Hack Your Workout: Better Results Through the Negative
Build More Strength by Slowing Down the Negative
With over 21 years as a personal trainer, I’ve been asked just about every fitness question you can imagine—from “How do I flatten my tummy?” to “What exercises burn the most fat?” But the real question people are asking is this:
How do I get the best results in the least amount of time?
And my answer often surprises them.
Despite all the new workout trends, there’s one overlooked training mistake I see across all fitness levels that quietly sabotages progress.
The Mistake? Ignoring the Negative
Walk into any gym and you’ll spot it immediately: people "throwing" weights around, rushing through reps, and letting gravity do half the work. It might look intense, but they’re missing the most important half of the movement—the eccentric phase, or as we like to call it: the negative.
What Is the Eccentric (Negative) Phase?
Every movement has two parts:
Concentric (positive): the lifting or shortening phase of a muscle (e.g., curling a dumbbell up)
Eccentric (negative): the lowering or lengthening phase of the muscle (e.g., bringing the dumbbell back down)
Most people naturally focus on the lifting part—and almost completely ignore the lowering. But this is a huge missed opportunity.
Why the Negative Phase Matters So Much
Here’s why slowing down the eccentric matters:
✅ More Strength
Your body is actually stronger during the eccentric phase than during the lift. So if you're not controlling the negative, you're not truly challenging the muscle.
✅ Better Results with Less Time
Neglecting the negative means you're only doing half the work. By controlling both phases, you increase muscle engagement and efficiency—getting more out of every rep.
✅ Injury Prevention
Being strong eccentrically helps you decelerate joints safely. Think about knee pain when walking downstairs or downhill—that’s eccentric strength at work.
✅ Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
That soreness you feel after a good workout? It's mostly from eccentric movement. That’s where real growth happens.
Real-Life Example: The Bicep Curl
Let’s break it down:
Most people curl the dumbbell up (positive), then let it drop quickly.
Instead, try this tip:
💡 Lift for 1 second, lower for 3 seconds.
This time-under-tension activates more muscle fibers and builds strength more effectively—without adding more weight or time.
How to Start Training the Negative
Try incorporating these tips into your workouts:
🔹 Focus on form: Control the “easy” part of the movement.
🔹 Count it out: Use a 1:3 tempo (1 up, 3 down).
🔹 Choose the right weight: If you can’t control the eccentric phase, it’s too heavy.
🔹 Apply it everywhere: This isn’t just for curls—it works with squats, push-ups, rows, and more.
Especially Important for Over-50 Fitness
As we age, preserving muscle and joint health becomes essential. Eccentric training:
Protects knees, shoulders, and hips
Supports balance and mobility
Reduces risk of injury
It’s one of the most effective yet underrated strategies for staying fit, strong, and pain-free later in life.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Skip the Negative
If you’ve been working hard in the gym but feel stuck or stagnant, this one simple tweak could change everything. Slowing down the negative makes your workouts more efficient, more effective, and more rewarding.
You don’t need more time in the gym—you need smarter training strategies.
