The Study
Comparison between concentric-only, eccentric-only, and concentric–eccentric resistance training of the elbow flexors for their effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy
This study tested different ways of lifting weights and saw which one made people stronger and their muscles bigger. Because people were randomly assigned to groups, we can guess that the type of lifting caused the changes — but we can't be 100% sure because the people and testers knew which group they were in.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if lifting weights up (concentric), lowering them down (eccentric), or doing both matters for building muscle and strength.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 555 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — lowering weights alone built nearly as much muscle as doing full lifts, even with half the work.
- 2Lifting alone barely helped.
- 3Lowering weights alone (eccentric-only) made muscles 9.7% thicker and improved strength by 16%.
- 4Doing both lifting and lowering (concentric-eccentric) made muscles 10.6% thicker.
- 5Lifting only made muscles only 2.5% thicker.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2022
Authors
Shigeru Sato, Riku Yoshida, Fumiya Murakoshi, Yuto Sasaki, Kaoru Yahata, Kazuki Kasahara, J. Nunes, K. Nosaka, M. Nakamura
Related Content
Claims (6)
Performing the lowering phase of weightlifting exercises leads to greater increases in muscle size compared to other phases of the same exercises.
When people perform resistance training with the same frequency and duration, those who lift heavier loads using eccentric or combined movements gain more muscle size than those who use lighter loads with concentric movements only, because the total mechanical load determines muscle growth.
In untrained young adults, performing eccentric-only resistance training twice a week for five weeks at half the total workload of regular training results in the same increases in muscle strength and thickness as full concentric-eccentric training.
After five weeks of moderate-volume resistance training, untrained young adults who performed only concentric movements gained 2.5% less muscle thickness than those who performed eccentric-only or combined concentric-eccentric movements.
After five weeks of training, untrained young adults who did either combined concentric-eccentric exercises or eccentric-only exercises gained the same amount of concentric strength, between 14% and 18%.
After five weeks of training, untrained young adults who did only eccentric exercises gained 16.2% more eccentric strength than those who did only concentric exercises, showing that the type of muscle contraction trained determines how much strength is gained in that specific movement.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.