What goes up: Why this easy exercise should be a focus of your gym routine

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-04-28T09:00:00Z","datePublished":"2026-04-28T09:00:00Z","description":"We tend to focus on the upwards part of movement, but what happens on the way down can be just as beneficial.","headline":"What goes up: Why this easy exercise should be a focus of your gym routine","keywords":"Fitness, Trends","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lauren Ironmonger","jobTitle":"Lifestyle writer","url":"/by/lauren-ironmonger-p5365j"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/what-goes-up-why-this-easy-exercise-should-be-a-focus-of-your-gym-routine-20260424-p5zqvp.html","@type":"WebPage"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"1322.6666666666665","url":"https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.4995283018867924%2C$multiply_0.7025%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/09967e2bc9d6e2aa4ee36678ffcab9d0ef62c094","width":"744"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".paywall"}],"publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"628","url":"https://www.smh.com.au/metro-assets/assets/static/smh.png","width":"1200"},"url":"https://www.smh.com.au"},"isPartOf":{"@type":["CreativeWork","Product"],"name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","productID":"smh.com.au:webonly"}}{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle","name":"Lifestyle"},"position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness","name":"Health & wellness"},"position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/topic/fitness-5xb","name":"Fitness"},"position":3}]}AdvertisementLifestyleHealth & wellnessFitnessWhat goes up: Why this easy exercise should be a focus of your gym routineLauren IronmongerApril 28, 2026 — 7:00pmSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.ShareAAAFrom the teeth-gritting clench of a bicep curl to the dip of a squat, we tend to think of upwards movements as the most beneficial part of strength training.The “lifting” motion in which our muscles shorten – known as concentric exercise – is important. But what happens on the way down, when we lower a weight and our muscles lengthen – known as eccentric exercise – can be just as beneficial, according to a new article published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.Professor Ken Nosaka, director of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University and the article’s author, has been researching eccentric exercise, which includes movements such as chair squats, wall sit-ups and walking downhill, for decades.Eccentric exercise such as wall push-ups can be a simple and effective way to build strength, particularly for older populations. iStockWhat is eccentric exercise and who is it for?AdvertisementThere are three different ways our muscles contract: concentrically (lifting), eccentrically (lowering) and isometrically (staying static). Many common exercises combine all three.But Nosaka believes we often overlook this second type of movement. His research suggests can be just as beneficial as concentric movement for building strength and muscle size, as well as less fatiguing.“Eccentric movement is a more powerful stimulus for muscles to…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at The Sydney Morning Herald.