I'm in my late 30s and vids like these helped my power and growth bc it's a smart reminder about total control of the body, total. Controlling each part of the movement of the body and muscle causes even more growth for it to adapt to the intense stimulation you are introducing it to
100%. And once you start controlling the eccentric, it's almost funny to watch people at the gym who are rushing through their sets, zero control. Meanwhile you're painstakingly controlling the movements. Control takes more time and power.
I'm ngl. As a 17 year old (whos been lifting for 2 years now) who just wanted to bulk and push as much weight as possible I would watch this guy's videos but never put them into practice, but as I quickly learned, my body is just not meant to push heavy weights with sloppy form and I got injured quite frequently. However, I started putting them into practice a few weeks ago and MAN this is probably the best and strongest I've ever felt. Every workout is like my first day at the gym all over again. I'm just SO sore afterwards. This stuff works man, and best thing is, I'm WAY less likely to get injured, so I just wanna say thank you to Dr. Mike, you probably saved my butt 30 years down the road (which most likely would've been insanely injured and practically useless). All you people watching this video do as this guy says. I promise it works, and if it doesn't youre probably not doing it right lol.
@ RenaissancePeriodization You will probably never see this message but if you do I want to thank you and all of your team. Been lifting weights or working out of some form for 20 years. Always on my own and usually learning from my own mistakes and watching others. Hit a low point in my exercise goals when I plateaued and couldn’t figure out how to progress. I was stuck in that period for a LONG time and assumed I was just not meant to build any more. Found your channel little over a year ago and have learned a lot from you. You Completely changed the way I work out and in a year I have gained a respectable 11-12 pounds while NOT gaining a bunch of unnecessary fat. Zeros supplements. Just eating right and staying consistent!! My confidence is boosted more than ever. My joints and tendons feel the healthiest ever and that motivates me even more to keep going. Im always trying to improve technique every day. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!
It's crazy how quick things change. I agree, and my eccentric is slow and controlled, but recently he was interviewing a researcher who said that research showed that volume of reps generated more hypertrophy than a slow eccentric at the detriment to reps. There's a balance for the best results. If you're doing ultra slow eccentric with a weight and maybe you're getting 8s, but speeding it up a little you're getting 10 to 12, it might be better to move a little faster to get more reps.
Absolutely. I think with beginners ultra slow at the expense of reps is good to force concentration on technique, but intermediate and advanced lifters only need to be controlled, not slow.
Mike says to not go *excessively* slow on the eccentric, because you'll tire yourself out too quickly, which actually means less frequency in that stretched muscle position portion of the movement
@@Siberius- in most movements he recommends a slight pause in the stretched or lengthened position. I also think he and most people probably have a different idea about what excessively slow means. In the workouts he puts people through or that he participates in on the channel, I think the speed of his eccentric most would consider excessively slow. Excessive in the sense that it may meaningfully reduce the amount of reps. But the guy is really well developed and has some freakish attributes. It's hard to argue anything about what he's doing or what he recommends based on his physique, consumption of the literature, and his academic credentials that provide him intimate access to the most prolific researchers in the field.
@@orionsimerl6539 - Those colab videos on the channel might not be the best representation of what he recommends, I thinkkk. They are VERY slow eccentrics indeed, but he also makes it clear that the goal is to make them suffer with doing more sets than actually needed (because fun), and from memory the eccentrics get slower as the weight gets lighter (deeper into the sets), so as the light weight is still gruelling. Earlier on I think the eccentrics are just pretty regular, very controlled, bit slow. I think Mike likes to try and demonstrate how a lot of weight isn't necessary (and, fun for him). Dana Linn Bailey comes to mind with her lateral raises with no weights in her hands. I'd have to watch some videos to confirm this. I've seen plenty of videos of him doing regular very controlled eccentrics.
I know I don't have a PhD, but I'm going to disagree with Dr. Israetel on controlled eccentrics providing more hypertrophic stimulus. What drives hypertrophy isn't just _any_ mechanical tension on the muscle. It's mechanical tension that maximizes motor-unit recruitment. That is why it's only the last few reps of a set that provide much of the hypertrophy: the reps close to failure are the ones that are maximizing motor-unit recruitment. The eccentric part of a movement does not maximize motor-unit recruitment. The stimulus isn't great enough. You can handle about 30% more weight on the eccentric part of the lift than on the concentric, so any weight that is heavy enough to be stimulating on the concentric will be too light to be stimulating on the eccentric. Slowing down that eccentric makes the movement harder, yes, but not because it is requiring you to recruit more motor units to control the weight. It's harder because it builds up more fatiguing metabolites. But it's not metabolites that drive hypertrophy. It's motor-unit recruitment. Slow eccentrics, then, just fatigue you quicker without inducing more hypertrophy. They take away energy that you could be preserving to go harder on the concentric and do more of the part of the lift that actually creates hypertrophy. Slowing down a movement is only hypertrophic when it's _involuntary_ slowing. When you're pushing so hard that your reps slow down, _despite_ you trying everything in your power to get the weight up. It's hypertrophic when your muscles have to recruit more and more motor units in order to try to maintain their force and speed. It's _not_ hypertrophic to slow down voluntarily, because that doesn't make you somehow recruit more motor units. So, am I saying you shouldn't control the eccentric part of a movement? No. There are reasons other than hypertrophy to control it. One is preventing injury. You're not going to have a good time if you do an uncontrolled negative on a squat or bench, or just about any other lift in which not controlling the eccentric essentially means dropping a weight onto your body. Another is ettiquette: it can annoy other gym-goers and staff if you're just making a ruckus dropping weights all the time, and it probably leads to equipment getting worn out quicker if you're, say, always dropping weights on the stack. Another reason is making sure you're not relying on muscle-stretch reflex to begin your concentric instead of actually contracting yourself. Controlling the eccentric prevents you from just bouncing the weight. I mean, there are movements in which it is common not to control the weight down. Take deadlifts. Why don't we always do controlled eccentrics for them? Well, because most of the reasons for controlled eccentrics don't exist for deadlifts. We do them on padded floors so they're not obnoxiously noisy. The weight doesn't fall onto our ribs and crush them if we drop it, unlike with a bench press. It would be very difficult to use muscle-stretch reflex to aid in a deadlift. And do instead of picking a lighter weight and controlling the eccentric, we just go heavy and let it drop, and nobody calls it "ego lifting" in this case, even though they would for all sorts of other movements. So, for a great deal of lifts, yes, you should control the eccentric, but not because it causes more hypertrophy. And you only need to control it. There is no benefit to _slow_ eccentrics.
