In the previous article we explored the importance of eccentric strength in downhill riding. In this chapter we will focus on specific leg exercises and the goals we can achieve with targeted training.
Physiology
How does the eccentric force work?
Many studies highlight the fact that in the myofilaments of a muscle fibre that are stretched during a contraction, the detachment of the bridging bonds between them is reduced. actin and myosin, which leads to greater force production.
The same researchers suggest that during eccentric contraction there is an increase in the stiffness of a protein called Titin, which adds a further increase in passive strength while the muscle remains under load
The eccentric action also imposes a stretching of the sarcomere so intense that it leads to fatigue of the same, a fact that produces damage and muscle lacerations called Sun (delayed onset muscle soreness).
- During concentric action, myosin bridge bonds attached to actin filaments attract each other, shortening the sarcomere;
- During eccentric action, the myosin bridging bonds attached to the actin filaments move away from each other (as when the weight is greater than the muscle's strength), lengthening the sarcomere;
In general, the ability to generate force during an eccentric muscular action is approximately 30-40% greater than concentric muscle action. With a preferential recruitment of the type 2 muscle fibers, more prone to hypertrophy. Since type 2 fibers are naturally stronger than type 1 fibers, this may partly explain the greater strength noted in the eccentric phase. During the eccentric phase, less muscle fiber recruitment was observed. This means that the recruited fibers receive a greater fiber-specific overload, which may explain the preferential hypertrophy. Finally, eccentric repetitions have been reported to be superior for stimulating muscle protein synthesis.
How to train eccentric strength
In a nutshell this is what happens to the muscle during an eccentric action. But in general practice What exercises can I introduce into my training plan to stimulate this quality?
The possibilities are different and must be chosen based on the objectives and the period of the year in which they are used.
There is a simple way to train eccentric strength and that is to lengthen the release times with times that can be approximately around 3 seconds.
How do
Let's take the exercise of l as an example.eg press. In the case of a well-trained athlete, we calculate an indicative maximum that is 30%-40% greater than the result obtained with the bipedal push and divide it by two in order to have a reference value for each leg.
Let's take an example with a concentric maximum of 100 kg, add 30% to this value, in this way we will have a weight of 130 kg, divide it by 2 and we will have 65 kg, which are the kilograms to work with in the eccentric phase with a single-leg exercise, with a descent and hold time of 3″/42. . We will do the push phase with both legs and then repeat the exercise 6-8 times per leg, performing 3-4 sets, with an indicative recovery time of at least one minute.
In this way, in the descent phase we will have an eccentric stimulus higher than the maximum, while in the concentric phase the value of 65 kg will be sustainable by the bipedal push.
The example given with the leg press can be applied to other exercises, such as the reverse leg press, Bulgarian lunges and pistol squats.
My advice is to preferably use exercises that have a single-leg eccentric phase, so as to also activate coordination and proprioception stimuli.
Going beyond the concept of weights
There are many training tools that stimulate eccentric strength. Running has a strong eccentric imprint, downhill running even more so. All exercises with jumps can fall into this category, also recalling the movement necessary to "hold" downhill.
How many times?
As described in the paragraph dedicated to physiology, there is greater fatigue of the sarcomere, with a greater appearance of Doms, which is why it is advisable to avoid abusing this type of training. Once a week in the general training phase (usually in winter), with boosters every fortnight during the rest of the season they can be a good balance
How many repetitions?
Even in this case the variations depend on the period and the objective. We go from the classic 6-8 reps in case you are stimulating strength, with very high loads use high loads; up to very long series often free body when you want to stimulate the strength resistance component or speed resistance.
Conclusions
In the first episode of this series of articles we began to introduce the concept of eccentric strength, explaining why it was important to improve downhill performance. With this second episode we went into the specifics of physiology, giving some indications regarding leg work.
In the next episode, we will focus on the core and arms, with targeted exercises for these body areas.
