Super Isometrics for Maximum Strength and Muscle Gain

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Isometrics: For Strength, For Power, For Speed, and For the WIN - Special Report #1 Strength and Power I’m going to show you how: -

Isometrics are a form of resistance exercise involving intense muscle contractions?

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They require no, little, found or standard resistance equipment to generate incredible strength loads?

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They need no movement to produce amazing strength results because they consist of static contractions?

Possibly you’ve wondered how this can be? Surely, to gain strength and muscle, your limbs must move through a range of motion to achieve a definite productive result, right? Nope. But surely ONLY ‘dynamic’ lowering/ raising/ lowering reps can build strength and muscle? Ah but nope again! Hello, my name is Russell Wilks and I’m a writer, author, novelist, strength coach and information products entrepreneur. In this Special Report I’m going to show you that the secret to all strength building is in the quality and intensity of contraction and NOT in the movement of muscles. Or in the amount of reps and sets (volume) you do. And I’m going to show you how you can use Isometric Training in your life to get MUCH Stronger, densify your musculature and produce amazing strength, muscle, health and sportive benefits. “But Surely Your Muscles Must Move Through a Full Range of Motion to Build Strength?”

Nope… You see when your muscles encounter a load. Or are placed under a load. They contract. They don’t need to move to experience this contraction. It is the encounter with resistance that causes it. The heavier the resistance, the greater the contraction. That contraction can be self-generated (self-resisted). It can be from working against objects. Or it can be generated by using weighted, measurables progressive resistances. Depending upon the strength or intensity of this contraction, large-scale, full-range muscle movement can be detrimental to maximum strength-building because of your strength ranges and phases that I’ll go into more as we go along. Forget common gym memes for now. With an isometric there’s very little movement around the joint angle. Perhaps some slight change at a microscopic level within your musculature. But there’s no real movement of the joint. The chosen angle stays the same. Depending on how heavy the load is, dictates how intense (strong) your contraction will be. A light load brings about a minor contraction. A very heavy load demands a very heavy contraction (a maximum contraction). Load in the form of weight, resistance etc. is efficiently gauged and adapted to by your Central Nervous System (CNS). As your strength levels are governed by the state of your CNS, you can see that a healthy, vital organism (yours) lifts more, runs more, does more, at a potentially higher output (intensity). Regardless of your age or ability etc. In isometric exercise a load can be generated 3 Ways: 1) A ‘Self-Resisted’ Contraction (Against Your Own Body)

2) Using Objects (Against Chains, Static Frames, Buildings, Towels Etc.) 3) Using Measurable Equipment and Devices (Weights, Resistance Bands, Strands Cables, Dynameters Etc.) Regardless of how the contraction is generated, its strength is governed by its intensity (resistance). The level of resistance (load) you encounter, dictates how many motor units your central nervous system must allocate to the task of countering and coping with it. The stronger the perceived load, the more intense the contraction produced. Because of this stronger contraction, your CNS must allocate greater amounts of motor units to cope with the heaviness of the load. All resistance is gauged as such, by your Central Nervous System. Your CNS governs how many motor units to allocate to resist the load. And how strong you can be under specific circumstances. To get stronger you must push your CNS to adapt to greater resistances. As there is a current natural limit to what you can lift, move etc. Part of this is just progressive practice. And part is the ‘strength brakes’ placed upon you under normal operation (more later). If normally 100 kgs is the maximum you could move or resist in a deadlift. That would be your current ‘strength’ (your maximum) with that lift - You’d be currently ‘capped’ at that level. So, if you tried to lift 300 kgs in a deadlift. Having only ever done 100 kgs. It’s likely you’d fail - Because your CNS hasn’t so far been trained to accept that that resistance is doable. Your muscles etc. wouldn’t be able to lift or resist it - Because they’re just not used to that level of contraction, yet. Normally, the key principle of weight training is progressive resistance. In that last week you lift 100 kgs as your max. This week you do 101 kgs for the same lift etc.

There are a few shortcuts that quickly get past or increase this ‘strength cap’ markedly. Isometrics are one of them. Because it’s possible to contract your muscles much harder than they’ve ever done through standard weight training - Using a ‘self-resisted’, ‘object-resisted’ or a ‘progressive-resistance isometric’ technique to resist far greater loads. A more intense contraction causes a greater and reaction and adaptation. Once you’ve rested enough to compensate for the beyond normal exertion, you’re potentially a lot stronger than you were before it. This is merely cranking up your internal meter. The strength potential is already within you as proven by the exceptions to the ‘strength cap’ rule…When you’re under extreme emotional duress. Or you’ve been electrocuted, which could be classed as the same thing (more later). For now, though, here’s a simple example of how your CNS gauges pressure/ force-resistance. Let’s say your maximum barbell curl (your 1 Rep Max) is 100 kgs. And you pick up 10 kgs - Your Central Nervous System (CNS) is barely troubled to send any motor units at all Because the weight is very light compared to what it’s used to. But, the heavier the load (resistance) or the longer it is held for (time), the more motor units are needed to cope with the systemic demand. Let’s say you now do a barbell curl with 100 kgs, which is your current 1 Rep Max. Now your CNS must send a large crew of motor units to cope with the heaviness of the load. But, because this is your 1 Rep Max, your CNS only need send the same amount of motor units as last time to deal with the challenge - It’s used to dealing with 100 kgs as your maximum 1 Rep Curl because it’s done it before. And it recognises that 100 kgs is around your maximum for that lift. This illustrates an important point:

