Dr. Michael MacMillan
Just how powerful are eccentric-focused workouts and what do you need to know to really tap into the benefits for yourself and your clients?
Dr. Michael MacMillan ( negatorstrength [at] gmail [dot] com ) joins the podcast, drawing from his expertise and wealth of knowledge in biomechanics and his experiences in working with Arthur Jones and designing HIT equipment. He is a retired orthopedic surgeon and former associate professor at the University of Florida, and the co-creator of the NeGator Strength System.
In this episode, we talk about the importance of heavy negative training – and the right way to do it – with its positive impact on bone, ligament, and tendon strength. He also presents some very interesting insights that may challenge our conventional understanding of some aspects of high-intensity training as we know it to be, along with what we can do to get even more out of our HIT workout sessions.
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Show Notes
- 02:38 – What exactly are eccentrics and why are they so important?
- 08:15 – What allows you to do a true eccentric?
- 15:22 – What is the ideal protocol for delivering true eccentrics?
- 19:10 – What’s wrong with the currently available equipment that already allows you to emphasize eccentrics?
- 21:10 – Metrics you need to track to properly measure an effective rep
- 23:05 – The dangerous straining that some equipment can encourage because of their design
26:27 – The state of currently available research on strain and proper load in relation to eccentric-focused exercise and why the right equipment matters - 32:36 – What’s the difference between Dr MacMillan’s machine designs and other equipment that also offer eccentric emphasis?
- 35:20 – The difference in the adaptations heavy negatives deliver and why it matters
- 43:58 – The optimal window for eccentrics and the dangers of going outside the ideal range
- 46:49 – Understanding what’s going on when you incorporate eccentrics properly and why it works so well
People Mentioned & Selected Links from the Episode
- Dr. Michael MacMillan | On Instagram | On Facebook | NeGator Strength / Maximum Negatives
- Arthur Jones | Nautilus | MedX | HIB Episodes
- The Colorado Experiment | HIB Episode
- Dr. Doug McGuff | Official Website | Body by Science (book) | HIB Episodes
- Resistance Exercise Conference (REC)
- Dr. William Fisher Enneking
520 – How To Build A Highly Successful Fitness Business and Turn It Into A HIT Franchise (with Jeff Tomaszewski)
519 – Is SuperSlow The Key to an Ultra-Successful HIT Business? What You Should Know (with Dagoberto Vila)
518 – The HIT Studio of the Future — This is What The Best High-Intensity Training Businesses Will Look Like (with Slowfit and Resistance Institute Founder Lucas Leal)
This is awesome guys. This has motivated me to start progressively amping up the negative/eccentric with my exercises. This really, really fleshed out, even more, the why’s and reasons to amp up the resistance during the negative/eccentric. There is another gentleman that has had me thinking about this topic for quite some time as well. Also for me this further reinforces the reasoning of keeping the load ” significant”, while still being mindful of form and biomechanics. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
what about the idea that doing negatives too often can quickly lead to overtraining….
I still don’t understand how to actually implement this SAFELY…. no word on the importance of a good handoff?
much more effective stimulus? but so much stimulus that you can’t recover from?
Mr. Neal,
The subject matter discussed on this particular podcast was interesting. The discussion led to several unanswered questions.
Foremost question is what protocol is to be utilized to gain the benefits of supramaximal eccentrics?
Secondly, what benefits are realized from supramaximal eccentrics?
Lastly, what real world examples of supramaximal eccentrics amongst athletes can be had?
To be fair, I spoke about Titin many years ago and met disdain amongst the HiT aficionados. No one was interested in Titin or Nebulin either. Reminds me of everyone’s demeanor when I was shoveling snow during SnowMeggedon, as during this dilemma was when I first became aware of the severe lack of cardiovascular conditioning of HiT. With all the recent discussion and developments of cardiovascular conditioning, o it seems I was entirely correct. Perhaps a reasonable explanation of cardiovascular conditioning will one day be common amongst the HiT crowd. Darden is now 80 and recommends daily walks. How about it, is there a 21st century recommendation on cardiovascular conditioning coming from the HiT community?
If the benefits come from such eccentrics, then such benefits could never happen with SuperSlow, as the eccentric portion in SS is under loaded. The NeGator strength system was soundly criticized by a renowned HiT aficionado , who unfortunately has nowhere near the credentials of Dr. MacMillian? That about covers some of my thoughts. BTW, Dr. Kenneth Jay is very knowledgeable on cardiovascular conditioning.
, as he would be an excellent interview opportunity for HiT to get a different viewpoint , other than “cardio doesn’t exist.”
Marcrph,
Good to see you here. Thank you for making me think about steady state activity without external resistance. Also doing strength training with inter-set respites. Might sound some what contradictory on my part, being all gung ho about hyper loading the negative. I also really like your application of alactic strength training
Mr. Hunt,
If anyone promotes Supra-maximal eccentrics, then the alactic energy system will be called on to contribute energy for lowering such heavy weights. There are at most 10 seconds of opportunity to utilize the phosphagen in the muscles. Of course all energy systems are producing ATP for muscle activity at all times concurrently. Roughly 5 minutes elapse before replenishment of phosphagen occurs. Thus, inter-set respites allows more time for phosphagen replenishment to occur, but this replenishment needs even more time for complete replenishment.
