When it comes to training, an approach that’s able to produce the same results with less effort sounds too good to be true – but researchers have found so when analyzing training techniques and the resulting changes in muscle strength and muscle mass -size figured out.
The new study looked at three different types of dumbbell curl exercises: eccentric (lowering weights, lengthening muscle), concentric (lifting weights, shortening muscle), and both concentric and eccentric together (alternately lifting weights and then lowering them in the same exercise). ).
While all of these exercises improved concentric (lifting) strength, only the eccentric and concentric-eccentric exercises also improved eccentric (lowering) and isometric (static) strength.
Additionally, the improvements in the raise-and-lower group were about the same as the lower-only group—or half as many reps.
“This latest study shows that by focusing on eccentric muscle contractions, we can be much more efficient in the time we spend exercising and still achieve significant results.” says exercise and sports scientist Ken Nosaka from Edith Cowan University in Australia.
“In the case of a dumbbell curl, many people may believe that the lifting motion provides the most benefit, or at least some benefit, but we found that concentric muscle contractions contributed little to the training effects.”
In other words, the eccentric muscle actions produce the same results as the concentric-eccentric exercises, although the technique takes half the time. The purely eccentric exercises also performed best in terms of muscle thickening.
The results were based on four groups of people: 14 people who did concentric exercises, 14 people who did eccentric exercises, 14 people who did concentric-eccentric exercises, and a control group of 11 people who did no exercises. The exercise routines were performed twice a week for five weekswith 3 sets of 10 reps each.
Based on the results, the researchers suggest using two hands to lift weights into position before switching to one hand for eccentric (lowering) movements in exercises like bicep curls and overhead extensions. The study authors say the same principles should extend to leg exercises as well.
“We already know that just one eccentric muscle contraction per day can increase muscle strength when performed five days a week – even if it’s just 3 seconds a day – but concentric or isometric muscle contraction produces no such effect,” says Nosaka.
Simple eccentric exercises without the dumbbells should also prove effective, Nosaka says. They may involve slowly lowering yourself into a chair or placing your hands on a wall in front of you and slowly leaning against it while bending your arms. There are several other examples of these exercises here.
According to the researchers, it’s possible that eccentric exercise stimulates muscle fibers more with equal or even less effort, which would explain the results here, but more research is needed to know for sure.
The study only involved adults with minimal resistance training experience, so future studies could explore whether the same benefits apply to other, older age groups and already active individuals, as well as to other muscle groups.
The general message is that movement, even when limited in reps, technique and time, can make a difference; You don’t have to spend hours in the gym every week to strengthen your muscles and improve your fitness.
“Understanding the benefits of eccentrically aligned training can allow people to spend their time exercising more efficiently,” says Nosaka.
“With the small amount of daily exercise required to see results, people don’t necessarily need to go to the gym — they can incorporate eccentric exercise into their daily lives.”
There, as previous studies show, frequent training is probably the key to finding the optimal training routine. So whatever you do, do it often.
The research was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.
