Strength about lifting heavy or looking jacked—it’s about moving through life with power and control. Let’s break down a few strength ideas that matter, and why they’re key to keeping you going strong.
The Yin and Yang of Strength: Concentric vs. Eccentric
Every move you make has two phases—concentric and eccentric. Concentric is the “go”—the muscle shortens, like when you push up in a squat or leap forward. It’s the force that propels you. Eccentric is the “slow”—the muscle lengthens, like lowering into that squat or landing a jump. It’s what brakes you, keeping you from crashing.
Both are critical, but the eccentric portion too often gets ignored. Think of it this way: concentric gets you up the stairs, but eccentric stops you from tumbling down.
Real Life, Real Risks
This isn’t just gym talk—it’s life. Walking downstairs or stepping off a curb? That’s eccentric strength at work. Most falls—especially as we age—happen not because we can’t climb up, but because we can’t control the descent. Hip fractures and spills often trace back to eccentric weakness, not concentric. So, train both. We’re not just building strength—we’re building resilience by placing emphasis on the eccentric part of the movement.
How to Train It
You need to execute movements that accentuate the breaking part of the movement in conjunction with the accelerating part of the movement. In short, utilize exercises where there is an equal, or greater response to the concentric portion of the movement in terms of power.
Flywheel training is great for this because the concentric part of the movement produces an equal eccentric load that requires you to stop the rotation of the wheel, and send it in the opposite direction. The rhythm (or pace) at which one is able to do this is what we refer to as “force flow”. How well and often one can execute this movement while in the proper position determines how well, and how long one can participate in their favorite activities.
The ability to absorb force (hit the brakes) is essential to injury prevention and physical longevity. Strength isn’t one thing—it’s explosive power + controlled slowing/stopping that enables you to maintain an active lifestyle for the long run.
Keep livin’
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