Concentrate On Eccentric Movements. (keep in mind this is a very slow movement, it doesn't impress novices or help your ego much at all, but use intellgence over societal weightlifting norms)
Eccentric training is the opposite of concentric training. It means lengthening a muscle as opposed to shortening it. In other words, eccentric training on the bench press means deliberately slowing the descent of the bar. It's been shown to cause more muscle cell damage. Why? No one really knows for sure. It even puzzles muscle physiologists. After all, why should lengthening a muscle—the very act for which it was designed—cause damage? Nevertheless, it does, and that's why every workout should incorporate an eccentric component. Most novices in the gym train like the old ball and paddle game—they slap the weight up using a quick movement, ensuring lots of momentum, and watch as the weight flies up and then falls back, courtesy of gravity. Most novices just try to make sure it doesn't fly back and hit them in the face. The faster they go, the more intense they think they're working out. Pathetic.
The upward and downward portion of every movement must be slow and deliberate, and there are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, research has shown that the lifting portion of a movement recruits the most muscle fibers when it's performed slowly. This translates to about two seconds for most movements. The eccentric portion of the movement should be even slower, occurring optimally over four seconds. This takes into consideration the fact that eccentric movements are easier anyhow, since they have the added advantage of having both friction and gravity to help them. Secondly, slow strength training provides more time to activate both muscle fiber types—fast and slow—resulting in greater force production. And thirdly, eccentric motor activities produce two to three times the force of concentric activities. Therefore, they cause more muscle damage and in turn provide the cellular signal to degenerate and regenerate a new fiber. Given that all other conditions are favorable, the muscle cell will grow back bigger and stronger.
