Implementing Eccentric Resistance Training—Part 2: Practical Recommendations

Implementing Eccentric Resistance Training

Abstract

The review offers recommendations for implementing tempo eccentric training (TEMPO), flywheel inertial training (FIT), accentuated eccentric loading (AEL), and plyometric training (PT).
TEMPO: Best for weaker athletes, benefiting positional strength and hypertrophy due to time under tension.
FIT: Provides hypertrophy, strength, and power stimulus for untrained and weaker individuals; stronger individuals may not receive the same eccentric (ECC) overload stimulus.
AEL: Suitable for stronger individuals, benefiting hypertrophy, strength, and power output.
PT: Exposes both weaker and stronger individuals to an ECC overload stimulus, increasing ECC force and rate of force development.

Introduction

Four commonly prescribed ECC training methods: TEMPO, FIT, AEL, and PT.
Lack of evidence-based recommendations for implementing each method to achieve desired training phase goals.
Previous recommendations lacked scientific support, relying on anecdotal evidence.
This review aims to provide strength and conditioning practitioners with recommendations for implementing TEMPO, FIT, AEL, and PT to improve athletes' hypertrophy, strength, and power output.

Previous Eccentric Training Recommendations

Moore and Schilling [2] focused on “augmented ECC loading” (AEL).
Recommended using dumbbells, elastic bands, and weight releasers for overload during the ECC phase of plyometric exercises.
Recommended barbell loads 75-85% of 1RM, weight releaser loads 40-55% of 1RM with 45-90s rest between reps.
Combined load of barbell and weight releaser ranged from 115-140% 1RM for the ECC portion.
Highlighted the importance of determining an individual's ECC 1RM to ensure maintained muscle force output.
Mike et al. [3] discussed four ECC training techniques: “2/1”, “two-movement”, “slow/superslow”, and “negative/supramax”.
Limited evidence supports the use of 2/1 and two-movement techniques; many examples focused on single-joint movements.
The 2/1 technique recommended 70-80% 1RM during a 3–5 s ECC muscle action.
For the two-movement technique, it is unclear what the compound movement adds to the ECC stimulus sought during the isolation exercise.

Updated Eccentric Training Recommendations

Tempo Eccentric Training

TEMPO aims to alter time parameters (ECC, ISO, CON) to elicit hypertrophy and strength gains.
Increases time under tension (TUT) during ECC muscle action, stimulating strength and hypertrophy adaptations.
May provide a novel stimulus for athletes during active rest or early offseason.
Slower ECC movements may reduce CON force, velocity, and power output, potentially reducing strength adaptations.
Offseason is an optimal time to implement TEMPO, using moderate loads and high volume.
Loading intensity may need to be lowered due to fewer repetitions achieved with a longer ECC phase.
TEMPO may not be appropriate during phases targeting maximal strength, maximal power output, or high-speed training.
Example offseason plan includes back squat and bench press at 3 sets of 8 reps with 5/0/1 tempo.
Exercise prescription as sets x reps and tempo as eccentric/isometric/concentric in seconds.

Flywheel Inertial Training

Meta-analyses examined FIT's effectiveness in improving muscle hypertrophy, strength, and power output.
Tesch et al. [30] recommended four sets of seven repetitions with 90–180 s of rest between sets, no more than twice per week with 48 h of recovery between sessions.
Studies displayed increases in muscle size using isolated, single-joint movements, cautioning against applying findings to multi-joint exercises.
Higher inertial loads are suggested for force development with FIT devices.
Individuals should gently resist the inertial force during the first third of the ECC action and then apply maximal force at the end range of motion [46].
Lower inertial resistances should be used to enhance power output.
Meta-analysis concluded that well-trained individuals displayed greater power output adaptations following various FIT protocols [29].
Low volumes of FIT may allow individuals to realize potentiation effects.
Stronger athletes require a greater overload stimulus than weaker athletes.
FIT may be best for untrained individuals, weaker athletes, and those going through rehabilitation and return to play protocols.

Accentuated Eccentric Loading

ECC load exceeds CON load.
The exercise involves a coupled ECC and CON action.
The mode of applying the overload imparts minimal interruption to the natural technique of the exercise selected.
AEL improves strength and power production by nervous system changes and better muscle isoforms [64].
It can also be used to exploit acute potentiation effects due to its ability to increase ECC rate of force development (RFDECC).
Stronger individuals may benefit more from lighter relative loads (e.g., 105–110% 1RM) during the ECC phase,
weaker individuals may benefit more from heavier loads (e.g., 120–130%).

Plyometric Training

Plyometric exercises optimize SSC function.
Better utilization of the ECC phase results in improved CON performance.
ECC force production can be emphasized using jumping, hopping, and bounding.
The emphasis on the ECC phase can be manipulated to be less than, equal to, or greater than the emphasis placed on the CON phase.
Plyometric exercises can offer exercise intensities ranging from submaximal to supramaximal.
The progression of plyometric exercises can be aligned with an athlete’s relative back squat strength.
Traditional recommendations are 80–100 ground contacts for beginners, 100–120 for intermediate, and 120–140 for advanced athletes.
Plyometric-induced gains in vertical jump performance result from programs greater than 10 weeks in duration and are comprised of more than 20 sessions in total.
Each session should contain more than 50 jumps of a combination of different types of plyometric exercises.
The ECC component offered by plyometric exercises with coupled ECC-CON actions tend to adopt a stiffer strategy and short GCTs.
Isolating the ECC phase of plyometric exercise offers the opportunity to utilize the greater force producing capacity innate to ECC muscle actions.
High intensity plyometric exercise is more appropriate for stronger athletes.

Additional Programming Considerations

Training Experience

Resistance training programs depend on technique competency.
Novice athletes should not be loaded too quickly until they develop proper motor programs.
Weaker athletes benefit from TEMPO and FIT to develop positional strength and learn to absorb an ECC load.
Stronger athletes require a novel training stimulus to improve performance, such as greater ECC force and/or RFDECC.
Stronger individuals may benefit more from AEL and high-intensity PT.
Table 2 provides recommendations of ECC training methods for athletes with different training ages based on relative strength.

Phase Specificity

The time course of desired adaptation(s) is important when programming ECC training methods.
Increase work capacity to increase strength potential, then enhance power output.
TEMPO, FIT, and AEL may improve work capacity, and muscle cross-sectional area.
AEL and PT may enhance force production and early RFD characteristics.

Integration with Other Training Methods

Other tools like weightlifting movements provide an ECC overload stimulus.
ECC training should not be exclusively prescribed; it should be integrated into a holistic resistance training program.
Practitioners should be aware of residual training effects and plan which methods to emphasize during different phases.

Summary

TEMPO: Effective for weaker individuals, improving positional strength and hypertrophy by increasing TUT, but avoid during power phase.
FIT: An effective stimulus for hypertrophy, strength, and power output, but less effective for stronger individuals due to their higher tolerance for ECC forces.
AEL: Suited for stronger individuals who can handle high ECC forces and RFDECC; loading depends on the individual's strength level.
PT: Provides high ECC forces and RFDECC; stronger individuals can handle greater volumes and intensities.
Athletes' training experience and goals of specific training phases must be considered.