Pulling Posture Strength with Slow Eccentrics
If you have trouble with your pulling posture, try strengthening the right positions using slow eccentrics in your pulls and deadlifts.
Because it’s both easier to get into the right position from the top, and we’re naturally stronger in eccentric than concentric motions, this lets you train and strengthen the optimal positions more easily.
There are two critical points to make this work:
First, you need to actually be in the right position! Get the shoulder joint above the bar with even whole foot balance, and keep that same approximate back angle all the way down the floor.
Second, keep the movement slow ALL the way down… not just in the easy phase where you’re already strong. To help enforce this, don’t let the bar make any noise when it contacts the floor.
Taking 4-6 seconds from top to floor is a good duration—remember, that’s 4-6 seconds, not you counting to 4-6, because I promise that will make it about half the time.
If you’re doing slow eccentrics after every rep in the set, 2-3 reps is usually plenty; if you’re doing more reps/set, you can keep the slow eccentric to the last 1-2 reps.
Remember, this only works if you’re in the right position—it will get you stronger in whatever position you’re in, so don’t take an effective method and make it counterproductive by further strengthening bad posture.
Because it’s both easier to get into the right position from the top, and we’re naturally stronger in eccentric than concentric motions, this lets you train and strengthen the optimal positions more easily.
There are two critical points to make this work:
First, you need to actually be in the right position! Get the shoulder joint above the bar with even whole foot balance, and keep that same approximate back angle all the way down the floor.
Second, keep the movement slow ALL the way down… not just in the easy phase where you’re already strong. To help enforce this, don’t let the bar make any noise when it contacts the floor.
Taking 4-6 seconds from top to floor is a good duration—remember, that’s 4-6 seconds, not you counting to 4-6, because I promise that will make it about half the time.
If you’re doing slow eccentrics after every rep in the set, 2-3 reps is usually plenty; if you’re doing more reps/set, you can keep the slow eccentric to the last 1-2 reps.
Remember, this only works if you’re in the right position—it will get you stronger in whatever position you’re in, so don’t take an effective method and make it counterproductive by further strengthening bad posture.
