A comparison of concentric and eccentric muscle training.

Eight male university students served as subjects in an investigation designed to develop strength using two different muscle training routines over a six week period. The subjects trained the arm and leg on one side of their bodies using concentric contractions and the arm and leg on the opposite side of their bodies with identical exercises using eccentric contractions. Concentric movements were against a resistance 80% of one-repetition-maximum (1-Rm) for 10 repetitions and two sets; eccentric movements were against a force of 120% of concentric 1-RM for 6 repetitions and two sets. Both routines produced significant gains in strength in all subjects, but neither training procedure produced dynamic or static strength gains significantly different from the other. Subjective evaluations by the subjects indicated that the eccentric training movements were easier to perform than the concentric training movements.