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

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has shown one type of muscle contraction is most effective at increasing muscle strength and muscle size -- and rather than 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 Brazil's Londrina State University, had groups of people perform three different types of dumbbell curl exercise and measured the results.

It found those who only lowered a weight saw the same improvements as those who raised and lowered weights -- despite only performing half the number of repetitions. ECU's Professor Ken Nosaka said the results reinforced previous research indicating a focus on "eccentric" muscle contractions -- in which activated muscles are lengthened -- is more important to increasing strength and size of muscles, rather than the volume.

"We already know only one eccentric muscle contraction a day can increase muscle strength if it is performed five days a week -- even if it's only three seconds a day -- but concentric (lifting a weight) or isometric muscle contraction (holding a weight) does not provide such an effect," Professor Nosaka said. "This latest study shows we can be far more efficient in the time we spend exercising and still see significant results by focusing on eccentric muscle contractions.

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

Some Insights From This Article

• When gymming (specifically weightlifting) sometimes the eccentric motion may be a more efficient method of training compared to other forms of weightlifting. Traditional weightlifting often focuses on concentric motion.

• Eccentric motion is the lengthening of muscles rather than contracting them. For example in the bicep curl the act of lifting the weight closer to your shoulder is the concentric motion. The act of letting the weight back to the original position is the eccentric motion.

• Researchers find that emphasizing this eccentric motion may reap more benefits in a shorter amount of time for bodybuilding and weight losing alike. The key is to extend the time we are in eccentric motion and really ‘feeling’ every motion as we reset for another rep. Of course concentric motion is generally stronger therefore switching to eccentric motion focussed workout would require lowering weights to do so and prevent injury.

Full article is here!

#Gymming #Health #Weight