Eccentric training has been shown to increase muscle length by laying down more contractile elements length ways. More traditional forms of stretching do not show as much evidence for this and it has been argued that the person becomes more stretch tolerant or the muscles increase in laxity. Since reading the papers on this I have added more eccentric training for mobility into my prescriptions. Remember that eccentric training is an intense form of strength training so your clients will not need too many reps and recovery is required. It is also important to note the eccentric component of the lift creates the most muscle damage so if you have a beginner this training would leave them in a fair bit of pain for a while.
Dave Stewart
The Trainer’s Trainer
