What is the Eccentric Phase of Movement?

The eccentric phase of a movement is the lowering phase. For example, in a shoulder press, it’s the phase from overhead into the rack position, it goes down. In a squat, it’s the phase from standing into the bottom of the squat, going down.

The kettlebell is moving toward the earth in the eccentric phase, and this applies to any weight used, even body weight. In a bodyweight squat, the weight is moving toward the earth.

Gravity is an invisible force that pulls objects toward each other. Earth’s gravity is what pulls objects to the ground. Any time you go with that it’s considered an eccentric phase.

In the eccentric phase, muscles are in a short state and then lengthen under eccentric contraction which is stretching under tension. The contraction is required to smoothly decelerate, and the lengthening of the muscle is to allow the load to move toward where it’s being pulled by gravity.

In the concentric phase, muscles are in a long state and then shorten.