Movement · Core

Eccentric control

Working a muscle while it lengthens — braking rather than lifting. Lowering into a squat, letting the heel drop off a step, or slowing the leg at the end of a stride are all eccentric work: the muscle is switched on and getting longer at the same time. Good looks like: a smooth, unhurried lowering with no sudden give-way at any point in the range. It matters because this is where most tissue gets injured and, equally, where tendons respond best to loading, so it is often the deliberate ingredient in rehab rather than a by-product of it.