Eccentric Exercise: How Slowly Lowering Builds More Muscle With Less Effort

Reviewed by the HealthyMag Editorial Team. Last updated: June 2026.

For decades, the unspoken rule of the gym has been simple: the harder and longer you train, the more you get back. But a growing body of research from Edith Cowan University in Australia and collaborators in Japan and Brazil is turning that assumption on its head. The finding that keeps surfacing across their studies is striking — the part of a lift where you lower the weight, not the part where you heave it up, appears to be where most of the strength and muscle is actually built. And it can be done with surprisingly little time and effort.

This matters because “not enough time” and “too exhausting” are two of the most common reasons people quit exercising. If a few minutes of slow, controlled lowering movements can deliver meaningful gains, the bar to staying strong — especially as we age — drops dramatically. Here is what the research actually shows, why lengthening contractions are so efficient, and the honest trade-offs you should know before you try it.

What the research found

The clearest demonstration comes from a 2022 randomized controlled trial published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology by Shigeru Sato, Kazunori (Ken) Nosaka, Masatoshi Nakamura and colleagues. The researchers split 53 untrained young adults into four groups training the elbow flexors (biceps) twice a week for five weeks: a concentric-only group (lifting), an eccentric-only group (lowering), a group doing both phases, and a non-training control.

The results were counterintuitive. The eccentric-only group performed half the total repetitions of the concentric-eccentric group — yet built almost identical results. Muscle thickness rose 9.7% in the eccentric-only group versus 10.6% in the both-phases group, while the concentric-only (lifting) group gained just 2.5%. Eccentric strength climbed 16.2% in the lowering group. In other words, the lowering phase did the heavy lifting, and the actual lifting phase contributed remarkably little to muscle growth.

An even more extreme test came from the same research group, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Volunteers performed a single, three-second maximal contraction per day, five days a week, for four weeks. The eccentric group — doing nothing more than three seconds of controlled lowering daily — increased isometric strength by 10.2%, concentric strength by 12.8% and eccentric strength by 12.2%. The concentric (lifting) group’s gains were limited to about 6.3%. Three seconds a day. Fifteen seconds a week.

In 2026, Nosaka pulled this decade of work together in a comprehensive review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, titled “Eccentric exercise: Muscle damage to the new normal.” His central message: building strength does not require exhausting, painful workouts. As he put it, “the idea that exercise must be exhausting or painful is holding people back.” A few minutes a day of simple lowering movements — sitting slowly into a chair, controlling a heel drop — can produce meaningful improvements while demanding far less metabolic energy than conventional training.

What eccentric exercise actually is

Every weight-training movement has two phases. The concentric phase is when the muscle shortens under load — curling a dumbbell up, standing out of a squat, pushing up from the floor. The eccentric phase is when the muscle lengthens while still resisting the load — lowering the dumbbell, sitting down into the squat, lowering your chest toward the floor.

Both happen on most reps, but we tend to rush the lowering phase, treating it as a throwaway. Eccentric-focused training flips that priority: you either skip the lifting entirely (someone or something else returns the weight to the start) or you deliberately slow the lowering to three, four, even five seconds. Walking downstairs, lowering yourself into a chair, and the downhill portion of a hike are all everyday eccentric movements.

Here is how the two phases compare in plain terms:

Why lengthening contractions are so efficient

The efficiency comes down to a quirk of muscle physiology. During an eccentric contraction, a muscle can generate substantially more force than it can while shortening — by some estimates more than 20% greater — while recruiting fewer active muscle fibers and burning less metabolic energy to do it. You are loading the muscle with high tension at a low energetic cost.

That high mechanical tension is one of the most potent signals for muscle adaptation. It also produces micro-level mechanical strain that triggers the repair-and-rebuild process. Crucially, the 2022 data suggest this tension during lowering — not the total number of reps or the lifting effort — is the dominant driver of getting stronger and bigger. That is why half the volume produced nearly identical results: the eccentric group was simply doing the part that matters most and skipping the part that matters least.

The practical upshot is a better return on your time and energy. If the lowering phase delivers most of the benefit, a short, focused session can rival a longer conventional one — and leave you far less wiped out afterward.

Who benefits most

Three groups stand to gain the most from an eccentric-first approach.

Older adults. Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) is a leading driver of frailty, falls and lost independence — and conventional heavy training can feel intimidating or risky. A 2024 randomized controlled trial in Scientific Reports by Brett Baxter and colleagues trained adults averaging 69 years with submaximal eccentric resistance exercise. Remarkably, a single weekly session over 12 weeks produced strength and function improvements similar to twice-weekly training: isometric strength rose 17–36% in the once-weekly group, and eccentric force climbed 40–50% across both groups. For a population where time, energy and motivation are real barriers, “once a week” is a powerful message. (If you’re focused on protecting aging muscle, see our coverage of omega-3s and aging muscle.)

Time-poor people. If a few minutes of lowering movements a day can move the needle, the “I don’t have time” excuse loses much of its force. Eccentric work folds neatly into a busy life: slow chair sits at your desk, controlled heel drops at the kitchen counter, a deliberately slow descent every time you take the stairs.

Rehabilitation and lower-impact needs. Because eccentric loading delivers high tension at lower energy cost and reduced cardiovascular strain, it suits people managing chronic conditions or recovering from injury — though anyone in this category should work with a physiotherapist or doctor first. The brain benefits from staying active too; our piece on how your brain can improve at any age underscores why staying mobile matters well beyond muscle.

