Accentuate the Negative
When we lift a weight we are performing a concentric muscle contraction or "positive" work and when we lower the resistance we are performing an eccentric contraction also known as "negative" work. For the past 8 years, we at Discover Strength have focused extensively on emphasizing the importance of "negative" work. A brand new book, The Body Fat Breakthrough" written by Ellington Darden Ph.D. and a recently published scientific journal article authored by a collaboration of US and South American scientists, "Eccentric Exercise in Rehabilitation: Safety, Feasibility, and Application" have collectively shed tremendous light on the importance of emphasizing the eccentric contraction or the "negative" phase repetition and reinvigorated my personal passion for performing this style of exercise. This new research has surprised even me about the benefits of accentuating the "negative.
According to these researchers, "negative" work may be the most important mode of exercise to reduce body fat, reverse frailty in the elderly, combat diabetes, rehab following ACL surgery, and improve fitness in both cardiopulmonary and cancer patients.
Noteworthy is that although more and more research is continually published about the importance of "negative" work for optimizing fitness and a myriad of health measures, the vast majority of exercisers appear to be engaged in styles of exercise that actually avoid negative work all together. It's not an overstatement to say that the vast majority of dedicated exercisers actually miss out on the most valuable part of exercise.
For the best results from your exercise, accentuate the negative.