Wow! Never thought of it that way, Dr. Mike. I always thought i need to get more reps in for growth but you just reiterated its about stimulating the muscle not performing more reps
Mike your science based, informative videos are great. You are transparent, honest, and humble. I’m tired of RUclipsrs like “coach Greg” just bitching about things because it 1-makes them feel better about themselves. And 2- drives his views up for a profit The difference is that I will always listen to a humble person give their opinion I’m tired of the overgrown man child that is coach Greg trying to be a big boy for money. Buy my cookbook!
I will say I’ve experienced this myself. Holding db flies or calf raises at the bottom to feel the burning stretch, or taking 3-4 seconds on the eccentric on things like lat pulldown and letting it stretch at the top has done wonders for growth in strength and size
Me also! Why I have been learning alot since watching Dr. Mike. My training had been become stagnant and I was burned out from years of lifting heavy weights and low reps using relaxed rep style. This whole slow reps, deep stretch full ROM using lighter weights and higher reps is new to me. I was always an ego lifter. Now, I am making more gains now then I have in the past 20 years of working out off/on.
I tell you what, I get a lot of normies in the gym looking at me real weird when I do slow eccentric, if they're waiting on me to get done on the machine, they just looked pissed like I'm taking forever to do my reps
@@HarderStylesKidI’ll tell you what’s more specific then what the other guy said and what’s the actually science behind The concentric phase is when you shorten (i.e., contract) the muscle. The eccentric phase is when you lengthen the muscle.
I agree it does make sense and yes it hurts a lot I've been controlling eccentric now for I'm not sure how long a couple of months or something like that and more than what I used to less reps more pain but bigger pump and the muscle gets stronger causing less ache
I learnt about it early on when starting with working out I still get weird faces when people see me "taking my time" with letting the weight go down again, but then you'll feel it really good. And because i started doing it early on i learnt the connection of a proper rep and the pain, so i automatically seek that
For me, I have caught myself not thinking about form and/or eccentric while working out due to inconsistent gym time as a caregiver to my 89 yr. old mother. So, it can become second nature to go workout and forget about the mind muscle connection, like form, breathing, concentric, eccentric, and the eccentric stretch. Concentration during the movement prevents your mind from wondering about the past or future instead of being in the present which leads to a more efficient and effective use of time in the gym. And yes, it hurts, it can get very uncomfortable which is why we are there. When it gets painful is when the real work begins, you work hard to get to that point, that's when your workout begins to pay, and your mind is trying to shut it down. As long as your joints are ok with it, push... Do drop sets, continue to make it hard, you will love the gains. Peace!
I was doing preacher curls until I found your video on cable curls and slowing the eccentric, and holy sh!t the difference in the pump and the exercise itself is insane.
This is definitely something I'm trying to be more mindful of. Im absolutely guilty of rushing through eccentrics to get more reps in, but more time spent under tension in the eccentric is better for muscle growth so I try to keep the eccentrics nice and slow
This shit is legit. I've always done something like this naturally, ive always believed in time under tension but following the way Dr Mike teaches has doubled my lifts a month after coming off a serious injury. Im lifting more than i was pre injury, im less sore and im managing to stick to it consistently
On the contrary I frigging love the eccentric. I just started hitting the gym last month and whenever I workout I love that absolutely burning sensation when I slow down the eccentric in the last few reps
I'm becoming much more aware of my rep speed these days, and accepting the fact that I'll get less good form reps when focusing on the stretch. This has all happened alongside being in a calorie deficit or maintenance period, so I'm looking forward to the benefits of doing these slow eccentrics while in a slight surplus. As an older guy (45) who's still pretty new to proper resistance training (this is year 6) I'm aware that I need to be more careful than all the youngsters out there, and slow eccentrics are the winner. 💪
Yes, i used to do this in the early days, doing the reps a bit faster to make more counts. But my trainer said that will only strain my muscles and not work it properly.
I've grown more in the last three months than in all three years before just by controlling the excentric and reeeally focusing on stretching the fibers the most.
