The primary goal of a bodybuilder is to build as much muscle mass as possible. This typically involves highly intense weight training sessions that often result in "failure" of the muscles. Muscle failure is the inability of the body to produce the desired strength to perform the desired contraction. There are three different types of muscle failure, and each has different benefits to training.
Concentric
A concentric muscle contraction is typically associated with bodybuilding. The goal of this type of contraction is to produce enough force to move the weight. Concentric muscle failure occurs when you are no longer able to produce concentric muscular contractions. For instance, during a bench press, the goal is to move the weight to your chest and then push it off your chest. You reach concentric failure when you can no longer push the weight back up.
Eccentric
Eccentric muscle contractions occur when the body resists a change in movement but does not produce enough force to move the object in a concentric direction. Thus, eccentric muscle failure occurs when your body is no longer able to actively slow down a resistance that is applied to it. Again using the bench press, you must actively contract your muscles during the descent of the barbell toward your chest to keep your body safe; however, when you reach eccentric muscle failure, the bar and your arms will quickly drop as you lower the bar because you can no longer support the descent of the bar and its weight.
Isometric
Isometric contractions occur when the resistance you apply is equal to the resistance of the object, which produces no movement. This makes isometric failure the inability to maintain enough force to sustain a nonmoving situation while lifting. Often times, bodybuilders will perform an isometric contraction during the middle portion of a lift. For the bench press, this occurs when your arms are halfway from full extension after you have lifted the bar off of your chest. This position is held for as long as possible until your muscles can no longer support the position. Thus, isometric failure is reached.
Considerations
Training each muscle to each of these types of failures is important for total muscle development in bodybuilding. Concentric exercise and reaching concentric failure is important for developing strength in the muscle, allowing you to support greater loads.
Isometric muscular contraction is associated with improved isometric strength, but for bodybuilders there is an even greater benefit. Isometric contractions can help with vascularization of blood vessels. This means blood vessels will grow and develop, leading to a more defined look. Isometric contractions trap blood in the muscle, causing a "pump" or swelling of the muscle. This forces the muscles to develop an increased ability to shuttle blood to maintain blood pressure balance during exercise.
Finally, eccentric exercises and reaching eccentric failure is related to increased muscular damage and the recruitment of type II muscle fibers, according to a review appearing in the "Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy" in 2003. This damage, along with the muscle type recruited, will result in increased muscular hypertrophy or growth to compensate for the damage sustained during the workout.
References
- BrianMac: Muscle Training
- San Diego State University: A Good Review of Research Into Strength; M.C. Morrissey, et al.; 1995
- ExRx.net: Muscle
- Saylor.org: Muscle Contraction
- Athletic Quickness.com: The 3 Types of Muscle Contractions: Concentric, Eccentric, and Isometric
- "Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy"; Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Their Contribution to Injury, Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Sport; Paul LaStayo, et al.; 2003
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