Which matters more for muscle growth: the positive, where you lift the weight up, or the negative, where you lower the weight back down?
For years, most lifters assumed that the negative was more important because that’s when the muscle is lengthening. And you’ve probably heard science-based lifters say that it’s really important to “control the negative.” But what does the latest science say about negatives and muscle growth? Does the negative actually cause more growth than the positive?
Well, a brand new meta-analysis of 26 studies and over 600 subjects (da Silva et al, 2025) compared muscle growth from emphasizing the positive to muscle growth from emphasizing the negative and they found that for the upper body, there was a small but significant advantage, showing more muscle growth when you emphasize the … negative! But, for the lower body both the positive and negative led to similar growth and overall, both built similar amounts of muscle. So if your goal is to maximize gains, you should control the negative, but the idea that the negative is drastically more hypertrophic than the positive isn’t really supported by the latest data.
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Hey guys, I hope you’re all doing well. I just wanted to say I appreciate the support over the last few months, it really means a lot.
It's the goat!!
Love the ending. LOL! 😀
Ronnie Coleman has left the chat x8
Is that brodieshredz in the background?
Damn. This sucks after watching over a year of the same guy tell me that the negative is more important.
Isn't the negative the controlling or somewhat fighting against gravity?
I swear it’s not that complicated . Just rip your fucking muscles . That’s it .
Just do the reps and shut up
Damn all that lifting can't fix that low t voice
Always been and will be the best 💪🏻
Lift heavy sht in a controlled manner = growth.
Makes sense! Im still teaching my newer gym bros to control on the way down, because just like when I was new, I find new lifters rush to move the weight as fast as possible and miss all the benefits either way. Controlling the negative is simply good practice to ensure you actually work imo
So when I learned to do negatives decades ago, it was to overload the muscle. That is, go bigger on the weight than you can do positive, or you've fatigued the muscle, then cheat to get the weight up and try to slowly lower it. You can handle more load on a negative than a positive, so it's a way to get more load on the muscle and more on stabilizing and control muscles.
Now, does that work? I mean, it works as described; I can definitely lower slowly a higher amount of weight than I can lift. But does it help with strength or muscle size? Not sure.
Consistency 😊
Fuck a workout would be so fun with you big boy
he's smart
bro jeff is so funny to me every time
I like that background jeff lifting :DDD
What if you Hold the positive?
Controlling the negative is about locking in your form rather than actually getting better growth stimulant.
My goat btw
Why is no one talks about Brodie in the back
4 second negative.
so whats the ansewr?
They are both equal
Is it small or significant Jeff is AI
Shadow Jeff 😂
What matters is that you lift even if you feel not doing so
Or and hear me out, pick something heavy, lift it until it's easy, then pick something heavier, that's worked since Milo of Croton started it in 540 BC
Bro Jeff showed up again
How tall is he
Let's go!!
Sending you love my friend 😊
that shirt is fire!!
I’ve read 3 studies that say the negative is important because the time under tension helps with the tendon strength, being a middle aged man tendon pain is very common. But I don’t see anyone talking about those studies
I just like to think that the whole movement has to have a purpose and be controlled. This way also helps me know when the form is bad or the weight too have, but it has made me a bit too passive in increasing the load.
jus lif bo
Ah, so all of this is just useless bullshit. 600 people is a laughably small sample size.
Do you have bird shit on your shoulder
I'm positive the negative is positive for navigate muscle positivity.
Science doesn't know how to stop contradicting themselves. The proof is in the pudding. I went 3 months focusing on just positive, and 3 months incorporating negative into my reps. You are much stronger when you slowly control a weight. And it also doesn't make you look like a bulged freak.
Given enough time, there will be enough studies from all the phd candidates that will refute everything that has ever been said about anything. Refutation is an easier PhD than originality.
Me: * insert Ancient Aliens guy quotes* Yes! Science!
Jeff Meta-Analysis Nippard: Just lift the fcking weights, bro!
Both. Both is good.
Avoid free falling of weight…. that much negative is important
Let’s goo king ❤