I’ve started focusing on the eccentric way more than typically. I’m moving significantly less weight than usual, but my physique has never been better. It’s a mental challenge to adjust, but it’s worth it
It's also more fun to just rapidly crank out more reps. The slow and controlled shit can often sap the fun out of lifting. And for hobby lifters, having fun is crucial for staying motivated to regularly show up.
Man, I love that. You rush through the essentric phase to get those reps. Same can kinda, in a way be said for jiu jitsu. I see guys rushing through stuff and not taking their time. Tunnel vision.
This is actually one of the reasons I'm not great at tracking my workouts, or not the biggest fan at least. After some workouts my whole log book is tagged in green because I get several highscores on certain exercises, but the week after I can happen to be more mindful of the eccentric and have a way more productive workout but in the book it Shows up as a weak one.
for the first time I heard the advice like this: 'you aren't there to move weight when lifting so the amount being moved and the number of times you move it is partially not relevant ... you are there to stress and fatigue the muscle group(s) for stimulation and strength to get long term and safe beneficial growth physically and mentally.' maybe I'm reading too much into all the RP videos I've consumed in the last month or two; but I think that sums it up. Find out how to push yourself to the maximum you can to recover fully before your next session. Don't ego lift kg/lbs, also don't ego lift in reps/sets counts. Don't cheat the rep; pause at the stretch, power through, smooth and slow back to the stretch. 2-3 reps from max. Find the safest groups of exercises, weights, and rep counts for your specific body and injury history. You might have to do 40 reps at a lighter amount to protect a joint or few. Take your time, slower progress tends to be longer term progress, both for your body's adaptation and you changing your lifestyle approach to be more healthful long term. blah blah blah the bald man says it all i hate myself and time to go, have a blessed day everyone :)
Keep in mind everyone, his advice is NOT all encompassing fitness advice; this pertains to one form of stimulating growth. If performance and strength matter to you, even moderately, then weight/resistance and speed/power matter a lot.
I do like to slow my eccentric but what makes the pain unbearable isn’t necessarily the stretch but rather the combination of the pump & burn. Like I have to pause mid set sometimes to shake off the burn and let the blood flow away before resuming.
I got new respect for new jersey twork at first I could understand him but he fire, chess and twork supposed to be the new era but I really like how he told Big K don't touch Roc💪
i’ve noticed after doing slow eccentrics there is a awesome middle ground you dont wanna be to fast but you want perfect reps under control but eccentrics shouldnt be insanely slow bc your forearms and other muscles will fail before the target. its all about control but ive learned super slow eccentrics in certain workouts give less stimulus to the target muscle
I always felt faster reps in the beginning are kinda like my warm up and build up to do a lot slower reps that feel like they're actually hitting my muscle fibers. Slow and controlled at the end of a set seems to work the best for me when it comes to overall growth, muscle and strength wise.
I was focusing more on number of reps and explosiveness while doing weighted pull ups, because I just wanted better results, hypertrophy was just good side effect. But then I started feeling my shoulders falling apart… So yeah, now I control eccentric. Even if you are not focused on hypertrophy that much, still should you control your reps just to avoid the injuries.
It's not even about the reps, because the eccentric movement it is about dealing with the pain that exists and to get through it quicker is really what rushes the process.
I literally count out loud Mississippi's for 6 seconds for the eccentric pulls. From what I've experienced, you get more explosive power but don't exactly push more weight. Kind of think of the output more like a full body jump instead of a running jump.
Kinda depends on the strength curve of the exercise. Like with pull-ups for example I only try to control the eccentric on the bottom half of the rep. Allows for way more time under tension in the most stimulating part of the exercise-the stretch.
@@-memorex1337- I find a lot of it depends on what you agree/disagree with. See a comment you agree with? A-plus, human confirmed. 👍🏻 See a comment you don't agree with? Soulless bot NPC. 👎🏻
i believe if you push the set very close to failure, you will get maximum muscle growth no matter what speed you use, just make sure YOU are controlling the weight and not gravity.
most people don't want to train hard and using good technique and controlling the lift is hard as heck, people will always take the path of least resistance
Honestly i dont believe that a slow eccentric equals more muscle stimulus , i believe a slow eccentric is crucial yes, but simply to have an overall better technique because when we control the eccentric the form tends to not get sloppy.
Are there any exercises in particular to strengthen the ankles of us ladies that wear heels? Or are working legs in general enough? I'm noticing I'm becoming more wobbly with age.
Question for you. I'm looking to start gaining muscle. I'm 33. 6'1" 135 lbs bmi of like 12% (I'm a f*** string bean ) never worked out but recently picked up rock climbing. Not looking to body build but tired of the comments about being so skinny. I have no idea where to start. So much of the info is for building not any commercial. I'm just tryna look decent. Any tips
People love to ego lift. They assume that more weight is better. That is true in a sense but I can load the muscle with half as much weight by manipulating the resistance curve and rep speeds. More weight isn’t necessarily better.
Dr MIke Id prefer to functionally move weight for extended periods, not gain size - can I rotate quick eccentic and slow concentric, then on another day do slow eccentric and quick concentric?