“The way to get stronger is to force your CNS to allocate greater amounts of motor units to the task by resisting greater loads (progressive resistance (overload))” Ideally once you can lift 100 kgs in a barbell curl you’d rachet up to 105 kgs. And so on. Progressing in a systematic manner to 150 kgs, 175 kgs etc. If you get enough quality sleep, rest, nutrition and recovery, all will generally progress. Primarily your CNS judges the heaviness of the load. When you curl 105 kgs your CNS MUST allocate greater amounts of motor units to resisting that load. Because this represents a new experience for it. It has not, until now, resisted this much weight, like that. As well as the heaviness of the load, you can make each lift harder (greater effort) through other means, without increasing the load, yet. In the bicep curl example your CNS is forced to allocate more motor units to the task at hand IF you: 1) Increase the weight/ load/ resistance BEYOND your current recorded capability (LOAD-RESISTANCE) So, when you put 105 kgs on the bar and lifted or resisted it in a curl, your CNS must allocate more motor units to the task than it did last time - Because the load is heavier than before. Heavier = Greater motor unit involvement (allocation). This is the primary (and most easily understood) means of getting stronger. But you can also use TIME. 2) Hold your 1 Rep Max for longer than before - I.E You increase normal duration through ‘time under tension’ Before it was a 3 second rep and now it’s a 10 second rep Up to a point (45 seconds), ‘Time Under Tension’ is very useful in gaining more strength and to an extent, greater muscle.

Beyond 45 seconds you go into muscle endurance territory, which is outside the remit of this work. And not that useful to the production of strength and muscle. As well as the first two examples, you can: 3) Change the Leverage Angle (LEVERAGE) to make the exercise harder - The difficulty increases but the weight or load stays the same At different stages along the ‘bar path’ (load angle) the same weight or resistance is heavier relative to your strength ranges. The classic barbell/dumbbell curl seems heavier at the bottom, relative to the strength you have at that angle (start of your raising phase), than it is at the top. This is because the joint angle with the weight relative to gravity is only 50% or so (it’s opposite with a resistance band, more on this later) - But you’re just weaker at the beginning of a positive than you are in any other movement or strength range (STRENGTH RANGE). The maximum point of a barbell curl is at around 90 degrees (halfway). This is where your strength becomes greater on the bar path and the weight becomes a true representation of its load - The barbell produces 100% resistance relative to gravity and you can cope with it easier, because you’re entering your strongest range of strength (more on this later). So, you see how greater amounts of motor units can be allocated to the task of resisting a heavier than normal load. Or resisting a load you’re used to, but for a greater length of time etc. Or by changing the leverage angle so the lift becomes harder, the further it is away from your centre. You can see that by making your CNS work harder you get stronger. Because your CNS controls the level of strength and muscularity you can display. The primary mechanism (governor principle) via which your Central Nervous System controls your strength is through the

contractile ability of your ligaments and tendons. Your CNS communicates through your tendons with your muscle fibres. Allowing them to contract relative to the load initiated or encountered. But, as I say, with normal lifting there are ‘strength caps’ that are in place to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. Isometrics subvert these ‘strength caps’ by allowing you to generate far greater contractions that quickly reset your strength levels and dismantle barriers to extreme progression. “How’s Your Motor Units Today?” Muscle fibres are bunched together into groups known as “motor units”. A motor unit is best described as one motor neuron and all the muscle fibres it supplies - There are myriad motor units within the overall muscle. When a muscle begins to contract, superfast action signals are carried from your CNS, through your tendons, down the motor neuron, across the motor endplate to the muscle fibres themselves. This action signal communication is essentially sussing out the level of resistance it is initiating or encountering (or thinks it’s encountering). Key Point: “Your CNS Is PRIMARILY Concerned with How Heavy the Load Is. Not How Far That Load Travels” Your CNS does not recognise distance in a conventional sense - It’s not judging whether you lift 500 kgs from the floor or from mid-thigh (that would be governed by time not load). The primary information input is Weight/Resistance. Judging how heavy a load is, is the main governing factor of proprioceptors (pressure sensors in your hands and feet). Proprioceptors judge pressure-resistance. The act of proprioception evaluates how many motor units need to be allocated to cope with the load your CNS is encountering at

that moment. This, as far as we currently know, is judged in this scale of importance: 1) Weight/ Resistance (Load) 2) Time (under Tension) 3) Leverage (Angle and Position relative to gravity/ resistance) Time is the secondary factor. A weight/resistance might not be heavy enough to force a massive ‘over-compensation’ (progressive overload) if it’s held for a brief time. But if you keep resisting it for a longer time relevant to that load, your CNS will be forced to allocate greater motor units to cope with the demand. This concept of ‘Time-Under-Tension’ is an important way to create a dense sarcomeric contraction (more later). Up to a certain point, ‘Time-Under-Tension’ can be very useful for building strength and muscle, because it forces an adaptive response by taking your holds beyond what you’re currently comfortable with. For example, you might hold a pair of 60 kg dumbbells in an isometric for 10 seconds. But you dig deep and go beyond to 20 seconds. By doing so you ‘ask’ more of yourself and your CNS, which must allocate more motor units to the task - It is forced to go beyond what it has so far experienced. IF the load is challenging, then the technique has merit. So the resistance must be heavy enough to present some difficulty that must be surpassed. A third factor, Leverage (how close or far away the weight is from your body relative to the joint angle or position), can have an effect also. Leverage can influence the difficulty of the lift angle and position. By making the lift harder you demand greater effort from yourself to cope with it. A deadlift of 300 kgs from the

