Most athletes have heard the phrase: “You have to train fast to be fast.”
But what if slowing down is actually the key to becoming more explosive?
An eccentric training workout focuses on the lowering phase of movement, and it may be one of the most underutilized tools for improving strength, power, mobility, and injury resilience.
If you’ve ever wondered what eccentric training is and why high-level athletes use it — and what the real benefits of eccentric training are — this guide breaks it down.
What Is Eccentric Training?
To understand eccentric training, you first need to understand the three phases of movement.
Nearly every athletic movement includes:
- Eccentric phase – muscle lengthens under tension (lowering phase)
- Isometric phase – muscle holds tension without movement
- Concentric phase – muscle shortens under tension (lifting phase)
Most traditional workouts emphasize the concentric phase — the lifting part. Eccentric training flips the script by emphasizing control during the lowering phase.
For example:
- Lowering into a squat slowly
- Controlling the descent of a push-up
- Absorbing force in a landing
During this phase, muscles absorb force, store elastic energy, and prepare to produce explosive movement. When trained intentionally, this produces powerful adaptations.
You can see this principle applied directly in exercises like Eccentric Wrist Flexion & Extension, which isolates the lowering phase to build tendon resilience in the forearm — the same underlying mechanism at work in every eccentric training workout, just applied to a smaller joint.
Why an Eccentric Training Workout Matters
Many injuries and performance limitations occur during deceleration — not acceleration. Most sports injuries happen when an athlete cannot absorb force properly.
If you cannot control force eccentrically:
- Energy leaks
- Power decreases
- Injury risk increases
But when you improve eccentric strength:
- You increase force absorption capacity
- You improve energy transfer
- You enhance movement efficiency
This is why eccentric-focused training has become central in elite performance programs.
At Par4Success, eccentric training is often integrated strategically to improve durability and rotational power in golfers and rotational athletes. If you’re a golfer specifically, see our deeper dive on how eccentric overload training applies to the golf swing.
The Key Benefits of Eccentric Training
1. Reduced Injury Risk
Eccentric training is widely used in rehabilitation — especially for tendon injuries. It strengthens connective tissue and improves tendon stiffness, reducing strain during explosive movement. If your body can absorb more force safely, it’s less likely to compensate and break down.
The research backs this up: a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that eccentric training reduced the incidence of hamstring injury by roughly 57% to 70% and produced significantly greater eccentric strength gains than other training methods (Green et al., 2022).
2. Increased Strength and Power
Eccentric overload has been shown to improve:
- Fast-twitch motor unit recruitment
- Rate of force development
- Mechanical tension production
The more force your body can control eccentrically, the more it can reapply concentrically. In simple terms: better braking = better acceleration.
3. Greater Muscle Growth
An eccentric training workout creates significant:
- Mechanical tension
- Muscle fiber disruption
- Time under tension
These are three primary drivers of hypertrophy. Interestingly, eccentric contractions require less energy than concentric ones, allowing greater overload without excessive metabolic fatigue.
4. Improved Mobility
Static stretching creates temporary mobility gains. Eccentric training creates lasting change. By loading muscles through extended ranges of motion, you:
- Increase neuromuscular control
- Reinforce strength in new positions
- Potentially stimulate structural muscle adaptation
This is particularly valuable for athletes needing rotational mobility, like the rotational power golfers need in the swing. If mobility is limiting your performance, start with our Free Golf Home Assessment to identify restrictions.
Types of Eccentric Training Workouts
There are multiple ways to implement eccentric overload. Each has pros and cons.
1. Submaximal Slow Repetitions
This is the most accessible method. You simply slow down the lowering phase (3–5 seconds).
Example:
- 4-second squat descent
- 5-second push-up lowering
Benefits:
- Reinforces technique
- Highlights movement errors
- Builds foundational control
Best for beginners or early training phases. For a guided example, try our 5-Second Eccentric Squat or 3-Second Eccentric Squat tutorials.
