How To Do An Eccentric Push Up & Why You Should

Improve your push ups and boost your strength by learning how to do an eccentric push up! Eccentric is a way of training in which you control the lowering part of an exercise to increase your strength. Basically, you work against gravity or resistance.

Learning and mastering the eccentric component of an exercise will make you stronger at the exercise itself. As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, if you want to dominate push ups, mastering the eccentric push up is a good place to start!

Pin image with text: woman in dark pants and sports bra performing a push up on a unicorn yoga mat

What Is An Eccentric Push Up

Muscle group: chest (pectorals)

Equipment: body weight

Experience level: beginner

Secondary muscles: triceps, abdominals, shoulders

An eccentric push up is when you control the part of the movement in which you lower your chest to the ground.

So, instead of lowering to the ground quickly and pushing yourself back up, you’d resist the temptation to lower quickly and instead lower for a count of 3-5.

This is a great step in learning how to do a regular push up as a beginner and developing upper body strength.

Eccentric push ups can be done on an elevated surface, on the floor, or even progressed to sus[ended push ups once you’ve moved past regular push ups.

Know that the same form for push ups still applies. The only thing you’re changing is the tempo in which you lower.

Two images of a woman in blue shirt and black pants performing a push up with text about what to do and what not to do

How To Perform An Eccentric Push Up

Begin in the starting push up position (a full plank) with your feet together and hands just slightly outside of your shoulders. Maintain a netrual neck.
Keep the core engaged and a straight line as you bend the elbows backward and begin to lower toward the floor.
Resist the urge to move quickly and instead control the exercise against gravity as you spend 4 second lowering to the ground.
Flop to the floor and return to the starting position.

Two variations:

There are two ways you can use eccentric push ups.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to flop onto the floor and then get back up into the starting position.

If you’re an advanced exerciser who wants o bust through plateaus, you’ll do an “eccentric-focused” push up. In this case you’ll lower slowly toward the floor but instead of flopping you’ll push back up into the starting position.

Tips To Perform It

Make sure that your upper body (arms and spine) resembles an “A” at the bottom of the movement and not a “w”. Basically, don’t cock out the elbows.

Keep a neutral position on your neck throughout the movement, there’s no need to tuck your chin.

Squeeze the glutes and engage the abs to keep a rigid spine.

Sets & Reps

You can add eccentric push ups into your training program either elevated off a bench or on the floor. Because eccentrics have a tendency to create wicked DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), do not begin with high volume.

Start with 2 sets of 4 repetitions.
Move up the 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
If you’re elevated (hands on a bench or chair), scale down toward the floor.
Slowly add in more repetitions until you’re ready to perform a full push up.

You can also swap in eccentric push ups in something like a bodyweight push workout as you're learning.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Eccentric Push Ups

What part of the push up is eccentric?

As you lower your body toward the ground you are performing the eccentric part of a push up. On the opposite side, as you push your body back up toward a full plank you are performing the concentric push up.

What are eccentric exercises?

An eccentric exercises is when you control the lengthening part of an exercise instead of rushing through it. Any exercise can be eccentric focused.

What is eccentric training?

Eccentric training is when you place emphasis or increase the tempo on the lengthening part of an exercise and perform slow, long, contractions.

Shelby aka Mama Bear

fitasamamabear

Meet Shelby – a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Nutrition Coach (PN1) who has spent the last 10 years teaching women how to show up for their goals.

A previous smoker and fast-food junkie turned into a super fit mom of 3, her website, Fitasamamabear.com is a crucial resource for busy moms who need help making fitness and healthy living practical.

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