Speaking in biblical terms, 3 has always emphasized intensity, as someone saying Hallelujah 3 times is more intense than speaking this word once. Therefore, 3 hard supra-maximal eccentric repetitions accomplished with inter-set respites could be devastating enabling phosphagen replenishment to a degree otherwise not available during consecutive repetitions.
Proper cardiovascular conditioning enhances muscular development and enhances eccentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle of the heart. This is something sorely missing in resistance training. Simplistic answers in addressing cardiovascular conditioning are revealing of a lack of a complete understanding of cardiovascular conditioning function, such as pyruvate governing aerobic conditioning. Global metabolic conditioning governed by pyruvate in the Kreb’s cycle is just such a simplistic answer to a very complex subject of cardiovascular conditioning.
Since I have now destroyed a chapter in everyone’s favorite exercise book, I must find something productive to do. Cardiovascular conditioning and HiT are like water and oil, they don’t mix!
Marc
Thank you for the detailed response Marc.
I
I am not sure sometimes why I continue to follow the various online training/exercise podcasts, and what not. Yet here I am commenting on one. I see the benefit in the “cardiovascular” activity. For me personally it probably qualifies as low to moderate intensity with what I do, as well with the strength training I do. I don’t do anything overly explosive, but again that is just me. The stuff that makes the most sense to me at where I am currently at in my life is too be at least somewhat active, give my body a reason to not get weaker, and a perhaps very conservative eye toward progression.
Donnie,
Supra-Maximal eccentrics may provide the opportunity for a minimalist resistance training regimen. Such a regimen has not been proven long-term. My instincts tell me a cardiovascular conditioning routine would also be beneficial concurrently. What would a minimalist cardiovascular conditioning regimen look like. It would most assuredly not be a Tabata routine., as such intensity and volume is certainly not needed for a healthy level of cardiovascular conditioning. Most trainees are not Olympic speed skaters in need of ultimate cardiovascular conditioning. Ditto strength trainees!
Marcrph
Marc,
Well I have long enjoyed your detailed writing/comments regarding exercise. For me, cardiovascular activity I enjoy and makes me feel good, are walking, inline skating, bike riding, perhaps some other activities. I don’t push myself hard, but do put out some effort.
As for strength training, I don’t often don’t attempt to “keep going”/deep inroad/deep fatigue. I am more concerned with what is happening moment to moment, rep to rep, or simply holding in place if I am doing statics or do statics somewhere in a dynamic rep set.
As for hyper loading the negative, I have been doing this a bit where I can, trying solo currently. When my wife starts training with me again I talked with her about us doing some extra manual resistance on the negatives, working into them gradually.
Donnie,
I’m pleased you have enjoyed my writings. I get the impression that I’m not welcome here or any other HiT affiliated groups of people. This is all well and good as I personally have moved on from HiT. I was so disappointed in Dr. Ellington Darden’s newest book, where he wrote of a series of full-body exercises done on machines with minimal rest of about 15-30 seconds between such. He talks of keeping a certain Heart Rate for 10 minutes Such a modality of circuit training of exercise, he claims , increases strength while simultaneously increasing cardiovascular endurance. And while this may be true to a small degree, it is certainly not efficient and effective for strength or cardiovascular conditioning. I was hoping Dr. Darden would embrace proper cardiovascular conditioning, as he has disengaged from recommendations of training to failure as the flag bearer of HiT. So be it! There is always Dr Kenneth Jay.
One of the reasons cardiovascular conditioning makes you feel better is blood glucose stability. Cardiovascular conditioning builds mitochondria. Of course these mitochondria reside primarily in slow twitch muscles and burn fat . The fat is metabolized in the slow twitch muscles into Multiple ATP molecules. This saves glucose /glycogen from being used, thereby stabilizing glucose levels. Of course , strength training keeps muscle tissue intact and allows for the maximum amount of glucose to be stored as glycogen. Win, win! Cardiovascular conditioning delivers something strength training can’t, as cardiovascular conditioning increases from Ventilatory Threshold 1 training, as mitochondria increases from such VT1 training, as the PERCENTAGE of fat burned at rest is increased. That also adds blood glucose stability. You see, people who are cardio fit have a lean advantage that HiT can never deliver.
As regards eccentrics, note that Titin has an elastic component of function. The Russians discussed plyometrics for such elastic recoil training. This may be needed for competition. But years of strength training has shown vanilla strength training programs increase strength to phenomenal levels. Why tempt injury with a supramaximal eccentrics. I’m all ears! Tell Ed Coan he would have been better with exclusive use of eccentrics.
Have a good day
Perhaps one day, I will write a bulletin on cardiovascular conditioning for lifters.
Don’t hold your breath!
Marc
Marc,
Thank you again for the very detailed response. A great deal that I will and haven taken heed of. You have a good day as well.
Donnie