floor is more difficult because of the leverage angle and distance than the same 300 kgs from knee height. The weight is the same. The things that are different are time (because it takes longer to do a full normal rep and the leverage angle. Also, the weight seems lighter at the knee, because at the bottom of the positive the weight is in your weakest strength range (the first 3rd) of your weakest strength phase (positive, raising, concentric tension). So, load-resistance, time under tension and leverage angle all have bearing upon where on the bar path you lift-resist, the most weight. The main governing principle of isometrics is that you can produce a maximum contraction at any point on said bar path. But if you’re using progressive resistance, then with very heavy loads, that generally is applied in your strongest strength range. The point of using isometrics is to increase your strength at a markedly quicker rate and through the most efficient means. Primarily that’s through progressive resistance isometrics, so you can judge, measure and record your strength progress. All WAYS of doing isometrics directly tap your CNS but Progressive Resistance Isometrics make your CNS allocate greater motor units to the task of resisting something. Progressive as in you make forward gains. And Resistance as in a load that must be heavier than it has previously experienced. To use a load that is heavier than your CNS has previously experienced, you often must lift-resist beyond your current full-range capabilities (plus-maximal to your 1 rep full-range max). As we’ll see later, this often means doing progressive resistance isometrics in your strongest range of motion, so you can safely handle those plus-maximal loads.

By resisting loads that are beyond your current CNS capabilities you force it to adapt and reset to a higher-strengthlevel. As mentioned, secondary factors are Time (‘Time Under Tension’). The amount of time a weight or load is held or resisted for - Those 60 kg dumbbells you can hold for 10 seconds generate greater motor unit allocation when held for 20 seconds. And Leverage (The Joint Angle or The Distance from your body that Resistance or Load is) also has, as we’ve noted, an effect. Holding 60 kg dumbbells at a 90-degree joint angle on the most efficient bar path, for 10 seconds, is one thing. But that load becomes markedly harder to use, seemingly heavier, the further away you hold them from your centre. At arm’s length it takes double to triple the effort to support the same weight, thus requiring a greater effort from your CNS. Because of Leverage. The practice of Isometrics (and indeed ALL strength training) is governed by those 3 factors in that order of importance: -

Load (Weight), Time, Leverage

The load depends upon the weight (resistance) and the leverage/angle of the lift. As we’ve seen, 60kg dumbbells weigh just that, when lifted with the most physiologically efficient ‘bar path’ - The weight of the object never changes. Gravity dictates that 60 kgs is just that. But it can require up to 3 times the effort to resist its load, when you lift it from or to a mechanically disadvantaged position (extra leverage) - Such as holding the dumbbell as far away from your body as you can manage. Whilst the primary remit in this Special Report is to show you the truth about isometrics and the maximal strength they give

you, leverage is an important consideration when dealing with resistance. Generally, the further away from your centre the weight is, the heavier it seems, because of the leverage angle. So firstly, I hope now that you understand that: 1) The Greater the Load (Heavier the Resistance), The More ‘Work’ Your CNS Must Do to Cope with It. And the Stronger You’ll Get Because Of It By giving your CNS greater, progressive loads to cope with, you increase your strength - With the proviso that you rest the required amount - To compensate for and overcome the inroad the demand has made upon you, systemically. The greater your overall effort, the longer your recovery time, all told. Lifting 100 kgs does not have the same systemic effect as lifting 1000 kgs. Whether you lift that 1000 kgs in 10 lots of 100 (Volume) or lift 1000 kgs in 1 Rep (Momentary Intensity) is also relevant. Your CNS judges the difference between something very heavy in 1 load (momentary maximum effort) and something not so heavy, but in cumulative volume (overall effort). Both Load and Volume have relevance to getting stronger and more muscular. But it’s the heaviness of a single load that is the lead governor in getting stronger. If your 1 rep max for the barbell curl is 100 kgs, when you lift 105 kgs you get progressively stronger - As you’ve increased your strength intensity potential. If you rep 100 kgs for 5 instead of 1, you also get stronger through volume. You’ve adapted to the load and can now lift it easier, more times. But if you rep 75 kgs for 20, you’ve not gotten stronger from a strength intensity point-of-view (because you’ve lessened the load). But you’ve gotten stronger through being able to do

cumulative volume (*I’ll show you more to do with these concepts as we go along). A contraction is a reaction to pressure. The greater the pressure, the greater your needed response - So you can see how, by resisting greater, increasing loads (pressure), you’ll get stronger and potentially produce more power (strength expressed quickly). DEFINITIONS: CNS - Your Central Nervous System, consisting of your Spine and everything it commands Strength - A Brief, Intense, Momentary Phenomenon. That can be further divided into Alpha Strength and Beta Strength Alpha Strength - Maximum (Maximal), momentary effort Beta Strength - Sustained (Sub-Maximal) strength effort Power - Strength expressed quickly Muscle Contraction - A squeezing or tightening of the muscle fibres within their own frame. Fibres reacting to intense pressure by contracting at a level that depends upon the perceived load Maximum Contraction - A muscular contraction that is so intense it reaches a maximum state, with the most fibres being contracted Peak Contraction - A ‘Top Squeeze’. A technique where, at the top of a rep, the muscle is squeezed hard to create a ‘pop’. Particularly of interest to bodybuilders Motor Unit - An agent of your Central Nervous System that exists within your muscles, that are put to work when resisting load-pressure (resistance) Tendon Strength - How great a contraction your tendon can cope with or exert upon the muscles attached to it Compound Movement (Lift) - A lift or exercise involving the movement or ‘stress’ of multiple joints. Multiple joints work together to complete the movement (EG a Squat)