I have a recurring tendonosis in my distal bicep tendons from climbing. I do a lot of slow heavy eccentrics, but only the slow heavy eccentric portion no concentric oart, and that mostly keeps them at bay/ gets them better whenever I have a recurrence. It is counter intuitive but there is a fair amount of literature to back it up
Sometimes I like to do the first 1/2 or 2/3 of a set with slow eccentrics and then pump out quick ones at the end, feels like I get more out of it. More reps from the stretch.
Theres both movements brother. Strength and stamina is important for muscle growth. Once the muscle is warm it does not have all the time to be eccentric control. Something I suggest is to doing as many reps as you can and once feeling pain work the eccentric in the same set.
It's not about reps, it's about timing, what people are counting as 8-12 reps are actually 8-12 seconds or less ,imagine doing the same with a 60sec.count or 30 Second count with a stopwatch. U would probably gain more without necessarily counting reps. Just using the alarm stop of the stopwatch. Just think about it!
The ability to control/decelerate is extremely important in injury prevention aswell. The way I like to think of it is what’s the point in building a really fast car then giving it crappy brakes. Recipe for disaster.
It took me around a year to get the "more reps equal bigger gains" nonsense outta my head, now I'm actually focusing on form and how many LEGITIMATE reps i do. Better to do 7/8 good reps than 10/11 with bad form.
The problem I have is that I have a hard time gauging if I'm making progress if I focus so much on slowing down reps that I'm unable to match or beat what I did in the previous workout(s).
So isn’t the very straightforward solution to do all of your reps with a controlled eccentric? It’s not like you can’t make that the “normal” for you to do reps
@@colejames423 Yes, but in practice I find that hard to do consistently. Part of the problem is that I have a hard time building muscle, so I kind of need to rely on strength increases as an indication of progress
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I'm in my late 30s and vids like these helped my power and growth bc it's a smart reminder about total control of the body, total. Controlling each part of the movement of the body and muscle causes even more growth for it to adapt to the intense stimulation you are introducing it to
100%. And once you start controlling the eccentric, it's almost funny to watch people at the gym who are rushing through their sets, zero control. Meanwhile you're painstakingly controlling the movements. Control takes more time and power.
I'm ngl. As a 17 year old (whos been lifting for 2 years now) who just wanted to bulk and push as much weight as possible I would watch this guy's videos but never put them into practice, but as I quickly learned, my body is just not meant to push heavy weights with sloppy form and I got injured quite frequently.
However, I started putting them into practice a few weeks ago and MAN this is probably the best and strongest I've ever felt. Every workout is like my first day at the gym all over again. I'm just SO sore afterwards. This stuff works man, and best thing is, I'm WAY less likely to get injured, so I just wanna say thank you to Dr. Mike, you probably saved my butt 30 years down the road (which most likely would've been insanely injured and practically useless). All you people watching this video do as this guy says. I promise it works, and if it doesn't youre probably not doing it right lol.
@deafanddumb6329Extremely slow gains this way I find. Intermediate zone but not beyond.
@deafanddumb6329bruh
You shouldn't be sore if you're sore you over working
@@mention_me4856. False.
@deafanddumb6329
Just like your name says…you definitely are deaf and dumb.
Eccentric + lengthened focus = results
😂😂😂😂
@@lutovac_nikola
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
damage, fatigue and delayed recover
@@m4andi0ca tell that to my muscles and to all the science saying otherwise
@lutovac_nikola where is physique 🤣
My quads are blowing up since starting to actually put this advice into practice. I’m 30 and they’re bigger than at anytime in my 20’s.
@ RenaissancePeriodization
You will probably never see this message but if you do I want to thank you and all of your team. Been lifting weights or working out of some form for 20 years. Always on my own and usually learning from my own mistakes and watching others. Hit a low point in my exercise goals when I plateaued and couldn’t figure out how to progress. I was stuck in that period for a LONG time and assumed I was just not meant to build any more.
Found your channel little over a year ago and have learned a lot from you. You Completely changed the way I work out and in a year I have gained a respectable 11-12 pounds while NOT gaining a bunch of unnecessary fat. Zeros supplements. Just eating right and staying consistent!!
My confidence is boosted more than ever. My joints and tendons feel the healthiest ever and that motivates me even more to keep going. Im always trying to improve technique every day.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you!!!!
It's crazy how quick things change. I agree, and my eccentric is slow and controlled, but recently he was interviewing a researcher who said that research showed that volume of reps generated more hypertrophy than a slow eccentric at the detriment to reps. There's a balance for the best results. If you're doing ultra slow eccentric with a weight and maybe you're getting 8s, but speeding it up a little you're getting 10 to 12, it might be better to move a little faster to get more reps.
Absolutely. I think with beginners ultra slow at the expense of reps is good to force concentration on technique, but intermediate and advanced lifters only need to be controlled, not slow.
Mike says to not go *excessively* slow on the eccentric, because you'll tire yourself out too quickly, which actually means less frequency in that stretched muscle position portion of the movement
@@Siberius- in most movements he recommends a slight pause in the stretched or lengthened position. I also think he and most people probably have a different idea about what excessively slow means. In the workouts he puts people through or that he participates in on the channel, I think the speed of his eccentric most would consider excessively slow. Excessive in the sense that it may meaningfully reduce the amount of reps. But the guy is really well developed and has some freakish attributes. It's hard to argue anything about what he's doing or what he recommends based on his physique, consumption of the literature, and his academic credentials that provide him intimate access to the most prolific researchers in the field.
