We’re stronger on the negative portion of our workout exercises than we are on the positive portion, so why do so many people throw the negative away entirely rather than utilize it to get bigger and stronger faster? That’s tantamount to going to KFC and nibbling off just the crispy bits and then throwing the breast meat in the garbage.
If you’re throwing away the negative portion of your workout exercises, you’re throwing away up to 60% of your potential muscle growth. Most people give no thought to this, much less apply effort. We see people at the gym whipping through their set as if they can’t wait to get it over with, demon speeding like they’re on some ride at Disneyland. One reason for this is ego—using a weight that’s too heavy for them to properly handle in that particular situation, and thus feeling the the urgency to get the set over and done with, rather than reveling in it.
To best utilize the negative we have to learn to embrace the discomfort (not to be confused with actual pain) in the target muscle as we methodically flow through the arc of each rep.
Instead of chasing a predetermined number, such as 10 reps, I chase the pump. Six excellent reps, methodically performed so that at every degree in the arc my mind is totally focused on the target muscle and the goal of engorging it with blood, are far more effective than ten sloppy reps.
The negative (concentric) portion of the exercise is even MORE important to growth of both size and strength than the positive (eccentric) portion. The negative properly done will build muscle and get you where you want to go faster and with better results than just the positive alone, as so many presently perform it.
If you do biceps curls with dumbbells presently, try using cables or resistance bands next time. Resisting on the negative with cables is “easier” and more fluid than with the dead weight of a dumbbell or barbell.
Even more challenging than fighting gravity on the negative portion is actually applying increased resistance on the negative as compared to the positive. This will take you even further, sooner.
Watch Jeff Cavaliere graphically demonstrate this in the video above.
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