In an isometric, where there’s no movement at the point of maximum contraction, the exercise is compound because it involves multiple joints. I.E Bottom Squat, Deadlift etc. Isolation Movement (Lift) - A lift or exercise that involves the movement or ‘stress’ of single joints In an isolation, tension is created around a single joint to complete the movement. The exercise involves stress upon a single joint. I.E Bicep Curl, Triceps Press etc. Isometric Contraction - A muscular contraction of varying intensity, where there’s no movement around the joint angle. This can be as simple as tensing every muscle in your body against itself ‘Isometric’ refers to there being ‘equal resistance’. As in the equality of the static contraction cancels out the ability to move a muscle, until the tension is lessened “3 Types of Muscle Fibres Make Up a Muscle” The word ISOMETRIC is defined best as: “Iso” meaning equal or the same, and “metric” meaning length. Combining these two we get “equal or same length”. In a more modern, applicable sense, we refer to isometrics as “equal contraction”. As in, because the tension on both sides of the action is equal, there’s no movement beyond the point of maximum contraction - The applied tension is stopped by equal resistance. “Obviously, isometrics are not to be confused with an isolation movement which is an attempt to single-out a muscle group to get it to work harder without support from those surrounding it”. As you now know, the primary governor of strength is your CNS. This communicates with your muscles via your tendons. Most people think that muscles themselves are responsible for your strength. This is not true - The strength of your muscles means nothing without that of your tendons - Because your tendons, ligaments, sinews, bones etc. are the template upon which your muscles rely.

Luckily your tendons are very strong to begin with. Even without training, your tendons are considerably stronger than the muscles they control. Without strong tendons, muscles cannot exert maximum force (they cannot contract maximally) - It’s your tendons that tell your muscles to contract via communication with your CNS. And allow them to do so to a maximum without tearing themselves away from your bones and flinging across the room! So, if you ever get to where your muscles can exert more force than your tendons, through training, you’d not be able to maximally contract your muscles. Because they’d be limited by the strength of the tendons relative to the muscles they control. In fact, if your muscles did become stronger than your tendons, it’s highly likely you’d eventually tear a tendon Which is not a good idea as tendons are NOT designed to tear. Luckily this is highly unlikely for most people, IF you do strength training that involves isometrics. And you do it sensibly and pragmatically. So, tendons control muscles and they’re already much stronger than them because they must be. And if you train your tendons and challenge them with heavy lifting, they’ll always be much stronger than your muscles - Which is a good thing. However, if you’ve weight trained for a few years and done no specific training for your tendons. Then you run the risk of your muscle strength eventually outstripping that of your tendons. Which as I’ve stated, is not good, because it can lead to tendon tears. Also, by refusing to do specific training for your tendons you’ll be limiting your strength capabilities, by having strong muscles but weak tendons. To get stronger you must work your tendons as well as your muscles. And tendons respond best to specific static/ isometric training.

Why? Because, tendons and ligaments are made of thick, fibrous material that are mainly static in nature. They’re not designed to ‘microtear’ like your muscles. Most tendons (barring exceptions like the Achille’s Hell etc.) don’t move that much in comparison to the muscles they control. Whereas muscles can and do move through much greater ranges of motion. Tendons attach and anchor muscles to bones. They’re made of dense fibrous material that holds you together. This is their main job. Isometrics, as it relates to training tendons and muscles, involves: -

Tensing (Contracting) muscles against other muscles (‘self-resisted’)

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Tensing against an immovable object (‘objectresisted’)

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Tensing against increasing measurable loads (‘progressive resistance’)

All these WAYS of doing isometrics occur whilst the length of the muscle remains unchanged (they’re static contractions). There is no overt change of muscle length during a rep. A maximum contraction is achieved through your maximal effort applied to the technique. For isometric training to be effective, muscular tension must be maintained over a specific time (a rep-set). Therefore, isometric training is best defined as: “The Contraction of a Muscle of Muscles Over A Specific Time, Where the Length of The Muscle Remains Unchanged” DEFINITIONS:

Contraction = Tension, over a pre-specified unit of time, depending upon the way, type, kind and technique of isometrics you’re doing and how Tendon - Thick, Fibrous, heavyset biological material that anchors your muscles to your bones. Governs your muscle strength (contraction intensity) via your CNS “If Isometrics Are So Great, Why Aren’t They More Popular?” Isometric training (before it was named thus) has been around for thousands of years, so is nothing new - Many extraordinary results in strength and muscle size have been achieved in very short periods, with this type of training. However, because of training fads, trends, ‘flavour of the month’ exercise products and techniques (a great description of the fitness industry in general), isometric usage by athletes is often overlooked, misunderstood or just not known about. Also bear in mind a lot of people who take up resistance training are confused as to their purpose and desired outcome. Maybe they never think about why and what they’re training for? And if they do, they may not understand the importance of isometrics for strength training. And so, they might never think that isometrics are relevant to what they’re looking to achieve. Because they haven’t defined what they want to achieve in the first place. Or opened their mind enough to understand something currently beyond their ken.

Why would you be confused as to what isometrics can do for you? Because often mistaken beliefs such as: a ‘muscle must go through a full-range of motion’ to build strength and muscle etc. pollute the training landscape. Also, a lot of people are under the mistaken belief that to get stronger you must do a lot of reps and sets and a lot of volume to get any results. Again, this is not true. In fact, beyond a certain point, the more volume you do the less intensity you can produce = “Intensity Wanes as Duration Gains.” In short, a lot of people take modern bodybuilding attitudes and impose them on strength training and wonder why they’re not getting great results. What do I mean? Here’s an example: IF you wanted to put on large-scale muscle mass, how would you generally choose to train? What type of training would you gravitate towards? I’d suggest that bodybuilding-style training. Where you do a ‘split’ of different body parts, at a higher-frequency of training etc. per week. Would be the way to go. Why? Because generally, extra muscle mass is created through using a relative heavy weight for higher reps. The Mass range is generally 8 to 6 reps. The Hypertrophy range is generally 20 to 8.

