Mastering Slow Eccentric Squats

Elevate Your Strength and Stability

Slow Eccentric Squats, often overlooked in traditional workouts, hold the key to unlocking new levels of strength and stability in your fitness journey. In this post, we’ll explore the numerous benefits of Slow Eccentric Squats, how to perform them, and why they should make an appearance in your strength training routine.

What are Slow Eccentric Squats?

Slow Eccentric Squats involve lowering yourself down in a controlled manner, typically taking 3-5 seconds to descend to the bottom of the squat position, although some strength training programmes could involve a brutal 10 second eccentric! This controlled lowering phase engages your muscles differently than traditional squats, emphasising muscle lengthening under tension. They are a challenging squat variation that come with a whole host of benefits…

Benefits of Slow Eccentric Squats

Muscle & Strength Gains

The increased time under tension helps to engage more muscle fibres and forces the body to exert greater levels of force, stimulating muscle growth for greater strength and size.

Injury Prevention

A slow eccentric with good range of motion can help improve joint stability and reduce the risk of injury by strengthening the muscles and tissues around the joints, making you stronger in the gym as well as everyday life!

Improved Mind-Muscle Connection

Slowing down the eccentric phase allows the body to better control the weight and engage the muscles, improving neural connections and allowing you to focus on technique.

Improved Flexibility

Lengthening the muscles slowly, under load, can help to improve flexibility, further reducing the risk of injury and leading to greater strength gains.

Training Variation

The key to long-term progression in the gym is variation, so if you’ve mastered the standard Squat, give this a try to hit your muscles differently!

How to Perform Slow Eccentric Squats

Follow these steps to perform slow eccentric squats with proper form:

Starting Position

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, or where you find most comfortable; screw your feet into the floor and brace your core hard.

Descent Phase

Slowly lower yourself down, focusing on keeping your chest up and knees aligned with your toes.

Aim to descend for 3-5 seconds until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.

Ascent Phase

Drive through your feet, focussing on pushing the knees out, to return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.

You can perform the ascent phase explosively for additional strength benefits.

Tips for Incorporating Slow Eccentric Squats

Start Light

Begin with a manageable weight or bodyweight until you master the form.

Brace. Brace. Brace!

Bracing is more important than ever since you are holding the weight for longer. Take your time to brace fully on each rep and maintain the brace until your close to the end of the ascent.

Mind-Muscle Connection

Focus on the muscles you’re working throughout the movement to maximise the benefits.

Slow Eccentric Squats Conclusion

Slow Eccentric Squats are a potent addition to any strength training regimen, offering unique benefits that traditional squats may not fully achieve. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned lifter, integrating these squats into your routine can lead to increased muscle strength, improved joint stability, and enhanced overall fitness.

Are you ready to take your fitness journey to the next level? Start incorporating Slow Eccentric Squats into your training and feel the burn in all the right places!

Further Reading

Liked this post on Slow Eccentric Squats? Why not check out some of our other training posts, like this on Top Hamstring Strength Exercises or this on to Improve your Bench Press with the Pin Press.