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What if we could to train in a way that not only made us stronger, but also kept us safe from injury? For as long as we’ve known, injury prevention has tended to zone in on muscle strength.

But no matter how many squats, lunges and leg presses you perform, injuries, especially to the lower extremities, still sideline many people. Could we be missing something?

Eccentric training

Enter eccentric training, a principle that is marginalised or misunderstood. This is not new, but its power to transform our understanding of strength and injury prevention is being newly appreciated. In contrast to conventional exercises that involve lifting or shortening muscles, eccentric training emphasizes the lowering phase, when you lengthen the muscle under load. Think of lowering yourself gracefully from a pull-up or slowing your descent in a squat. That’s eccentric movement.

Why does this matter? That’s because the majority of injuries occur when muscles are forcibly lengthened under load, like when you sprint, jump or change direction. For example, the hamstring muscles are particularly at risk with high-velocity running. They are stretched and fully contracted to decelerate the leg and are therefore prone to strains. Eccentric training trains muscles for just these moments.

Not just muscles

But it’s not only the muscles. Injuries, which can include anything from hamstring strains to ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, typically arise from shoddy neuromuscular control; how well our brain and body communicate and coordinate motion. Poor balance, landing technique and delayed activation of the muscles around the knee can put you at further risk of injury. Eccentric training builds muscle while teaching muscles to fire, joints to stabilise and the brain to respond to challenges to therapy.

So why isn’t eccentric training the norm?

One reason is fear. Studies in the beginning associated eccentric exercise with muscle soreness and injury. But those studies employed extreme protocols that were meant to do damage. When done correctly, eccentric training is safe, even in rehab, in real-world settings. In fact, it’s been found to help people rehabilitate their injuries and come back to sport stronger than when they left.

Take the Nordic hamstring curl. It’s a basic exercise where you kneel and slowly tip your body forward, catching yourself with your hamstrings as you fall. Athletes who regularly perform this exercise are far less likely to injure their hamstrings. In some cases, injury rates were more than halved. That’s not just impressive, it’s a game changer.

But there’s a catch. It works, but only if people actually do it. There are big issues of compliance. Essentially, how many athletes will actually stick to the programme. In training regimens where athletes did twice-a-week sets of particular eccentric exercises for months at a time, injury rates plummeted. But when workouts were sporadic or too few and far between, the benefits vanished. Muscle soreness, a lack of motivation and inadequate supervision were the most common reasons for missing sessions.

So how do we make eccentric training stick?

The FIFA 11+, is a structured warm-up program designed to prevent injuries, and is a promising example of that. They mix in eccentric exercises with balance, coordination and core work, all of it condensed into a brief warm-up. When soccer teams consistently embrace these programs, injuries decrease. But whether it succeeds also comes down to buy-in,from coaches, athletes and support staff. It takes education, and supervision, and making the exercises part of team culture to do it right.

Curiously, eccentric training is not just beneficial to injured limbs. Thanks to a process known as “cross-education,” training one leg can increase strength and even influence muscle control in the other. This can be particularly useful in rehab if one side is too painful or too weak to train directly.

Not limited to elite athletes

And it isn’t only for elite athletes. Recreational athletes reap the same rewards,sometimes even more. The greatest reductions in risk of injury have been  observed in the amateur groups. That’s heartening news for weekend warriors, young athletes and all of us who merely want to stay active without visiting the disabled list.

So, what does all of this mean for you?

And if you’re an athlete, coach or therapist, think about where eccentric training fits among your training plans. Are you conditioning your muscles for the needs of your sport? Are you concerned about your neuromuscular control and not just raw strength?

If you’re rehabbing, ask if you’re rehabbing for muscle strength includes eccentric work,  especially in that lengthened position that frequently undergoes injury. Are you reasserting yourself where it counts the most?

And if your only aim is to stay active and injury-free, consider how your body is moving. Are you readying your body for the unexpected like a slip, a sudden sprint or abrupt change in direction?

Eccentric training isn’t flashy. It doesn’t always feel heroic. But it’s powerful. It’s not simply for getting stronger — it’s for getting smarter.

Why these programmes actually work.

The most effective injury prevention programs don’t rely solely on measures of muscle size or strength. They emphasise the qualities of movement, control and the ability to adapt.

Frequency is another key factor. That twice-weekly cadence appears to be the sweet spot. Duration matters too. It has a positive impact if the program is 21 to 30 weeks long. That’s long enough to develop true strength and coordination, but short enough to prevent athlete boredom.

It’s worth noting, too that younger athletes do not always benefit as much as adults. That might be because of discrepancies in training age, supervision and motivation. It also implies we must tailor programs to different age groups. For younger athletes, supervision and knowledge are particularly crucial.

What does a good program of eccentric training actually look like?

It begins with an introductory phase. This means learning the correct technique and gradually building the movements.

Next is progressive loading, where you gradually increase the load and intensity over time. Workouts like Nordic hamstring curls, single-leg deadlifts and controlled squats are all staples. For rehab, it’s all about exercises that work on the lengthened muscle position, like bridge walkouts or windmill touches.

Rest is extremely important too. Beginners should give themselves at least 72 hours between grueling workouts. More seasoned athletes can bounce back more quickly.

Eccentric training doesn’t just transform muscles, it changes how the brain directs movement. It enhances the activity and coordination of the motor cortex. That’s why one of the most effective interventions for regaining neuromuscular control is eccentric training after injury.

Where do we go from here?

We need a new way of training. Rather than concentrating on strength, let’s concentrate on control. We should chase movement quality, instead of numbers. And rather than just waiting for injuries to occur, we also should train to prevent them.

Eccentric training is more than just a tool; it’s a way of thinking. It’s preparing for surprise, building resilience and moving with purpose. If you're an elite athlete or just trying to keep active, it's something worth asking:

Are you training smart?