The Rep 

A Negative on Negatives for Fat Loss

by Johnny Nguyen

What goes up must come down, so when you lift a weight you must lower it. And these two actions – lifting and lowering – have been studied extensively to determine their effect on things like strength and muscles mass to rehabilitation and performance. Since many of us are also interested in having a lean body, how do these two actions differ when it comes to fat loss?

When you lift a weight, your muscles shorten – this is called concentric action. When you lower a weight, your muscle lengthens – this is called the eccentric action. Gym rats give this eccentric action an affectionate name: “Negatives.”

In the bodybuilding circle, negatives have mystical power: they are among the training factors that lead to increased strength and muscle mass. Negatives inflict a greater amount of micro-traumas to muscle cells, contributing to the infamous soreness, as compared to concentric actions. These micro-traumas stimulate the regenerative process that leads to increased size and strength. That’s why bodybuilders, whose goal is increased muscle size, are especially fond of negatives and commonly employ them into their workouts.

But do negatives help with fat burning? According to research, they don’t help that much.

A study by Dudley and colleagues in 1991 showed that the concentric (lifting) portion of the exercise is responsible for most of the metabolic cost, with the negative (lowering) portion increasing metabolic cost only slightly. Another study (Caruso, 2003) using 3 sets of 8 repetitions showed that negatives provide no additional net calorie cost. In both studies, oxygen uptake was measured to determine metabolic cost.

What these studies may tell us is that the use of the rowing ergometer is a very effective tool that helps drive up metabolic cost. Rowing is almost entirely concentric, with little to no negatives contributing to the fatigue. It is why FIT uses rowing regularly. Another great tool, though more advance, is Olympic-style weightlifting. Performed well, it typically requires lifting the weight in a controlled but very rapid motion, resulting in a very high metabolic output. And, once lifted, no negative is typically required as the barbell can be dropped. This lack of negative action prevents excessive neurological fatigue so that more lifting can be accomplished. If done with enough volume and density, Olympic-style weightlifting can increase metabolic cost significantly.

Essentially any exercise that requires a large lifting action can effectively increase metabolic cost, leading to greater fat burning. The rowing ergometer and Olympic-style weightlifting, both a valuable part of FIT’s philosophy, are often at the center of the training program for many clients, but squats, dead-lifts, and pull-ups are other exercises that also require a large concentric action, even though they typically include negatives.

As much as I hate rowing, I also like to stay lean for aesthetic and health reasons. I know many of you feel the same. So, please, get on the rower and give me 500 meters.