

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.
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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.
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.
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.