@@orionsimerl6539 - Those colab videos on the channel might not be the best representation of what he recommends, I thinkkk. They are VERY slow eccentrics indeed, but he also makes it clear that the goal is to make them suffer with doing more sets than actually needed (because fun), and from memory the eccentrics get slower as the weight gets lighter (deeper into the sets), so as the light weight is still gruelling. Earlier on I think the eccentrics are just pretty regular, very controlled, bit slow.
I think Mike likes to try and demonstrate how a lot of weight isn't necessary (and, fun for him). Dana Linn Bailey comes to mind with her lateral raises with no weights in her hands.
I'd have to watch some videos to confirm this.
I've seen plenty of videos of him doing regular very controlled eccentrics.
I know I don't have a PhD, but I'm going to disagree with Dr. Israetel on controlled eccentrics providing more hypertrophic stimulus.
What drives hypertrophy isn't just _any_ mechanical tension on the muscle. It's mechanical tension that maximizes motor-unit recruitment. That is why it's only the last few reps of a set that provide much of the hypertrophy: the reps close to failure are the ones that are maximizing motor-unit recruitment.
The eccentric part of a movement does not maximize motor-unit recruitment. The stimulus isn't great enough. You can handle about 30% more weight on the eccentric part of the lift than on the concentric, so any weight that is heavy enough to be stimulating on the concentric will be too light to be stimulating on the eccentric. Slowing down that eccentric makes the movement harder, yes, but not because it is requiring you to recruit more motor units to control the weight. It's harder because it builds up more fatiguing metabolites. But it's not metabolites that drive hypertrophy. It's motor-unit recruitment. Slow eccentrics, then, just fatigue you quicker without inducing more hypertrophy. They take away energy that you could be preserving to go harder on the concentric and do more of the part of the lift that actually creates hypertrophy.
Slowing down a movement is only hypertrophic when it's _involuntary_ slowing. When you're pushing so hard that your reps slow down, _despite_ you trying everything in your power to get the weight up. It's hypertrophic when your muscles have to recruit more and more motor units in order to try to maintain their force and speed. It's _not_ hypertrophic to slow down voluntarily, because that doesn't make you somehow recruit more motor units.
So, am I saying you shouldn't control the eccentric part of a movement? No. There are reasons other than hypertrophy to control it. One is preventing injury. You're not going to have a good time if you do an uncontrolled negative on a squat or bench, or just about any other lift in which not controlling the eccentric essentially means dropping a weight onto your body. Another is ettiquette: it can annoy other gym-goers and staff if you're just making a ruckus dropping weights all the time, and it probably leads to equipment getting worn out quicker if you're, say, always dropping weights on the stack. Another reason is making sure you're not relying on muscle-stretch reflex to begin your concentric instead of actually contracting yourself. Controlling the eccentric prevents you from just bouncing the weight.
I mean, there are movements in which it is common not to control the weight down. Take deadlifts. Why don't we always do controlled eccentrics for them? Well, because most of the reasons for controlled eccentrics don't exist for deadlifts. We do them on padded floors so they're not obnoxiously noisy. The weight doesn't fall onto our ribs and crush them if we drop it, unlike with a bench press. It would be very difficult to use muscle-stretch reflex to aid in a deadlift. And do instead of picking a lighter weight and controlling the eccentric, we just go heavy and let it drop, and nobody calls it "ego lifting" in this case, even though they would for all sorts of other movements.
So, for a great deal of lifts, yes, you should control the eccentric, but not because it causes more hypertrophy. And you only need to control it. There is no benefit to _slow_ eccentrics.
Wow! Never thought of it that way, Dr. Mike. I always thought i need to get more reps in for growth but you just reiterated its about stimulating the muscle not performing more reps
Mike your science based, informative videos are great. You are transparent, honest, and humble.
I’m tired of RUclipsrs like “coach Greg” just bitching about things because it 1-makes them feel better about themselves. And 2- drives his views up for a profit
The difference is that I will always listen to a humble person give their opinion
I’m tired of the overgrown man child that is coach Greg trying to be a big boy for money.
Buy my cookbook!
I will say I’ve experienced this myself. Holding db flies or calf raises at the bottom to feel the burning stretch, or taking 3-4 seconds on the eccentric on things like lat pulldown and letting it stretch at the top has done wonders for growth in strength and size
Me also! Why I have been learning alot since watching Dr. Mike. My training had been become stagnant and I was burned out from years of lifting heavy weights and low reps using relaxed rep style. This whole slow reps, deep stretch full ROM using lighter weights and higher reps is new to me. I was always an ego lifter. Now, I am making more gains now then I have in the past 20 years of working out off/on.
I tell you what, I get a lot of normies in the gym looking at me real weird when I do slow eccentric, if they're waiting on me to get done on the machine, they just looked pissed like I'm taking forever to do my reps
What is the eccentric of a lift? Is it when you lift the weight or lower the weight?
@@HarderStylesKid lower the weight
God I hate that, but hey, stay small buddy and keep swinging those weights
@@HarderStylesKid more specifically it's usually the negative of the exercise, so on lat pulldowns it's as raise the bar back to starting position
@@HarderStylesKidI’ll tell you what’s more specific then what the other guy said and what’s the actually science behind The concentric phase is when you shorten (i.e., contract) the muscle. The eccentric phase is when you lengthen the muscle.
