The lowering phase of a lift – known as the eccentric – has often been thought to play a key role in building muscle. While research shows eccentrics can be powerful drivers of growth, a new analysis finds that, within the typical 1-2 or 3-6 second range, the exact length of your eccentrics may not make much difference to muscle size. What’s more important is maintaining consistent training volume and effort, regardless of whether you lower the weight quickly or slowly.
The Review
The meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, set out to determine whether the speed of the eccentric phase — the lowering portion of a lift — affects gains in muscle size, strength, or jump performance. Previous reviews had produced mixed results, and many studies had modified multiple aspects of the lift simultaneously, making it difficult to isolate the effects of eccentric tempo.
