Negative Reinforcement

Eve Zibart
... If you're just getting into regular weight training, or have hit a plateau in your progress, here's an offbeat suggestion: Accentuate the negative. You'll get a positive boost for your workout, and you'll show up those grunt-and-jerks at the next bench for the ignoramuses they are. Negative strength training -- also known as negative resistance training (NRT) or eccentric muscle training -- is the yin to the yang of a particular exercise. If you are working your bicep by lifting a dumbbell, for example, you're using concentric muscle action -- meaning that the muscle is contracting. Eccentric, or negative, action refers to the lengthening of a muscle, as when you lower the weight or allow a machine to retrieve the bar. ... ...