# Would overloaded eccentrics compounds benefit strength training?

**URL:** <https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/would-overloaded-eccentrics-compounds-benefit-strength-training/7286>\
**Category:** Training Q&A \[Moderated\]\
**Created:** [October 20, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/would-overloaded-eccentrics-compounds-benefit-strength-training/7286 "2019-10-20T09:59:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ben\_Diesel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/ben_diesel/32/513_2.png) [@Ben\_Diesel](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Ben_Diesel)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/would-overloaded-eccentrics-compounds-benefit-strength-training/7286/1 "2019-10-20T09:59:30Z")

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Is there any strength benefit to overloaded eccentric compounds? Like, say you’re benching a weight that’s beyond the force you’re capable of producing. So you unrack it, go through the eccentric part of the movement independently, then have a spotter assist with the concentric part of the movement.

Here’s my thought process. Strength is gained from having your muscle adapt to new levels of stimulus that it encounters. Because eccentric contractions can handle higher loads than concentric, your body would then have the opportunity to react and adapt to higher loads that it wouldn’t otherwise encounter, right? So, wouldn’t that type of assisted movement be beneficial in strength training? If there is, why isn’t this type of training used over, say, slingshot BP?

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**Author:** ![Austin\_Baraki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/austin_baraki/32/1095_2.png) [@Austin\_Baraki](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Austin_Baraki)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/would-overloaded-eccentrics-compounds-benefit-strength-training/7286/2 "2019-10-20T15:06:16Z")

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That type of training _is_ used – for example, with weight releasers. They’re just a pain to use (since it only “works” for one rep) and most people don’t have access to them.

See:

> **[Why does lowering and not lifting weights produce unique adaptations?](https://sandcresearch.medium.com/why-does-lowering-and-not-lifting-weights-produce-unique-adaptations-84839e39b03c)**
>
> Eccentric training is a type of strength training in which we just use the lowering phase of the exercise.

> **[Do eccentric and concentric training produce different types of muscle growth?](https://sandcresearch.medium.com/do-eccentric-and-concentric-training-produce-different-types-of-muscle-growth-ec66197b0f5c)**
>
> Eccentrics increase fiber length more than diameter (concentrics do the opposite) and may cause fiber type-specific hypertrophy