Faster muscle-lowering workouts build bigger arms
The effects of eccentric and concentric training at different velocities on muscle hypertrophy
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Fast eccentric training (180°/s) produced the greatest hypertrophy and strength gains—even though it’s the most 'unintuitive' method.
Most fitness culture promotes slow, controlled lifting for safety and muscle control. This study shows that going fast during the lowering phase is not only safe but optimal for growth.
Practical Takeaways
In your next arm workout, focus on lowering the weight as fast as you can while maintaining control—especially during bicep curls or tricep extensions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Fast eccentric training (180°/s) produced the greatest hypertrophy and strength gains—even though it’s the most 'unintuitive' method.
Most fitness culture promotes slow, controlled lifting for safety and muscle control. This study shows that going fast during the lowering phase is not only safe but optimal for growth.
Practical Takeaways
In your next arm workout, focus on lowering the weight as fast as you can while maintaining control—especially during bicep curls or tricep extensions.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2003
Authors
J. Farthing, P. Chilibeck
Related Content
Claims (5)
If you're new to lifting weights, doing exercises where you lower the weight slowly (eccentric) might make your biceps grow bigger than exercises where you lift the weight up (concentric), after 8 weeks of training.
If you're a young adult who doesn't lift weights or do strength training for 8 weeks, your muscles won't get noticeably bigger or stronger on their own — you need to actually train to see changes.
If you're new to lifting weights, doing slow eccentric moves (like lowering a weight slowly) at a slow speed might build more muscle than doing fast concentric moves (like lifting quickly), but not more than slow concentric moves — so speed matters differently depending on whether you're lowering or lifting.
If you're new to working out and do leg exercises where you lower the weight slowly and quickly, doing it at a speed of 180 degrees per second might give you the biggest strength gains after 8 weeks — faster eccentric moves might just be the secret sauce for getting stronger.
If you're new to working out, doing elbow curls by slowly lowering the weight (eccentric) faster than you raise it (concentric) might make your biceps grow bigger than doing the same movement slowly or just lifting fast.