Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

All About Eccentric Exercise: Get Stronger Doing Half Of An Exercise

Jun 25, 2025
Pack Matthews, founder of Ikaria Design and creator of the innovative Soul Seat, joins to discuss eccentric exercise, a method that enables you to gain strength efficiently. He and Katy explore how focusing on just the lowering phase of an exercise can lead to significant strength gains without the energy drain of full movements. They also dive into the design evolution of the Soul Seat, highlighting its role in promoting movement in daily life. This conversation blends biomechanics with practical advice, making strength training accessible for everyone.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Types of Muscle Contractions

  • Muscles contract concentrically by shortening as their attachment points come closer.
  • Eccentric contraction happens as muscles lengthen under control to resist movement while lowering a load.
INSIGHT

Muscle Sarcomere Mechanics

  • Muscle fibers slide like two hair combs, overlapping or extending to enable contraction or lengthening.
  • The sarcomere's actin, myosin, and titin proteins regulate how muscles generate force during these processes.
INSIGHT

Role of Titin in Eccentrics

  • Titin, a third protein in muscles, acts like a spring to protect muscles during controlled lengthening.
  • More muscle parts activate during eccentric contractions, enabling greater force generation than concentric ones.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app