What If I Did Nothing But Isometrics Training?

What would happen if you did nothing but isometrics for a full month or two? Would you build or lose muscle? Would you get stronger or weaker? Would anything happen at all?

I’ve done only isometrics for several weeks many times and it certainly helped me improve my training, and built more muscle and strength. However, there was a major downside too.

My book Overcoming Isometrics on Amazon and PDF available at:

[Ontonaut]

I once spent nearly a year focused solely on isometric training. Full body workouts 6 days/week. 10 second full intensity holds in 3-4 positions per joint. I got solid and muscular, not bulky. Functional strength seemed to go through the roof. Everything I did got much easier. As if I had moved to a smaller planet and gravity decreased. I have since branched out with my cross training, but still include isometrics. I’m a big believer in their value

[PeppoNeri]

I was fascinated by this post. I'm 72 still lifting free weights, resistance bands and calisthenics. This past year I suffered shoulder impingement and bicep tendinitis. I also got a groin pull. I was sidelined to say the least. When I finally was able to get back to my training routine after six months rehab, I had lost muscle mass. Since I couldn't lift the heavy weights I added a Bullworker type of isometrics. Three times a week I would do about 15 minutes of isometrics AFTER the dynamic exercises. Lo and behold I regained and even added muscle mass. I also got stronger. So for me it wasn't an either/or but both/and. Thanks for this video.

[olivert]

I’ve done some kind of resistance training since I was 12, started out weight lifting until my early thirties when my lower back just didn’t want to deal with it anymore, then I did only calisthenics body weight training until even that started to hurt my joints, so I tried isometric training based on Matt’s recommendation and immediately ALL of my joint pain went away. For the first time in perhaps a decade or more I no longer had back pain, and every other joint felt great too because my shoulder had become a nagging issue the last year or so. I now do only isometric since January of this year and I love it. I just turned 41 and I see isometrics being my form of resistance training until the day I die. One thing I’ve noticed other than my joint pain going away is I got leaner. I’m naturally lean but my abs look more defined than they used to. Otherwise not sure what’s happening really, I don’t measure anything and I don’t have an isomax or any tool like that, so I don’t have much in terms of results to share other than I greatly enjoy it and I look pretty good and feel great. I do three workouts a week that take me all of 5-10 minutes each, total body each time, or push/pull/lower body each workout, 3 sets of 6 second holds. I’ve found that longer holds are less enjoyable and thus more stress inducing and my goal with my workouts is to not cause any stress on my mind, body or lifestyle as Matt always says.

[veryforest]

NoLimitSquad on YouTube did and documented doing one full month of Iso-chain workouts. If I recall correctly, he lost about a kilo of fat and gained a little bit of muscle, certainly not losing any during the month. He also gained a lot of strength without any danger to his body. He also had the same comment as Matt, as in when he returned to dynamic exercises, his muscle control, balance, and movements were all out of practice. I recommend watching his video on his experiment.

[dave_stewart]

Great video Matt, and the comments are a goldmine of info too.

[synitarthrax]

What you can do is a PPL split using ISO's for the bulk of the training but finishing with a compound movement that coincides with the workout. For instance, you can do ISO's for Horizontal Press, Vertical Press and some Triceps work. When done, finish with Ring Push-ups for a set or two. For Pull day you can go with Pull-ups or Rows and on leg day you can finish with ATG Squats. The combos are almost endless.

[Neuman]

I'm into my third year of almost exclusive isometrics for my resistance work. Tested my previous lifts at 12 weeks and everything had gone up 25-30% in either load or reps ti failure. After a year and a half some of my weights began to drop off but mostly due to lack of muscle memory for a given exercise. I tried a hybrid iso/resistance program for about 5 months and all my training loads came right back and then some at the same approximate bodyweight and comp.
Using only isometrics I gained 10 lbs lean in 3 months, and did it again about 10 months later after catching Covid - regained 15lbs of lean muscle.
The key to using it for hypertrophy is to train at long muscle length (even slightly stretched) and use some form of HIIT either on off days or mixed into the isometric sets. You need tension on the muscle and glucose turnover. Isometrics only consume a lot of ATP when tension is ramping up, it requires a lot less to hold at a given level of force (comparatively). When I first started on the isometrics I had to cut 300-500 calories a day to prevent fat gain, it consumes a lot fewer calories.