2. Externally Loaded (Accentuated) Eccentrics
This method adds extra resistance specifically to the lowering phase — more than you could control concentrically on your own — using bands, chains, a training partner, or a spotter to help you back up to the top.
Example:
- A heavier-than-normal barbell squat, lowered slowly with a spotter’s assistance on the way back up
- Band- or chain-loaded eccentric bench press or squat variations
Because the muscle can handle roughly 20–40% more load eccentrically than concentrically, this method creates a training stimulus you simply can’t reach with traditional lifting alone. For a practical walkthrough, see our Overload Eccentric Back Squat guide. This method requires solid technical proficiency and, ideally, coaching supervision.
3. Unilateral-to-Bilateral Transitions
Lower the weight on one limb. Lift it with two.
Examples:
- Single-leg squat down → stand with both legs
- Single-leg RDL descent → bilateral return
This creates eccentric overload safely without extreme loading.
4. Eccentrically Overloaded Plyometrics
Also known as the shock method.
Example:
- Depth jumps
- Broad jump to single-leg landing
Here, the body must absorb force quickly before producing explosive output. This method improves reactive strength but requires strong movement competency — see our guide to plyometrics for golf performance for a structured progression. More elite athletes may require greater methods of eccentric overload to stimulate further improvement.
When to Use an Eccentric Training Workout
Eccentric training is powerful — but demanding. Because it causes:
- Higher muscle soreness
- Greater connective tissue stress
- Increased neural fatigue
It is best used:
- During off-season phases
- In structured blocks
- Under coaching supervision
It may not be ideal during peak competitive season without careful planning. Recovery, sleep, and nutrition become even more critical.
Who Should Use Eccentric Training?
Eccentric training benefits:
- Strength athletes
- Rotational athletes
- Change-of-direction sports
- Injury-prone individuals
- Aging athletes
It is particularly effective for athletes looking to increase speed and power safely.
Build Your Eccentric Training Plan
Not sure how to work eccentric training into your own program without overdoing it? At Par4Success (P4S Golf), we build individualized strength and mobility plans around your specific movement limitations — not a generic template.
Start with our Free Golf Home Assessment to identify where you’re leaking power, train locally with our team through golf physical therapy in Raleigh, or browse our free library of tips to Get Golf Fit. If you’re unsure whether eccentric training fits your program, you can also schedule a strategy call with our team directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is eccentric training in simple terms?
Eccentric training focuses on the lowering phase of an exercise — when muscles lengthen under tension. It improves force absorption, strength, and power.
What are the benefits of eccentric training?
The core benefits of eccentric training are reduced injury risk, greater strength and power output, increased muscle growth (hypertrophy), and lasting mobility gains — achieved by training muscles and tendons to control load through a full range of motion, not just lift it.
What does an eccentric training workout actually look like?
A simple example is a slow, controlled squat descent (3–5 seconds down, standard tempo up), a slowly lowered push-up, or a single-leg step-down. More advanced versions add external load, partner assistance, or plyometric “shock” work — see the types of eccentric training workouts above for the full breakdown.
Is an eccentric training workout better for muscle growth?
It can be highly effective for hypertrophy because it increases mechanical tension and time under tension while creating structural muscle adaptation.
Does eccentric training increase injury risk?
When programmed properly, it reduces injury risk. However, excessive loading without preparation can increase soreness and fatigue.
How often should I include eccentric training?
Most athletes benefit from 1–3 eccentric-focused sessions per week, depending on intensity and training phase.
Is eccentric training good for golfers?
Yes. It improves rotational control, deceleration strength, and power transfer — all critical for clubhead speed and injury prevention. See our dedicated guide on eccentric overload training for golfers for a golf-specific breakdown.
Final Thoughts
An eccentric training workout is not just about moving slowly. It’s about building control, resilience, and explosive potential.
When used correctly, eccentric training can:
- Increase strength
- Improve mobility
- Reduce injury risk
- Enhance athletic performance
Slow down to speed up. Train the lowering phase — and unlock higher performance levels safely.
