--- title: "Scientists Find That Lifting Weights Offers No Benefit Over Simply Lowering Them" description: "You go to the gym, you pick things up. But maybe, as the second half of the famous quote goes, the focus should really be on putting them down." date: "2022-11-13" modified: "2022-11-13" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/lifting-weights-no-benefit-simply-lowering" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "fitness" - "muscles" - "weight lifting" - "workout" --- # Scientists Find That Lifting Weights Offers No Benefit Over Simply Lowering Them ![You go to the gym, you pick things up. But maybe, as the second half of the famous quote goes, the focus should really be on putting them down.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* You go to the gym, you pick things up. But maybe, as the second half of the [famous line]() goes, the focus should really be on putting them down. According to a [recent study]() performed by researchers at Australia's Edith Cowan University (ECU) and published in the *European Journal of Applied Physiology*, those who just lower weights can achieve the same results as those who both lift *and* lower them, despite only doing half the apparent work. The quizzical finding supports [previous ECU research]() showing that low-rep but regular eccentric, or lengthening, muscle contraction, as opposed to concentric or isometric — lifting a weight and holding a weight, respectively — is the best way to increase muscle strength and size. "We already know only one eccentric muscle contraction a day can increase muscle strength if it is performed five days a week — even if it’s only three seconds a day," ECU Professor and study co-author Ken Nosaka said in a [statement](), "but concentric or isometric muscle contraction does not provide such an effect." "This latest study," he continued, "shows we can be far more efficient in the time we spend exercising and still see significant results by focusing on eccentric muscle contractions." For the study, the researchers split participants into four groups of 14. Three of those groups were asked to perform dumbbell curls just twice a week over a five-week period, though with a bit of variation: one group was tasked with just lowering the weights, another only lifted them, and a third group did both, lifting and lowering the dumbbells alternately. The final group, a control, was tasked with doing nothing (relatable). For clarity's sake, we'll call them Team Lower, Team Lift, Team Both, and Team Nothing, respectively. The results were pretty clear. While all groups attained some kind of benefit, Team Lift only saw improvement in their concentric strength. The other two groups, Team Lower and Team Both, improved in their concentric, eccentric, *and* isometric strength. But while Team Both definitely did okay, Team Lower performed better by post-trial muscle thickness, boasting 7.2 percent gain in swoleness versus Team Both's 5.4 percent increase. You'd be forgiven for feeling like this all sounds wildly counterintuitive. After all, we literally called strength training "lifting," and people in weight rooms generally tend to measure success by counting how many pounds they can push up into the air. According to this research, however, that might just be a waste of time. "In the case of a dumbbell curl," Nosaka continued, "many people may believe the lifting action provides the most benefit, or at least some benefit, but we found concentric muscle contractions contributed little to the training effects." That being said, if you really just want to lift stuff, you do you. But if you want to maximize your time and energy, maybe consider experimenting with doing fewer reps and focusing on workouts that emphasize lowering motions. Plus, eccentric workouts are a lot easier to do at home! "With the small amount of daily exercise needed to see results, people don't necessarily even have to go to the gym," Nosaka added, "they can incorporate eccentric exercise into their everyday routine." **More on workouts:** *[Scientists Find That Lifting Weights for Just Three Seconds Is Quite Good for You]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()