Thank you so much. Your information is very helpful
Ever since watching your videos my workouts got even harder and I’m seeing more growth
Yes. I agree. Well explained.
That pain the best part about working out after health and power benefits
I agree it does make sense and yes it hurts a lot I've been controlling eccentric now for I'm not sure how long a couple of months or something like that and more than what I used to less reps more pain but bigger pump and the muscle gets stronger causing less ache
Thx doc.
I learned this from you. And you’re right. I feel it more
I learnt about it early on when starting with working out
I still get weird faces when people see me "taking my time" with letting the weight go down again, but then you'll feel it really good. And because i started doing it early on i learnt the connection of a proper rep and the pain, so i automatically seek that
For me, I have caught myself not thinking about form and/or eccentric while working out due to inconsistent gym time as a caregiver to my 89 yr. old mother. So, it can become second nature to go workout and forget about the mind muscle connection, like form, breathing, concentric, eccentric, and the eccentric stretch. Concentration during the movement prevents your mind from wondering about the past or future instead of being in the present which leads to a more efficient and effective use of time in the gym. And yes, it hurts, it can get very uncomfortable which is why we are there. When it gets painful is when the real work begins, you work hard to get to that point, that's when your workout begins to pay, and your mind is trying to shut it down. As long as your joints are ok with it, push... Do drop sets, continue to make it hard, you will love the gains. Peace!
Does anyone see these commenters? Dead Internet Theory is real.
gosh yeah
Great comment as always. So professional and informative! 🍑✨
@@kwerby3285 Jfc, this bot just proved your point. And 2 other bots also liked the comment, ffs, we're fckn doomed
Over 40% of internet traffic is bots as of now, it's progressively becoming more ded
Theory?
I was doing preacher curls until I found your video on cable curls and slowing the eccentric, and holy sh!t the difference in the pump and the exercise itself is insane.
This is definitely something I'm trying to be more mindful of. Im absolutely guilty of rushing through eccentrics to get more reps in, but more time spent under tension in the eccentric is better for muscle growth so I try to keep the eccentrics nice and slow
I'll take this advice for sure!
I love going slow on the essentric, I genuinely love it so much.
Definitely something to keep in mind
This shit is legit. I've always done something like this naturally, ive always believed in time under tension but following the way Dr Mike teaches has doubled my lifts a month after coming off a serious injury. Im lifting more than i was pre injury, im less sore and im managing to stick to it consistently
Well put
What about when I'm doing my endurance workout?
Endurance
Push: Chest, Tricep, Shoulder
1- Incline DB press: 26 reps, 2 sets
2- Tricep kickbacks: 26 reps, 2 sets
3- Shoulder press: 20 reps, 2 sets
4- DB press: 30 reps, 2 sets
5- Lying tricep press: 16 reps, 2 sets
6- Front raises: 18 reps, 2 sets
7- DB flys: 20 reps, 2 sets
8- Overhead tricep press: 26 reps, 2 sets
9- Lateral raises: 22 reps, 2 sets
10- DB pullover: 20 reps, 2 sets
11- Diamond push-ups: to failure, 2 sets
12- Rear Lateral raises: 22 reps, 2 sets
Pull: Back, Biceps, Forearms
1- Bent over DB rows: 26 reps, 2 sets
2- Bicep curls: 16 reps, 2 sets
3- Hammer curls: 20 reps, 2 sets
4- Concentration curls: 20 reps, 2 sets
5- One arm rows: 24 reps, 2 sets
6- Wrist up curls: 26 reps, 2 sets
7- Drag curls: 26 reps, 2 sets
8- Pull-ups: 5 reps, 2 sets
9- Wrist down curls: 25 reps, 2 sets
10- Rear Lateral raises: 22 reps, 2 sets
11- DB upright rows: 22 reps, 2 sets
12- Farmers carry: 1 min, 2 sets
Abs, Legs, core
1- Situps: 35 reps, 2 sets
2- DB squat: 24 reps, 2 sets
3- Flutter kicks: 80 reps(each leg), 2 sets
4- Calf raises: 40 reps, 2 sets
5- Hamstring curls: 40 reps, 2 sets
6- Leg raises: 40 reps, 2 sets
7- Sissy squats: 10 reps, 2 sets
8- Lunges: 18 reps(each leg), 2 sets
9- Crunches: 40 reps, 2 sets
10- Plank: 1 min, 2 sets
11- Bulgarian splitsquat: 30 reps, 2 sets
12- Farmers carry: 1 min, 2 sets
This is done at home with a pair of 35 and 25 pound dumbbells, and a weight vest
Well said. We’re not there to do reps.” We’re there to work. Hard. Finding my best work while supersetting. Mind muscle connection.
On the contrary I frigging love the eccentric. I just started hitting the gym last month and whenever I workout I love that absolutely burning sensation when I slow down the eccentric in the last few reps
That too but it also hurts like crazy
Slow is just no fun is def also a reason why ppl are faster than they should, specially with a sport background
This is why recording your workouts is important. I sometimes think I slow my eccentric but on review it looks like it's sped up lol
I've definitely slowed down the last few months. Uncomfortable? U bet. More results? Oh my, yes! Thanks for verifying I'm on the right path!
