Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do

Good news for those who struggle to fit a gym workout into their day: You may be able to cut your weights routine in half and still see the same results.

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has shown that one type of muscle contraction is more effective at increasing muscular strength and muscle size, and instead of lifting weights, the emphasis should be on lowering them.

The team, which also included researchers from Niigata University and Nishi Kyushu University in Japan and Londrina State University in Brazil, had groups of people perform three different types of dumbbell curl exercises and measured the results.

He found those who only went down one weight saw the same improvements as those who lifted and lowered weights, even though they only performed half the number of reps.

ECU Professor Ken Nosaka said the results reinforced previous research indicating that a focus on “eccentric” muscle contractions, in which activated muscles are lengthened, is most important for increasing muscle strength and size. , instead of volume.

“Us they already know Just one eccentric muscle contraction a day can increase muscle strength if done five days a week, even if it’s just three seconds a day—but concentric (lifting a weight) or isometric (holding a weight) muscle contraction doesn’t provide that effect,” said Professor Nosaka.

“This latest study shows that we can be much more efficient in the time we spend exercising and still see significant results if we focus on eccentric muscle contractions.

“In the case of a dumbbell curl, many people may believe that the lifting action provides the most benefit, or at least some benefit, but we found that concentric muscle contractions contributed little to training effects.”

Crunching the numbers

The study consisted of three groups that performed dumbbell push-ups twice a week for five weeks, plus a control group that did nothing.

Of the training groups, one performed only eccentric muscle contractions (lowering weight), another only concentric muscle contractions (lifting weight), and another performed both concentric and eccentric muscle contractions (lifting and lowering weight alternately).

All three saw improvements in concentric strength, but this was the only improvement for the concentric-only group.

The eccentric-only and concentric-eccentric groups also saw significant improvements in isometric (static) strength and eccentric strength.

Most interestingly, even though the eccentric-only group did half as many reps as those who lifted and lowered weights, strength gains were very similar, and the eccentric-only group also saw greater improvement in muscle thickness, a muscle hypertrophy indicator: 7.2 percent compared to 5.4 percent in the concentric-eccentric group.

“Understanding the benefits of eccentricity-focused training may allow people to spend their time exercising more efficiently,” said Professor Nosaka.

“With the small amount of daily exercise needed to see results, people don’t necessarily have to go to the gym, they can incorporate eccentric exercises into their daily routine.”

putting it into practice

So how can we put this knowledge into practice in the gym?

Using a dumbbell, Professor Nosaka recommends using both hands to help with the concentric phase (lifting weight), before using one arm for the eccentric phase (lowering weight), when performing:

• bicep curls
• aerial extension
• Front elevation
• shoulder hold

Using leg weight machines, Professor Nosaka recommends using the same concentric/eccentric technique when performing:

• knee extensions
• leg curls
• calf raise

Caring for domestic bodies

Happily, Professor Nosaka says you don’t need gym weights to apply the same principles to a workout, and has created several simple exercises that can be done at home.

In the exercises, feel the contracting muscles gradually stretch from the beginning to the end of the range of motion.

After each eccentric muscle contraction, minimize the effort to return to the starting position (ie, concentric muscle contraction). contraction).

Repeat 10 times for each exercise.

sit on the chair: From a half squat, slowly sit up in a chair within three seconds (closer and wider stances will create different effects). If this is easy, try sitting on one leg.

Chair Recline: Sit in the front of a chair to make a space between your back and the backrest, lean back slowly in three seconds (arms can be crossed on the chest or held behind the head).

Uneven squat: Stand behind a chair, lean to the side to put more weight on one leg, then squat down for three seconds.

Heel down: Still behind a chair, lean forward and lift your heels. Then lift one leg off the ground and lower the heel of the other leg in three seconds.

wall kiss: Lean against a wall with both arms fully extended. Bend your elbow joint slowly for three seconds until your face comes closer to the wall.

Front lunge: Place one leg in front of the other and bend your knees deeper for three seconds.

“Comparison between concentric-only, eccentric-only, and concentric-eccentric resistance training of the elbow flexors for their effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy” was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.