Insight | The lowering phase counts: why eccentric strength deserves its own training
November 5, 2026 · 12 min read
Mel Robbins and Tracey report a study of three seconds of eccentric exercise, Stuart McMillan ties eccentric strength to striding and aging, and Pavel Tsatsouline compares concentric, eccentric and isometric work. The lowering half of a movement is often rushed, and these sources show it as a tool in its own right.
The rules, numbers and steps worth keeping in front of you.
- Tracey: one slow, three-second lowering contraction a day increased muscle strength in the study she describes.
- Everyday eccentric: sit down very slowly, hover about an inch above the chair and hold three seconds.
- Mel Robbins: if you already lift, emphasizing the downward movement gives the most bang for your buck.
- McMillan: eccentric force capacity, not concentric, separated elite from sub-elite athletes in his testing.
- McMillan: eccentric control is what ordinary people lose most with age.
- McMillan: box jumps are mostly concentric and nearly useless as plyometrics; skip instead.
- McMillan's on-ramp: alternate 30 seconds of skipping with 30 seconds of jogging or walking.
- McMillan's session: after a 10-to-15-minute warm-up, 10 to 15 maximal skips over about 50 meters, resting 90 seconds to three minutes.
- McMillan: let movement quality govern, and finish feeling good rather than wrecked.
- Tsatsouline: after normal heavy sets, with a competent spotter, lower a weight slightly above your max for two or three reps.
- Tsatsouline: pause reps, holding three to five seconds at the bottom of a squat, then driving up.
- Tsatsouline: concentric-only lifting builds strength without adding muscle or soreness.
- Tsatsouline: soreness is not a sign of progress; don't chase it.
This is the short form. The full insight has every expert's reasoning, their own words and the sources.