I'm guilty of this when I train biceps or triceps good advice
I'm becoming much more aware of my rep speed these days, and accepting the fact that I'll get less good form reps when focusing on the stretch.
This has all happened alongside being in a calorie deficit or maintenance period, so I'm looking forward to the benefits of doing these slow eccentrics while in a slight surplus.
As an older guy (45) who's still pretty new to proper resistance training (this is year 6) I'm aware that I need to be more careful than all the youngsters out there, and slow eccentrics are the winner. 💪
I always tell my friends who are new to the gym to learn to love the eccentric 😁❤️
Tried this yesterday 😅 pain unlocked!
Yes, i used to do this in the early days, doing the reps a bit faster to make more counts. But my trainer said that will only strain my muscles and not work it properly.
Reps are harder always than time under tension. Both together are key so have it in mind.
I've grown more in the last three months than in all three years before just by controlling the excentric and reeeally focusing on stretching the fibers the most.
I’ve started focusing on the eccentric way more than typically. I’m moving significantly less weight than usual, but my physique has never been better.
It’s a mental challenge to adjust, but it’s worth it
It's also more fun to just rapidly crank out more reps. The slow and controlled shit can often sap the fun out of lifting. And for hobby lifters, having fun is crucial for staying motivated to regularly show up.
Man, I love that. You rush through the essentric phase to get those reps. Same can kinda, in a way be said for jiu jitsu. I see guys rushing through stuff and not taking their time. Tunnel vision.
I start my push day Monday morning and control the eccentric on that first rep until Sunday night to truly maximize muscle hypertrophy
😂😂they wont work if u train to failure😂clowns
This is actually one of the reasons I'm not great at tracking my workouts, or not the biggest fan at least. After some workouts my whole log book is tagged in green because I get several highscores on certain exercises, but the week after I can happen to be more mindful of the eccentric and have a way more productive workout but in the book it Shows up as a weak one.
for the first time I heard the advice like this:
'you aren't there to move weight when lifting so the amount being moved and the number of times you move it is partially not relevant ... you are there to stress and fatigue the muscle group(s) for stimulation and strength to get long term and safe beneficial growth physically and mentally.'
maybe I'm reading too much into all the RP videos I've consumed in the last month or two; but I think that sums it up. Find out how to push yourself to the maximum you can to recover fully before your next session. Don't ego lift kg/lbs, also don't ego lift in reps/sets counts. Don't cheat the rep; pause at the stretch, power through, smooth and slow back to the stretch. 2-3 reps from max. Find the safest groups of exercises, weights, and rep counts for your specific body and injury history. You might have to do 40 reps at a lighter amount to protect a joint or few. Take your time, slower progress tends to be longer term progress, both for your body's adaptation and you changing your lifestyle approach to be more healthful long term. blah blah blah the bald man says it all i hate myself and time to go, have a blessed day everyone :)
Keep in mind everyone, his advice is NOT all encompassing fitness advice; this pertains to one form of stimulating growth. If performance and strength matter to you, even moderately, then weight/resistance and speed/power matter a lot.
Totally get this
I do like to slow my eccentric but what makes the pain unbearable isn’t necessarily the stretch but rather the combination of the pump & burn. Like I have to pause mid set sometimes to shake off the burn and let the blood flow away before resuming.
I got new respect for new jersey twork at first I could understand him but he fire, chess and twork supposed to be the new era but I really like how he told Big K don't touch Roc💪
This was super helpful, appreciate your effort!
Less injuries going slow on the eccentric as well!
No pain. No gain.
I'm to the point of used to the pain. The only time I do the eccentric quick, is when I know I'm done.
Nailed it! That's why I rush my sets! 😂
Another reason for fast on the eccentric is to reduce the soreness on the joint I think
i’ve noticed after doing slow eccentrics there is a awesome middle ground you dont wanna be to fast but you want perfect reps under control but eccentrics shouldnt be insanely slow bc your forearms and other muscles will fail before the target. its all about control but ive learned super slow eccentrics in certain workouts give less stimulus to the target muscle
FACTS 💯💯💯
No matter how fast you do it dr mike will always say its "a little quick"
I always felt faster reps in the beginning are kinda like my warm up and build up to do a lot slower reps that feel like they're actually hitting my muscle fibers. Slow and controlled at the end of a set seems to work the best for me when it comes to overall growth, muscle and strength wise.
I was focusing more on number of reps and explosiveness while doing weighted pull ups, because I just wanted better results, hypertrophy was just good side effect. But then I started feeling my shoulders falling apart… So yeah, now I control eccentric.
Even if you are not focused on hypertrophy that much, still should you control your reps just to avoid the injuries.
It's not even about the reps, because the eccentric movement it is about dealing with the pain that exists and to get through it quicker is really what rushes the process.
Arnold has always done his reps fast..From Pumping Iron to his recent social media videos. I never understood that but who am I to question him
I literally count out loud Mississippi's for 6 seconds for the eccentric pulls. From what I've experienced, you get more explosive power but don't exactly push more weight. Kind of think of the output more like a full body jump instead of a running jump.
