Are negative reps negative?

So negative reps…

This has been going around a little recently as the “place where you grow the most”.

I’ve spoken a LOT about the eccentric and negative reps in other places but I’ve never built it out.

It was only the other day (month I’ve been slacking) I spoke about deadstop reps.

• This removed the eccentric

• This missed out an important part of the movement

• This looked pretty goofy.

There’s something about missing out an eccentric that just looks weird?

It looks like horribly bad form.

Oddly negative reps, which are the complete opposite, don’t.

I’m not sure if this is because slow and controlled is more mainstream than fast and controlled, but it’s interesting.

Anyway, let’s break out negative reps a little.

1. Negative reps remove the concentric from a movement

2. They can build muscle but with a huge drawback

3. Their best use is for building coordination

That’s kinda the TL:DR on this.

See negative reps CAN and DO build muscle, but they focus entirely on the most fatiguing part of the lift.

When you perform an eccentric your muscle fibres get damaged A LOT.

This isn’t a problem when you’re limited by your strength in the concentric, but you’re considerably stronger in an eccentric.

This means you get way more damage than you would in a regular concentric (and eccentric) set.

That doesn’t mean I completely dislike negative reps and think they shouldn’t be used though.

Negative reps have great application in a few areas.

1. You’re trying to learn a movement you’re not strong enough on yet.

2. You’re very limited with your equipment and don’t have weight light enough.

3. You’re a calisthenics athlete trying to master certain skills.

1 and 2 are pretty much the same if I’m being honest.

I’m sure you get the picture here though.

Negative reps are probably something you’re not going to be using 10/10 times.

Outside of that, I’m officially back!

I know I’ve been gone for a while and pretty inactive, I’ve been slacking…

I once joked in a newsletter that my posting frequency lines up to if I’m on my meds or not, and it’s true…

I care a lot about Poole Fitness and the work I do here, so never feel like I’ve given up on anything.

Feel free to email me at any time for specific help at [email protected]

Also join my coaching group if you’re looking to get a structured no-nonsense plan you can follow.

Your Hypertrophy Hero,
Fletcher