This video describes concentric and eccentric muscle contraction. A concentric contraction is the shortening of a muscle. Eccentric contraction is a controlled lengthening of a muscle against a force, usually gravity. Bodybuilders refer to eccentric muscle contractions as “doing negatives”.
2026 Update:
I am updating my approach to treating strained muscles, tendons, and sprained ligaments by prioritizing isometric muscle contraction over eccentric contraction. While I previously taught multidirectional friction and eccentric movements, recent findings suggest that isometric loading is more effective for strengthening connective tissue.
Isometric contraction is often superior because it provides the slowest possible loading with no joint movement. This makes the process safer for joints and accelerates the healing of tendons and ligaments compared to eccentric movements.
You can find more detailed explanations regarding why isometric loading works better in these resources:
YouTube: Isometric Loading for Tendons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ttTLIFq7ho
Medscape: What’s Really Going on With Aging Tendons and Ligaments?
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/whats-really-going-aging-tendons-and-ligaments-2026a1000euf
1 thought on “Eccentric Muscle Contraction”
Very clear explanation. With a little humor thrown in as well!