Stopping a movement in the middle of a repetition can definitely make an exercise more challenging. Opt for time instead of repetitions. The eccentric part of an elevator is the descent phase. Losing weight in a slow and controlled way makes the muscle work harder.
Play with the repetition rhythms in things like single-arm rows, barbell rows, push-ups, and push-ups just to see how different it feels. If you do it enough, you'll make significant profits. We all know that cardiovascular exercises should make us sweat, but a better measure of efficient aerobic training is breathing.