04 THE LOW BURN
05 TOP OF THE DROPS
It’s not how much metal you move that matters, but where you place your focus. Think less about the ‘lifting’ part and you can score even bigger benefits from every rep
MUSCLE NEWSFEED 10/23
You might have heard it said that you can’t cheat your way to results in the gym. But that’s not strictly true. Sure, muscle won’t grow without a little graft – but you can work the system.
Recent research from Edith Cowan University in Australia reveals that ‘eccentric’ contractions (where you lower weights, lengthening muscles) are where the real growth happens. That’s compared with ‘concentric’ contractions, in which your muscles shorten while generating force – ie, the more active pull or push movement, and the part many lifters zero in on.
The researchers had groups perform three different types of dumbbell curl and measured the results. Surprisingly, those who only lowered the weight saw the same improvements to muscle thickness as those who raised and lowered their DBs – despite doing just half the work.
‘Next time you’re in the gym, focus on exploding upwards as you push, pull or lift a weight, then slowly lowering it over a number of seconds,’ says MH fitness editor Andrew Tracey. ‘Think about a
