Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

A concentric contraction is a type of muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens. As your muscle shortens, it generates enough force to move an object. This is the most ...

Eccentric exercise focuses on movements, or phases of a movement, that lengthen the muscles. Some examples of eccentric exercise include lowering into a squat or lowering into a press-up. In contrast, ...

Isometric exercises are exercises that involve the contraction of muscles without any movement in the surrounding joints. Most muscle strengthening exercises involve moving the joints, using the ...

This is a common strength training technique that involves manipulating the muscle lengthening portion of an exercise, usually by slowing down the movement. Share on Pinterest Getty Images/Eugenio ...

If you tend to breeze through the "easy" part of an exercise—like lowering into a squat or letting your dumbbells drop after a curl—you might be missing a major opportunity to build strength. That ...

Strong legs are crucial to running, which means strength training is essential to your weekly workout routine. And how you spend your time in the gym determines the results you see on the run. By just ...

Matt Hill receives funding from the Wellcome Trust. Every activity we do requires our muscles to either shorten or lengthen. For example, when we climb a flight of stairs or get out of a chair, our ...

1 School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, George Building, Holyhead Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2PX, UK 2 Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, ...