And then play with the variables of explosive effort, slow ramp up, rapid submax pulses.
And very important to breathe - peg your sets to breath count, not seconds. Exert hard on exhale, hold that tension or relax on inhale. DO NOT Valsalva for more than a handful of seconds.

[vladislavjakovljevic]

This summer I did almost exclusively isometrics for just a couple of weeks, using only a trx kind of suspension trainer and no other equipment. I had some joint issues for a while. The joint pain did not go away completely, but it got better, my pullup count went slighty up, I felt my muscles better during dynamic wor afterwards, and I even built a bit of muscle. After the two weeks I still foused a lot on isometrics, doing three sets of 15 to 20 seconds, then a couple more sests of dynamic work. So, I am sure that one month of strictly isometric training, done with good focus and quantification, would do only good things. Still, if someone is worried, a bit of regular moving exercises at the end will ensure the best of both worlds and it worked realy well for me.

[JimmyJones-wp]

Yielding isometrics and negatives are what got me my first pull-up as a 250lbs fat guy. They work. I'm trying to incorporate them into my workouts.
*Also overcoming isometrics.

[benjepson]

I did nothing but isomax, every day for one month. Most exercises I increased average force by 5 or more percent. I felt like that was a good result, and it was interesting. I only did it for one month, now it's just back to part of the routine. I keep meaning to publish the results, maybe this is a good reminder.

[PaulCoachWade]

Great video, agreed on all points brother!

[anthonyromayo]

Great video and also great comments on isometric training.. They make up most of my training.. Just like resistance training as you go on with isometrics you get stronger in your movements. By stronger I mean you'll realize that you're actually putting more tension into the movement you're doing. You'll also see yourself getting stronger and regular everyday things. That's the best way I can describe how effective Isometrics are.

[Papa_]

I’m trying to do a full body isometric routine 3-4 times a week in between other full range of motion workouts and I think it provides a lot of benefits in a short amount of work, such as greater strength and faster progress in my other workouts. I think isometrics by themselves produce amazing benefits but despite being obsessed with them some full range of motion will always be necessary to receive the other different kinds of benefits that only they can provide. Even still, I use isometrics in my full range of motion workouts as well as part of the warmup because it seems to help me tap into my maximum power output which in my experience is harder to feel without the isometrics. And I like to finish with an overcoming isometric move also as a way to get one last strength set in without the risk of being under a bar. Be careful of CNS fatigue, take your recovery days when you need them not when it looks good on paper.

[DavidSmith-gjdm]

Excellent video ! I’m from the Uk & 65 years old, been training with weights since 15 years old, 2020 was forced to stop after rotator cuff surgical repair (full thickness) I noticed the bands my physio had me use mimicked the bull worker I used back in the 70, s . Since pressing was out now, I used the bullworker to exercise the shoulder girdle with amazing results ! So just sissy squats, planks & bullworker . & I’m a keen cyclist too, so legs get hammered . Recovery is quicker too, as very little mechanical work is involved & my injury is no longer irritated by a workout, but the movements used by the bullworker strengthens the areas where weights cannot, highly recommended for post op rotator cuff repair, but gently does it .

[Meowrosit]

Thank you for your generosity salute to you sir ❤️

[estuchedepeluche]

I tried isometrics pushing against or pulling on the walls and the door frames of my house. Now I have to rebuild the whole house! Thanks for nought!

[rosado]

I read your book with great interest. Bravo, it’s an excellent book that I recommend to everyone!

I would love to get your advice on creating a workout plan for strength training. Specifically, how should I structure my sessions to progress effectively? What types of exercises should I prioritize, and how often should I train?

Thank you in advance for your help and for your inspiring work.

Best regards

[EESanders-zo]

I recall reading that to really hit the muscle in isometrics to do the holds at various degrees as the strength generated with isos has a limited range which might be why you had cramps and the jolts in strength when moving through a full range of movement.

[UnleashedTraining]

There are limits to isometrics, but it can produce really good results. I work a tracking job with a lot of night shift. Now I do isometrics at all different times of the day, including at work. So I essentially don’t technically do workouts. I’ll do stomach vacuums and various upper body maximum contractions throughout the day. Later I’ll do some leg stuff at home while I watch tv etc.

[nickoldschoolrules]

I've been pretty much been doing nothing but isometrics the last 3 months and my legs have grown almost 1.5". My aches and pains have cleared up.