Extended Negatives: Training using Eccentric Contractions

By Aram Kumar, CSCS

Have you ever heard someone use the term “extended negatives” when weightlifting? This refers to a very specific type of training that can be utilized for a multitude of reasons. “Extended negatives” is a training strategy that utilizes slow eccentric contractions to enhance the degree of difficulty during each repetition of an exercise. Eccentric contractions occur when a muscle is tensed but elongated at the same time. A good example of this would be the lowering phase of a bicep curl. As the dumbbell is lowered from the shoulder back to the side of the body in a controlled manner the bicep must work to control the weight, but it elongates as it does so. This would be known as an eccentric contraction, or a negative. To do a controlled negative for more than 1 second would be referred to as an extended negative. There are a few reasons why a person might put extended negatives in their weightlifting program.

We are stronger during an eccentric muscle contraction!  During the negative phase of an exercise, our muscles can produce more force than if we are concentrically contracting. Extended negatives can exploit this fact by requiring the muscle to work extra hard during the negative phase. This in turn gives our muscles a greater stimulus and can enhance both the neuromuscular and hypertrophic effect of strength training.

Extended negatives make small weights more impactful! The result of controlling a weight for a longer time than normal is greater load on the muscles and the ability to make a smaller weight more impactful for developing muscular strength and size. This might be useful if you only have access to smaller weights when you work out. This can also be useful for people who are struggling to increase their resistance during an exercise by even the smallest incremental amount. For example, if you can bicep curl 15 lbs for 6 repetitions, but you can’t bicep curl 20 lbs for even 1 rep, then doing extended negatives at 15 lbs might help you bridge the gap in your strength level to be able to lift the heavier weight eventually.

Extended negatives help improve form! By forcing yourself to slow down during the eccentric phase of a muscle contraction you force yourself to move as efficiently as possible. Any deviation from good form will be very apparent. Using extended negatives during complex compound movements like a back squat can be a great way to improve balance, stability, and leverage throughout the entire movement, which will make that movement stronger. Additionally, slowing down can increase the mind-muscle connection and improve a person’s ability to contract the muscles that they want to work during a given movement.

Below is an example of an extended negative bodyweight squat. Extended negatives are usually done for 3-6 seconds each repetition. They do not need to be done for every exercise but are a good way to add some variation to your routine. Try them out in your next workout!