The human body is a complex machine, with the central nervous system (CNS) as its motor. When performing physical activities, the CNS coordinates the actions of various muscle groups, ensuring smooth and efficient movement. While both concentric and eccentric contractions play essential roles in strength training, eccentric contractions stimulate the CNS more than the concentric, leading to more overall gains in muscle strength, power, and proprioception – an exciting prospect in people of all ages an athletic backgrounds.

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Concentric contractions occur when a muscle shortens while exerting force, such as lifting a weight. This type of contraction only stimulates the center of the muscle. Eccentric contractions, on the other hand, involve the lengthening of a muscle while still contracting, such as in the lowering phase of a bicep curl. Eccentric contractions stimulate the whole muscle, causing a much different sensation, CNS response, and result.

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The CNS engages more in eccentrics because the neurological order of muscle fiber type recruitment is opposite to the concentric. Typically, during concentric contractions, the body first uses slow-twitch muscle fibers (Type 1) and engages fast-twitch fibers (Type 2) as load increases. You must lift your maximum weight to engage type 2 fibers and reap CNS benefits in the concentric. Eccentric training flips the threshold of engagement for your nervous system. It engages your fast-twitch fibers first, meaning the slow-twitch muscle fibers are active from the beginning of the rep; this activates a CNS response from the beginning to the end of the exercise.

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Another factor influencing CNS engagement is the activation of muscle spindles. These are sensory receptors within muscles and are highly sensitive to changes in muscle length. The muscle spindles stretch during eccentric contractions, increasing their activation and neurological benefit. Engaging muscle spindles heightens sensory input, providing the CNS with valuable information about the muscle's state and allowing the brain and muscle to communicate how much force to exert during the eccentric phase. The CNS plays a vital role in our quality of life, and eccentric training bolsters the CNS to build and maintain muscle and increase power and balance, stability, and proprioception. The sharper our central nervous system, the better our quality of life. At ALL-IN-15, we take pride in being one of the first companies to bring eccentrics safely to the market. Our knowledgeable trainers and cutting-edge technology allow our clients, ranging in age from 13 to 95, to reap the benefits of both eccentric training, and in turn, strengthening the CNS.

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Please note that while eccentrics can be dangerous in a free-weight environment, ALL-IN-15 provides the safest way to train eccentrically. This article is for educational purposes only. If you have an interest in training eccentrically, come into one of our locations today, where we can guide you through safe and effective eccentric training.