It's amazing how often we ego lift even without realizing
The pain is my goal. That is what in the moment tells me which muscles are doing the job and if its the wrong one i done did fucked up
Truth
We've all been there
Big problem is to leave the ego at home and do fewer reps but with much more quality
Kinda depends on the strength curve of the exercise. Like with pull-ups for example I only try to control the eccentric on the bottom half of the rep. Allows for way more time under tension in the most stimulating part of the exercise-the stretch.
No pain no gains
Gotta love bots
I use youtube alot but i never see them i comments. But u guys still complaining. Wonder what makes the difference that saves me
@@-memorex1337- I find a lot of it depends on what you agree/disagree with. See a comment you agree with? A-plus, human confirmed. 👍🏻 See a comment you don't agree with? Soulless bot NPC. 👎🏻
@@-memorex1337- who's complaining? I love bots ;)
Social anxiety for me, around people im training like that - can’t logically explain why and can’t change it 😂
i believe if you push the set very close to failure, you will get maximum muscle growth no matter what speed you use, just make sure YOU are controlling the weight and not gravity.
ever since I focused on stimulating the muscle I have grown even more. Which is hard for someone thats lifted 12+ years
Problem is some exercises you stay weak because you don’t explode in the eccentric
The honestly is amazing
most people don't want to train hard and using good technique and controlling the lift is hard as heck, people will always take the path of least resistance
Concentric is the muscle building phase, the eccentric phase is nasally used as a buzz word that this point
I agree it feels very good but is so painful it can feel surreal at times, sometimes even putting you down onto your knees (sounds kinda wrong) (shit)
Honestly i dont believe that a slow eccentric equals more muscle stimulus , i believe a slow eccentric is crucial yes, but simply to have an overall better technique because when we control the eccentric the form tends to not get sloppy.
Are there any exercises in particular to strengthen the ankles of us ladies that wear heels? Or are working legs in general enough? I'm noticing I'm becoming more wobbly with age.
I would imagine calf raises and holding each rep at the lengthened position should strengthen the joint since calf raises are ankle flexion.
Try calf raises. That should definitely help strengthen the ankles.
@@orionsimerl6539 Will do.Thanks
@@MyCharleyhorse Thanks👍🏾
I don't mean to overstep, but perhaps if wearing a type of shoe is difficult or uncomfortable you just shouldn't do it?
Question for you. I'm looking to start gaining muscle. I'm 33. 6'1" 135 lbs bmi of like 12% (I'm a f*** string bean ) never worked out but recently picked up rock climbing. Not looking to body build but tired of the comments about being so skinny. I have no idea where to start. So much of the info is for building not any commercial. I'm just tryna look decent. Any tips
People love to ego lift. They assume that more weight is better. That is true in a sense but I can load the muscle with half as much weight by manipulating the resistance curve and rep speeds. More weight isn’t necessarily better.
Dr MIke Id prefer to functionally move weight for extended periods, not gain size - can I rotate quick eccentic and slow concentric, then on another day do slow eccentric and quick concentric?
Do you have videos on how to workout without tweaking your bicep tendons. I feel like I crack a little bit off every time I train.
I have a recurring tendonosis in my distal bicep tendons from climbing. I do a lot of slow heavy eccentrics, but only the slow heavy eccentric portion no concentric oart, and that mostly keeps them at bay/ gets them better whenever I have a recurrence. It is counter intuitive but there is a fair amount of literature to back it up
Sometimes I like to do the first 1/2 or 2/3 of a set with slow eccentrics and then pump out quick ones at the end, feels like I get more out of it. More reps from the stretch.
I say it to every deadlift bouncer and bench press slammer. If you can’t control the negative don’t even lift it
Theres both movements brother. Strength and stamina is important for muscle growth. Once the muscle is warm it does not have all the time to be eccentric control. Something I suggest is to doing as many reps as you can and once feeling pain work the eccentric in the same set.
Any tips for people with ulnar nerve pain in the hand while doing curls?
Control papa
Wanna say: ‘Mike Mentzer was on point’ but then the other Mike’s fans would attack me 😂
It's not about reps, it's about timing, what people are counting as 8-12 reps are actually 8-12 seconds or less ,imagine doing the same with a 60sec.count or 30 Second count with a stopwatch. U would probably gain more without necessarily counting reps. Just using the alarm stop of the stopwatch. Just think about it!
Eric needs to get with the program!
The ability to control/decelerate is extremely important in injury prevention aswell. The way I like to think of it is what’s the point in building a really fast car then giving it crappy brakes. Recipe for disaster.
Squeezing at the top position hurts more than controlling the eccentric (with the same load)
It took me around a year to get the "more reps equal bigger gains" nonsense outta my head, now I'm actually focusing on form and how many LEGITIMATE reps i do. Better to do 7/8 good reps than 10/11 with bad form.
🗣️: THE ECCENTRIC IS WHERE YOU BAKE THE STRENGTH INTO THE MUSCLE. CONTROL IT THERE, CONTROL IT ALL.
The problem I have is that I have a hard time gauging if I'm making progress if I focus so much on slowing down reps that I'm unable to match or beat what I did in the previous workout(s).
So isn’t the very straightforward solution to do all of your reps with a controlled eccentric? It’s not like you can’t make that the “normal” for you to do reps
@@colejames423 Yes, but in practice I find that hard to do consistently. Part of the problem is that I have a hard time building muscle, so I kind of need to rely on strength increases as an indication of progress