10 Best 'Eccentric' Exercises To Build Muscle

Want to boost your strength and muscle? If the answer is yes, are you training in the best way to unlock those gains? Well, it turns out there's an underutilized part of every exercise that you can emphasize to actually gain more strength than ever before. We're here to break down what "eccentric" exercises are and the 10 best eccentric exercises to build muscle.

Let's quickly go over two important phases for every exercise. One is called "concentric." This is where your muscles contract to move a weight. For example, when you do a pushup, the concentric portion is when you push yourself back up. For a squat, it's when you squat up. For a pull-up, it's when you pull yourself toward the bar from the starting position.

Another is called "eccentric:" This is when your muscles lengthen while moving a weight. To use those same exercises, when you do a pushup, the eccentric portion is when you lower yourself. For a squat, it's when you squat down. For a pull-up, it's when you lower yourself from the bar back to the starting position.

The eccentric phase is where a lot of magic happens. Why? Because you can handle far more w...