If you want to get stronger, build muscle, or recover from injury, there’s one training tool that often gets overlooked: eccentric training.

It sounds fancy, but the concept is simple: the eccentric phase of a lift is the lowering portion of the movement—like lowering the bar in a squat, bringing the bench press to your chest, or lowering yourself from a chin-up.

Rugby players spend a lot of time in eccentric actions on the field—absorbing tackles, decelerating before changing direction, or landing from jumps. That’s why training eccentrics in the gym can have such a big payoff.

Let’s break down what eccentrics are, why they’re important, and how to use them for different goals.

What Are Eccentrics?

Every lift has three phases:

1. Eccentric phase – the lowering/lengthening portion (muscle under tension while stretching).

2. Concentric phase – the lifting/shortening portion (muscle under tension while contracting).

3. Isometric phase – holding a position (no movement).

Eccentric training focuses on slowing down or overloading the lowering phase. Why? Because you’re stronger eccentrically than concentrically—your muscles can handle more on the way down than they can lift back up.

Why Train Eccentrics?

Eccentric training offers rugby players a host of benefits:

• Strength development – handling heavier loads boosts maximal strength.

• Muscle growth – eccentrics increase muscle damage (in a good way) and stimulate hypertrophy.

• Injury prevention & rehab – especially effective for hamstring, Achilles, and shoulder injuries.

• Sport performance – improves deceleration, change of direction, and collision resilience.

Different Ways to Use Eccentrics

Here are the main methods and where they fit into a rugby player’s program:

1. Slow Eccentrics for Technique and Control

• How: Lower the weight slowly (3–5 seconds) before lifting normally.

• Why: Builds control, reinforces proper technique, and increases time under tension for muscle growth.

• Best for: Beginners learning the lifts, hypertrophy training, and building tendon resilience.

2. Maximal Eccentrics (Supramaximal Loads)

• How: Use loads heavier than your 1RM (e.g. 105–120%), focusing only on the lowering phase. A spotter or partner helps with the lift up.

• Why: Exposes the body to loads beyond concentric capacity, developing maximal strength.

• Best for: Advanced lifters looking to break plateaus.

• ⚠️ Caution: Very demanding on the nervous system—should be programmed sparingly.

3. Eccentrics for Rehab & Prehab

• How: Controlled eccentric loading of specific muscle groups (e.g. Nordic hamstring curls, eccentric calf raises, eccentric shoulder external rotations).

• Why: Proven to reduce hamstring strains, Achilles tendon issues, and shoulder problems.

• Best for: Injury prevention and return-to-play protocols.

4. Eccentric-Emphasis for Muscle Building

• How: Moderate weights with extended eccentrics (4–6 seconds per rep).

• Why: Creates more muscle damage and mechanical tension—key drivers of hypertrophy.

• Best for: Off-season hypertrophy blocks when building size is a priority.

5. Contrast or Tempo Variations

• How: Combine slow eccentrics with explosive concentrics (e.g. 3-sec lowering squat, fast drive up).

• Why: Teaches the body to absorb force then rapidly produce it—just like in rugby.

• Best for: Power development and sport-specific transfer.

Practical Example: Rugby Eccentric Session

• Back Squat: 4×6 with 4-sec eccentric

• Bench Press: 4×5 with 3-sec eccentric

• Nordic Hamstring Curls: 3×6

• Pull-Ups: 3×5 (slow 5-sec lower)

• Med Ball Slams: 3×10 (fast concentric after controlled lowering)

Final Thoughts

Eccentric training is a powerful tool for rugby players. Whether your goal is building strength, packing on muscle, staying injury-free, or bouncing back from rehab, using eccentrics smartly can give you an edge on the pitch.

The key is knowing which method to use, when to use it, and how to fit it into your overall program.

That’s exactly what we do inside the Rugby Renegade Membership—we take the guesswork out and build eccentric training into your plan so you get the benefits without the burnout.

👉 Join the Rugby Renegade Membership today and train with the proven methods used by elite rugby players worldwide.