The downside: soreness and starting slow

Eccentric exercise is not a free lunch, and the main catch is well known to anyone who has ever walked downhill for too long: delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Because lengthening contractions place high tension on muscle fibers, they tend to cause more soreness 24–72 hours afterward than lifting-focused training — particularly when the movement is new to you.

Here is the reassuring part. Nosaka’s 2026 review is explicit that soreness is not required for progress; mild soreness may occur, but it is a side effect, not the goal. And muscle has a built-in protective adaptation: after your first few exposures, the “repeated bout effect” dramatically reduces subsequent soreness for the same exercise. The fix is therefore simple — start with very low volume and gentle intensity, and progress gradually. A single set, a slow tempo, a manageable load. Let your muscles adapt over the first week or two, and the soreness largely fades.

One more honest caveat: most of the headline studies were short (four to five weeks) and used the elbow flexors in untrained people. The effect is real and replicated, but extremely well-trained athletes may see smaller relative gains, and longer-term whole-body data is still accumulating.

How to do it: practical moves

You don’t need a gym. The principle is always the same: make the lowering phase slow and controlled — aim for 3 to 5 seconds down — and, where possible, de-emphasize or assist the lifting phase. Start with one set of a few reps, just a few times a week, and build from there.

A reasonable starting point: pick two or three of these, do one set of 5–8 slow reps, two or three days a week. Expect some soreness the first week — that is normal and will diminish. If you want to layer in nutrition support for muscle and recovery, our explainer on creatine and the aging brain covers a supplement with both muscle and cognitive evidence behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is eccentric exercise?

Eccentric exercise is the phase of a movement where a muscle lengthens while resisting a load — the “lowering” part of an exercise, such as lowering a dumbbell, sitting slowly into a chair, or controlling your descent down stairs. It contrasts with the concentric (“lifting”) phase, where the muscle shortens. Research suggests the eccentric phase drives most of the strength and muscle gains from training.

Is eccentric training better for building muscle?

The evidence strongly favors it for efficiency. In a 2022 trial, an eccentric-only group gained 9.7% in muscle thickness versus just 2.5% for a lifting-only group — and matched a both-phases group while doing half the repetitions. Eccentric training isn’t magic, but rep for rep it appears to deliver more strength and size, especially in people new to resistance training.

How often should you do eccentric exercise?

Less than you might think. Studies have shown gains from as little as one 3-second contraction a day, five days a week, or from a single weekly session in older adults. A practical starting point is short, controlled eccentric sets two or three times a week, with gradual progression as you adapt.

Why does eccentric exercise cause more soreness?

Lengthening contractions place high mechanical tension on muscle fibers, producing more micro-strain than lifting-focused work — which leads to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) 24–72 hours later, especially when the exercise is new. The good news: after a few sessions, the “repeated bout effect” sharply reduces soreness, and researchers emphasize that soreness is not necessary for results.

Can older adults do eccentric training safely?

Yes, and they may benefit most. A 2024 randomized controlled trial in adults averaging 69 years found large strength and function gains from submaximal eccentric training — with once-weekly sessions nearly matching twice-weekly. Because it places lower cardiovascular and energetic demands on the body, it’s well suited to older adults, though anyone with health conditions should check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.

Do I need a gym or special equipment for eccentric exercise?

No. Many of the most effective eccentric movements use just your body weight or household items — slow chair sits, wall push-ups, heel drops and step-downs. The key is to slow the lowering phase to 3–5 seconds, not to use heavy equipment.

How long does it take to see results from eccentric training?

In the published trials, measurable strength gains of more than 10% appeared after just four to five weeks of consistent practice. Results vary by individual and depend on consistency, but the short timeframes in the research are encouraging for beginners.

Is eccentric exercise enough on its own, or do I still need other exercise?

Eccentric training is an efficient way to build and preserve strength and muscle, but it isn’t a complete fitness program. For overall health you’ll still want cardiovascular activity, balance and flexibility work. Think of eccentric exercise as a high-return tool for the strength portion of your routine, not a total replacement.

The Bottom Line

The research from Nosaka’s group and others delivers a genuinely freeing message: you do not need long, grueling workouts to get stronger. The lowering phase of any movement — the part most of us rush through — is where the bulk of the strength and muscle is built, and it can be trained in minutes a day with little equipment and modest effort. The honest trade-off is soreness when you first start, which fades quickly as your muscles adapt. For older adults, busy people and anyone intimidated by conventional training, slowing down the “down” may be one of the highest-return changes you can make. Start light, lower slowly, progress gradually — and let the science do the heavy lifting.

Sources

1. Sato S, Yoshida R, Murakoshi F, Sasaki Y, Yahata K, Kasahara K, Nunes JP, Nosaka K, Nakamura M, “Comparison between concentric-only, eccentric-only, and concentric-eccentric resistance training of the elbow flexors for their effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy,” European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36107233/
2. Nosaka K, “Eccentric exercise: Muscle damage to the new normal,” Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2026.101126
3. Sato S, Yoshida R, Kiyono R, Yahata K, Yasaka K, Nunes JP, Nosaka K, Nakamura M, “Effect of daily 3-s maximum voluntary isometric, concentric, or eccentric contraction on elbow flexor strength,” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2022, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.14138
4. Baxter BA, Baross AW, Ryan DJ, Tkadlec S, Kay AD, “Effects of once- versus twice-weekly eccentric resistance training on muscular function and structure in older adults: a randomised controlled trial,” Scientific Reports, 2024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11053087/