Now, IF you wanted to get much faster but not necessarily gain massive muscle mass, how would you elect to train? What type of training would you do? Would you be under the impression that you could just do a ‘speed’ version of your standard muscle mass training? Mostly involving doing the same or similar exercises but faster with lighter weights? But of course, whilst doing some exercises faster with less weight, can have a small ‘speed effect’…Overall, it’s primarily isometric strength training, done in a specific way, that’ll make you faster. Why? Because it ‘tunes up’ the nerve connections between your CNS and your limbs (a tonic effect). Making you more efficient at tapping your speed and power (making full use of your fast twitch type 2B muscle fibres). To help you fully appreciate the value of isometrics training to increase your strength, power, speed, agility etc. let’s take a quick look at some basic principles of muscular contraction. To start. Out of the three muscle types you have (Cardiac, Smooth and Skeletal) the first two are controlled by your unconscious. And that’s a good thing, because you don’t want to keep remembering to make your heart beat, do you? What happens when you forget? Only your Skeletal Muscles can be consciously controlled and made to do what you want them to. And so those are of greatest interest to athletic endeavours.

All skeletal muscles are made up of three main fibre types. These fibre types are: 1) Slow Twitch Fibres - Responsible for the endurance and strength-endurance of a muscle. (Type 1) 2) Intermediate Twitch Fibres - Possess qualities of both slow and fast twitch fibres. (Type 2a) 3) Fast Twitch Fibres - Responsible for the speed of muscular contraction. (Type 2b) Mostly when people describe Type 1 Fibres they think only in terms of endurance, like long-distance running etc. But realistically the same fibres that produce endurance also govern, to an extent, strength. Because strength training, particularly maximum dynamic strength training for moving reps, is often a ponderous activity when the resistance is heavy. Think about how slowly a very heavy deadlift moves and you’ll get what I mean. Of course, you can move your warmup and intermediate sets faster (as in how most ‘power training’ is done), but generally the heavier things are, the slower they move. Unless they’re subject to a greater force than themselves. Type 2 A Fibres are hybrids. They have characteristics of both strength/ endurance and speed/ quickness. And can be made to

reflect one characteristic moreso than the other, through the type of training you choose. Type 3 Fast Twitch muscle fibres are responsible for speed, agility, quickness and power (strength expressed quickly). Fast twitch fibres have been measured to be up to 10 times faster than slow fibres. And can be made to produce greater speed if you train for speed accordingly. Likewise, they can made slower, turning into more strength and endurance-like fibres if you train them wrongly. In most muscles, these fibres are intermingled. However, there is usually a predominance of one or the other. For example, in the postural muscles of the spine, slow twitch fibres dominate. This is imperative because postural muscles hold things steady and stable. And need to undergo ongoing repetitive contraction without fatiguing. If they couldn’t do that, you wouldn’t be able to stand up straight. And in extreme cases your spine would collapse due to your postural muscles giving out - So spinal muscles need to hold steady and stand firm. That requires strength endurance (overt ongoing tension). In non-postural limb muscles like the arms and legs, fast twitch fibres dominate. Legs and Arms are needed to run, climb, lift, throw and move. Fast-twitch domination in your limbs allows powerful forces to be generated over very short periods (explosivity).

Because fibres are often intermingled, it’s not possible to isolate single fibre types during a muscular contraction. As all fibres contract together. However, at any time one of the fibres may be dominant during the contraction. Depending on what type of fibre it is and how the contraction is done. All fibre types are arranged into groups known as motor units. These are controlled and allocated to a task by your Central Nervous System, depending upon the type and intensity of the contraction required. A motor unit is best defined as one motor neuron and all the muscle fibres it supplies - There are myriad motor units within the overall muscle. When a muscle begins contracting, a superquick action signal is carried down the motor neuron, across the motor endplate to the muscle fibres it supplies. In a millisecond this signal tells it to contract based upon the load it is experiencing (or thinks it is). Initially, under low-loads, only a few motor units become active because that’s all that’s needed. But as demand on the muscle increases (through load or time), greater amounts of motor units are recruited to the task of resisting. As the demand on the muscle decreases, the number of motor units active, also decreases.

This is a general description of muscular contraction (peaking and waning, contraction and relaxation). With isometric training, a muscle opposes resistance and is contracted to or at a certain length. It’s held for the most effective length of time relevant to what you’re looking to achieve. This ‘held’ position is representative of the action inside the muscle. Proteins inside muscles ratchet, using a ‘rack and pinion’ type system. When a rep is dynamic the inner workings of your muscle hook onto each other, pull, slide and then release again, to aid back and forth (up/down) movement.

This ‘rack and pinion’ system shortens when you do a positive, raising, concentric contraction, so your muscle proteins (myosin across actin) slide across each other. When you lower the weight, doing a negative, eccentric contraction, your muscle lengthens, pulling apart.

When you hold a contracted static position though, your ‘rack and pinion’ system inside your muscles holds steady, locked together. The inner workings do not pull and slide as with normal reppage. They pull to a maximum position (contraction) and hold like a bulldog snagging a bone. And they don’t let go until you stop holding the isometric.

