rather than good sport scientist. In working
with athletes, treat them as people, not biological tissue or “organisms.” A helpful book is Coach
like a Mother, which my former athletic director gave me.* The book is about connecting with
athletes. We tend to think about pushing athletes to get better versus being a guide. I think
eccentrics need to be treated like any other option—being responsible and educated.

*Small world—my AD was an awesome track athlete whose strength coach was Mike Woicik,
currently with the Dallas Cowboys. Mike was a very good discus thrower who may still hold his
league record.

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Carl Valle
Coach Valle has coached Track and Field at every level, from high
school to the Olympic level in the sprints and hurdles. He has had the
privilege of working with great athletes that have been All-American
and school record holders. A technology professional, Coach Valle has
expertise in performance data as well as an understanding for practical
application of equipment and software. Carl is currently the lead sport
technologist for SpikesOnly.com, and focuses his time on testing elite
athletes and using technology to help everyone on any level of human
performance reach their goals.

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Comments

CLAUDIA

MAY 31, 2018 AT 1:38 AM

That was a fantastic article.

REPLY

Ed

OCTOBER 15, 2019 AT 8:30 AM

When doing these type of eccentric lifts what is the reccomended rep range?

REPLY

Kenneth Young

MAY 16, 2020 AT 7:36 AM

This was a good read. I’m looking to start a exercise regiment. I want to hit all the muscles and I
have dumb bells and a weight bench bar with weights. Im out of shape and really need to start
some where. I think this is going to be great start. thank you.

REPLY

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