Isometrics Is The Purest Form Of Strength Training, So Why Isn’t Everyone Doing It?

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Isometric training is the simplest, easiest, most direct, and pure form of strength training. It’s also one of the safest and most accessible when considering the demands on time, energy, proficiency, and equipment resources. So on the surface, isometric should be the absolute dominant method of strength training for everyone, yet it’s far from it so why is that?

You can certainly build muscle and strength as well as endurance and functional strength with isometrics. In most cases, you can build more of it in a lot faster than with dynamic training, but the answer depends not on the exercise itself, but how we feel about doing the exercise. 

In addition, the purity of isometrics is its greatest advantage yet disadvantage. Many people engage in strength training for benefits, beyond, strength, and endurance. They also want to develop other qualities like mobility, stability, and coordination, which can be had through other disciplines.

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Every part of blue collar work uses isometrics as part of daily work.

johnnygrube
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Because of you i got so strong, thanks for introduce me Isometrics.

eduardofranciscodantascord
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I learned isometrics from my dad who’s been doing it his whole life and continues to at 78 years old. And he is still strong as hell. I do about 50% isometrics.. I love it because I can literally do it from my couch or my desk. One of my current favorite things is taking the peck bar/power twister and just holding it squeezed under tension for 2 minutes straight. And I do the reverse for my back using the iso bow or bullworker. Or sometimes I’ll do that while walking around my home so it’s almost a version of a farmers walk.

joed
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I recommend people give iso at least a month, preferably exclusively. It is going to feel very alien and ineffective at first "the resistance isn't moving, how can this be effective".
Train with straight iso for a long time and traditional lifting begins to feel alien and ineffective "the resistance is so weak I'm actually moving the load, how is this a challenge?"

Most people never learn to apply it effectively at long muscle length, never learn to vary contraction speed, effort duration etc. Once a person learns these things firsthand, they'll never think about iso and traditional lifting the same way again.

Neuman
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Two reasons I can think of: many don’t know how and also may find too hard. There are static isometrics where you hold a full pressed as hard as you can for 15- 90 seconds for example. Think holding at the top of a pull up for 30-60 seconds. Alternatively there are iso holds where you do 5 or 10 second pauses on each rep like at the bottom of a push up or squats at just below parallel but then otherwise continue with the full range of motion. Personally a hard workout with 2 sets of these per muscle group (if doing a full body workout) leaves me tired for a day (3 leaves me beat) but not sore. Two of my favorites are squats with pauses near bottom and biceps with a heavy band or dumbell where I can’t quite lift the whole way up and do either 10 seconds pauses on each rep or hold for 30 seconds. No perfect exercise for everyone, but isometrics can really bump up strength for some. Heavy weights work too 😊. Also isometrics are one of my favorite ‘tools’ when traveling.

gordon
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I just discovered your channel. I want to say thank you. I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy 3. I have been told I am not able to build muscle. I refuse to believe this so I am always looking for exercises I things I can do to help increase my muscle. You have an approach I have never tried.

ketovorekandi
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I've had this experience. Last summer I had some nagging injuries and aches and decided to only do isometrics for my strength training for a month or so. It felt good, lots of engagement in my muscles, injuries felt better and I think I even built a little muscle. But after a couple of weeks I was itching to to dynamic work so bad. I made it for a month and then added movement again, but I still do isometrics before dynamic work, and sometimes isometrcics only for strength. I also found that if I do longer sets of overcoming isometrics, for like 15, 20 seconds, as a tension phase, then do some crawling and hanging like in grind style stability phase, but do more sets, I can have a great workout just with those two phases. Still, I always feel best both emotinally and physically if I do some pushups, dips, pullups, lunges and so on. Another great video, Matt. Thanks.

vladislavjakovljevic
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Good. My sweet spot is kettlebells and isometrics. Thanks!

randolphpinkle
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I have not thought about isometrics this way. I currently don't apply any of this into my training, but this makes sense and made me think about a different approach. Thanks for sharing!

johndenny
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Totally agree with you my friend! And I think everyone should give isometrics a try. In that way they'll understand what "working the muscles hard" truly means. I really appreciate you Matt!

alternalego
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Wow! This was really eye opening. I am interested in learning more about isometric strength training. At the moment I can imagine not lifting weights but I can see down the road combing dynamic and isometric. Especially as I get older. Currently 60 yrs young.
💪✌️

SilverStrengthFitness
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Great video. Subscribed because you are talking about calisthenics!

Bruce Lee is the one who introduced me to Isometrics. I'd advise anyone who is interested to dive down the 'Bruce Lee Rabbit hole'. He also mentions who got him into isometrics.

I do believe that is the reason he was possibly as strong as people claim is because of isometric training.

DAGGETT
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You're missing it. When I strength train, that's what I'm training for, strength. For the activities you listed, I do highly specialized training focusing exclusively on the attribute I'm working to improve. Specificity is key. 68 years old, began weight lifting when I was 8 and never looked back. 5'10", approximately 200 pounds at under 14% body fat. I make guys in their 30s look like poster boys for "Wimp Magazine." Been regularly employing Overcoming Isometrics for over 25 years.

The-Contractor
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You forgot the recovery factor of isometrics, it generally results in less soreness and faster recovery times. Making it a good option for training on days you cant be beat to hell the next day!!! Sure its not going to result in the same growth, but its a fair trade off of recovery with some growth potential in my book!!!

andywilson
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Do most of it all and have a ball ! I've been doing a hybrid for some time in my sessions. This is because I've opened my mind and been illuminated by what you've conveyed over the years. Thanks!

Bodyknowledge
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All excercices should include eccentrics, cocentric and isometric movements. I apply isometric in calisthenics

MatteoRomanelli-klfb
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The hybrid approach works great if you exercise in a gym where people tend to hog the weights or machines. If some equipment is occupied, you can just do an isometric exercise instead. And then if equipment is available, you can use the available equipment. This leads to a more enjoyable gym experience. Also, I recently purchased a "speedy stitcher sewing awl". I plan to customize my forearm forklift straps with my sewing awl.

markmcla
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I do full body isometrics once a week after a full body dynamic. This lazy approach doubled my strength in isometric!

buddyryan
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calisthenics skills are very isometric based.

brucehelppie
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What seems to work well is a workout of pure Overcoming ISO's in lets say a Push/Pull/Legs split, then follow with a dynamic movement as a finisher. For Instance, on Push days you might do Horizontal and Vertical Presses with your choice of a Triceps "movement" using pure Overcoming ISO's. You increase the TUT each week as a progression for the ISO's and when you're done you follow up with something like Dive Bomber Push Ups to bring it all together. Depending on how you program the ISO's and what dynamic movement you pick, you get both Strength, Mobility and Hypertrophy within a relative short amount of time per workout.

synitarthrax