Obviously, because isometrics can vary in intensity from the mild to the very intense, the time you can keep one going varies - Depending upon the load-resistance encountered or used.

Remember the intensity (weight) of the load, dictates how long isometrics are held for. These range from: -

5 To 12 Seconds for Plus-Maximal Contractions

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Up To 20 Seconds for Speed

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And Up To 45 Seconds for Sub-Maximal Contractions

DEFINITIONS: Plus-Maximal Isometrics Use loads that are greater than 100% of your equivalent 1-rep maximum for the full-range movement. I.E If your maximum, 1-rep deadlift off the floor is 200 kgs, then you might do a plus-maximal deadlift with 300 kgs (150%) plus (more about this and similar as we go along) Sub-Maximal Isometrics Use loads that are less than 100% (65 to 85%) of your equivalent 1-rep maximum for the full-range movement. I.E If your max, 1-rep deadlift off the floor is 200 kgs, then you might do a sub-maximal deadlift with 175 kgs. Held for time, usually up to 45 seconds (more about this and similar as we go along).

Remember there are no repetitions required here to get and keep a high-intensity contraction. In fact, repetitions take time away from your ability to generate tension because they have slack periods where the resistance, due to leverage etc. is less than the full load. With an isometric you merely brace against the resistance for time. Depending upon your purpose. Reps are not needed to develop maximum strength. Although increased (extreme) muscularity generally needs increased volume (reps, sets etc.) to reach fuller effect (more on this later). And note, standard reps and lifting are generally detrimental for speed training. The old boxing coach’s adage: “Weights Make You Slower” Has some truth to it because most weight training techniques cause you to work your type 1 (endurance) and type 2a (strength) muscle fibres. But not type 2b (fast twitch). Each isometric hold is one set. A one rep hold, at an intensity best suited for your current purpose - Those intensities are roughly: -

101 to 200% + for Plus-Maximal (5 to 12 seconds max)

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65 to 75% for Speed (up to 20 seconds)

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65 to 85% for Sub-Maximal (up to 45 seconds)

“The Biggest Advantage to Isometric Training Is Threefold” Firstly, by forcing your muscles to hold a position for time, your body recruits more and more motor units to maintain the contraction. The longer the contraction goes on relative to the heaviness of the load, the greater effort you’ll expend. This is the adaptation response to the pressure/ resistance your CNS encounters. And is relative (time-wise) to the intensity of the load. If the load is very heavy, you immediately recruit huge amounts of motor units to the task and the hold will be relatively short, because of the load intensity. If the resistance is lighter, then more motor units are recruited as the time of the hold increases. Short, mega-intense progressive isometrics are held for brief periods. And these cause an ultra-fast, maximum intensity contraction in microseconds. Motor units that are rarely exercised or tapped when doing rep-orientated standard-dynamic weight training, are now brought into full use. Perhaps for the first time (greater recruitment). This is particularly quickly noticeable with speed training.

Secondly, the recruited motor units are forced to contract continuously, time after time. Until your muscles achieve a state of maximum contraction (intensity). That happens in microseconds with plus-maximal isometrics Maximum muscle fibres are engaged, and myriad motor units are activated to their fullest. It happens on a gradually-increasing scale with sub-maximal isometrics. Where, due to ‘time under tension’, greater amounts of motor-units are recruited as times passes. Which might be a completely new and bizarre feeling for you. Thirdly, this is done safely and effectively with very little chance of injury. Because there’s no movement around the joint angle. No movement means that intense, progressive and fullymeasurable training can be conducted with far less fear of injury than dynamic rep-orientated training. And at whatever joint angle and bar path you choose. But this no movement benefit has even greater relevance when you’re doing plus-maximal isometrics. Because it allows you to handle very heavy weights in your strongest range of motion, with your strongest phase of strength (isometric). Remember you overload your CNS, causing progressive overcompensation (resistance) by primarily resisting heavier and heavier loads. Because your CNS is forced to adapt and reset to a higher potential. The result is that your entire tendon-muscle complex can increase in strength, power, speed - Depending upon how you

train and with what intensities - Very quickly, efficiently and effectively. “3 Ways, 2 Types, 2 Kinds (Options), Myriad Techniques” Isometrics can produce the strongest most intensive muscular contractions you’ll ever feel. This has been laboratory-proven, under strictest conditions, myriad times. But the intensity of each isometric contraction depends upon HOW it’s done (see Kinds/ Options). The 3 WAYS of Doing Isometrics Are: 1) Self-Resisted (Against your own body) 2) Against (Immovable) Objects 3) Against Measured Progressive Resistance (Known, Recordable Loads etc.) For the interest of all that’s measurable, we’ll put aside ‘selfresisted’ and ‘object-orientated’ for now - Whilst these are excellent training, your force output cannot be accurately measured when using ‘self-resisted’ and ‘object-resisted’ isometrics. And so, you must guess as to how high a percentage contraction you’re producing when doing them - Which can vary considerably depending upon your mood, health, energy etc. One important point to note here though.

It is possible through practice, to produce contractions of greater intensity by doing ‘self-resisted’ and ‘object-resisted’. So ‘self-resisted’ and ‘object-orientated’ isometrics can be useful for overall strength training. And they can be done as an occasional add-on to other more easily-measurable training. The 2 TYPES of isometrics are: 1) Overcoming (you actively express force) 2) Yielding (you encounter a force-load and resist it) I’ll give you specific examples as we go along - As both have validity and full-measurability. Essentially ‘Overcoming Isometrics’ involve you initiating the force. And ‘Yielding Isometrics’ involve your resisting a force you encounter in some way (more later). The 2 KINDS (OPTIONS) of isometrics are: 1) Plus-Maximal (more than 100% of your 1 Rep Max) 2) Sub-Maximal (less than 100% of your 1 Rep Max) Plus-maximal isometrics are done with any weight or resistance that is always beyond your current full-range 1 Rep Max for that movement. So, if your current full-range, 1-Rep Max in the deadlift is 200 kgs x 1. Then you might do a plus-maximal isometric deadlift with 150% of your 1 Rep Max. I.E 300 kgs (or more).

Unless you’re using the less well-known isometric techniques that I show you later, such as ‘isometric contrasts’, then you generally handle plus-maximal resistances in your strongest range of motion (the last 3rd). The point to doing pus-maximal isometrics is simply to lift, resist etc. heavier weight-loads than you can when doing standard ‘dynamic’ lifts. The strength differential between your weakest, mid and strongest ranges of motion becomes particularly apparent when lifting/ resisting in that strongest range (more about this later). You’ll notice how you can easily handle far greater poundages in your strongest range of strength. Plus-maximal isometrics are very heavy, high-intensity training. And the 1 rep sets are ultra-brief - Usually 5 to a maximum of 12 seconds (depending upon the system you’re doing). Sub-maximal isometrics are done with less than your fullrange 1 Rep Max - Usually 65 to 85% of your 1 Rep Max held for ‘Time Under Tension’ sets of up to 45 seconds. And you might start by doing a band pull or push with a resistance that you can only hold at full or even partial-range for 10 seconds. But through practice you work up to where you can hold that same resistance for 45 seconds. And then increase the resistance for that exercise accordingly. Sub-maximal isometrics can often bring about a greater instance of sarcomeric hypertrophy (muscle-density, greater resting tension). And are primarily expressed as full-range

movements. Or from somewhere within your full-range and usually taken to lock out or near enough. They can use weights, strands, bands, cables etc. But most movements are best done with resistance bands, expanders (strands) or, at a push, cable stacks. Because you ideally want to use the innate, stronger-than-gravity, elastic tension of the bands and strands. IF you can hold a sub-maximal isometric for more than 45 seconds, the resistance is too light. And you must increase the load accordingly. For example’s sake, let’s use the same 200 kg, full-range, 1 rep-max, conventional deadlift (from the floor). But you do a sub-maximal isometric version of it with 75% of that 1 Rep Max. Holding it at just below the knee for a measured unit of time. Such training will help your standard lifts and you can increase the weight as it gets easier - Traditionally in weightlifting, isometrics are used to work past ‘sticking points.’ By choosing a ‘sticking point’ on your bar path to hold a static contraction at, you’ll become much stronger in that position. And can naturally use greater weight in that position, to blast through said ‘sticking point’. And secondly holding the position for much longer than you would during a standard set, helps your enduring grip strength and your overall lift strength throughout the bar path. And not just at the sticking point itself.

As you now know, with isometrics the load your muscles come under can be generated by you squeezing and contracting your muscles as hard as you possibly can (selfresisted). Or by you exerting pressure against an immovable object. These are object-orientated isometrics against anchored chains, walls, buildings etc. And contractions can be brought about by exerting effort against the load of a machine, lever, cable system, resistance bands etc. Or by your encountering/ being put under a load (progressive resistance isometrics). And as noted earlier, self-resisted and object-resisted isometrics cannot be fully-measured and accurately tracked Much that they’re great - And there are many excellent and classic titles available, that cover bodily and object-orientated isometrics in-depth. Including those by Alexander Zass who I mention in detail, later. And, as I say, whilst self and object-resisted isometrics are great, they lack a means of producing recordable, absolute, definite, measurable progress. How can you judge whether you exerted 91.2% or 89.97% against the same device last week instead of this? There’s too much guesswork involved. So here, for the sake of recordability and definite, absolute, progression, we’re interested in heavy weighted progressive resistance isometrics. That are measured by weight or load for their resistance. To build your strength and power first (I’ll get to Isometric Speed Training in later, related works).

In this Isometric for Strength and Power work, I’m detailing a slew of progressive resistance isometric systems you can use to get stronger. And how to use specific types of isometric systems to build muscle. But first, remember this: “Muscles DO NOT Need to Move Through A Full Range of Motion, To Achieve A Maximally Intensive Contraction. A Muscle Can Be Placed Under A Very Intense Contraction By: 1) Tensing Them Very Tightly 2) By Aggressively Exerting Force Against an Immovable Object 3) Or by Subjecting or Being Subjected to A Very Heavy Measurable Resistance.” See for yourself. You can squeeze your muscles very hard against themselves. That is a self-resisted isometric contraction. But to prove a point about muscles contracting under or against a load (resistance). Try this: Find a large structure like an office building, house or missile carrier - Something you can’t push or pull over or down. Start pushing or pulling against it lightly. And gradually over a few seconds increase the intensity of your push or pull. Keep pushing or pulling until you’re doing so with ALL your might. Until you cannot exert any more force. Very quickly you’ll reach maximum contraction. This is about the most force (intensity) you can currently express without exploding! With practice the amount of force you can produce can be increased through extra motor unit allocation by your CNS. But for now, it’s about your max. Once you’ve reached this point of maximal intensity, hold it a few seconds (big effort). Then dial down your contraction over

a couple of seconds. Until you’re back to a normal resting state. You’ve just done an isometric - a static contraction - In this case a maximal contraction without ANY movement. Against an immovable object. In fact, by YOU initiating the action, you’ve done an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ (more about this as we go along). You see how you didn’t have to move your limbs through a range of motion to maximally load your musculature? The joint angle, once set, didn’t have to change. And indeed, it would have been inefficient to do so. In this case, you loaded the isometric by forcing pressure against something that you cannot move, yet. And created the maximal static contraction that way. Depending upon how heavy the object your using force against, may mean that eventually it may move. Bars that seemed unbendable, can, with practice, be made to bend. Chains that seem unbreakable, may eventually do just that. Isometrics can and are progressive in their nature. But for your greatest efficiency, you use isometrics that measure the precise load. So you know what you’re lifting, holding, resisting etc. And you can gauge your progress. Now, back to your building push…You see how the joint angle DID NOT have to move through a range of motion for a very strong contraction to occur? No movement took place. But you still experienced a major strength-building exercise - In fact stronger than you may well have ever felt - And you’ll feel the benefit for a long time (real strength lasts a long time). Just the pushing or pulling of something that you can’t currently shift (in this case a building) combined with your intensity of effort, has created a maximal muscle contraction. Of course, the intensity of your effort is very important in an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ - Because it’s initiated by you - You

decide how great an effort to put in (hence why it’s best to measure your force as opposed to guessing). When pushing or pulling against a building, you could just make a half-arsed effort. And so, you’d get half-arsed results. You must then, understand how great your maximum effort is. And how to use your progressive maximum effort to build increasing strength. As I say, in the building example, you did an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ - You initiated the push or pull against something immovable. This is different from a ‘Yielding Isometric’ where the load bears down on you, in some way - And you have no choice but to resist the measured load you’ve placed yourself under or against - To stop the load returning to its natural resting place or going where it wants to go. With an Overcoming Isometric you initiate the effort (force) to create the contraction. The more effort you put in, the greater your results, all told. With a Yielding Isometric you resist the load to stop the movement. It is the weight-resistance of the load and your battle against it that provides the measured result. Remember: “An Overcoming Isometric is where YOU INITIATE and apply force against something (that may or may not be currently immovable).” “A Yielding Isometric is where the load BEARS DOWN upon you in some way, and you resist its force.” Again, I’ll show you more as we go along. But back to you pushing and pulling against an immovable object. Depending upon on how heavy the perceived load is, dictates how much of a contraction occurs (and hence how many

motor units your central nervous system must apply to the task). This relies upon a couple of things. Firstly, as stated, in an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ you initiate the movement, so (ideally) you use a gradually increasing intensity (a ‘wave’, done for safety) until you reach a maximum contraction. Always make sure you increase the intensity of the contraction over 5 to 10 seconds. Until you reach your greatest current level of intensity. This is so you can safely express more against the ‘load’ Working your way up and into your maximal contraction (after a couple of lesser warm up sets). ALSO, in the case of the building, the object (resistance) you’re trying to move is so heavy as to be immovable. BUT the load (in an Overcoming Isometric) is dictated by the effort you put into it. And NOT by the heaviness of the load itself. That’s how an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ is different to a ‘Yielding Isometric’. The resistance in the ‘Overcoming Isometric’ came from two sources: -

Your applied effort against the very heavy object that’s currently immovable (your percentage of effort)

-

The object’s immovability itself (the strength of its load based on leverage, gravity and in-built resistance)

As with other types of resistance training, IF you ONLY rely on the immovability of the very heavy object, then you’ll only ever get a light (low resistance) contraction. Depending upon the leverage angle of the heavy load. A large wall that’s upright that you push against, has no resistance, unless you brace against it. Whereas it would be

very heavy if it collapsed upon you and you had to resist it (Yielding Isometric). (Intensity is all) - Progressive Resistance in Isometrics, like any other form of training relies upon increasing the intensity of the contraction (load, resistance etc.). This requires effort. From you. You must make things harder, to progress. IF the resistance is light, the contraction is light too. So, with ‘Overcoming Isometrics’ YOU must express your maximum contractile force against the immovable object. And you must be honest about it. Whereas with a ‘Yielding Isometric’ the resistance is expressed against you. This could be as simple as a plank or horse stance wherein you resist the drop, creating a muscular contraction that becomes more intense as you hold it for longer, or add greater resistance than your bodyweight. Or it could be resisting the drop of a very heavy object or load on a device. Wherein you’ve no choice as to use high-level intensity to cope with it. Remember, the heavier the load and the more you endeavour to initiate or resist it, the more maximal strength benefits you’ll get from doing it. Because your CNS will be forced to adapt to the greater and increasing stimulus by allocating more motor units to the task. A horse stance initially consists of your bodyweight held for time. Most people can build up to where they can hold such a position for 10 minutes or more, with ease. The contraction becomes stronger as time in the hold increases. But you of course can make it much harder by adding resistance such as a 20 kg weight vest, resistance bands anchored to the floor, weight on a hip belt. Or holding a kettlebell, dumbbell etc. This ‘allocation’ is about engaging motor units, turning on those that may have been, until now, dormant. But it doesn’t

mean you must always and only do maximal isometrics to get results. As it depends upon what results you’re looking to achieve. Some people like to train more often. And this is not best achieved with ultra-heavy plus-maximal isometrics. Because they can be very intense and use very high-levels of resistance (loads). And so, can be difficult to recover from quickly enough to satisfy a lot of people’s desire to train more often. You might start by training a few times a week. But progressive-resistance isometrics soon become very heavy lifts compared to standard dynamic training. And that means you’ll need to do them at a radically lesser frequency. If you want to get their full benefit. Training less often may not be what you’re used to - Hence why it’s useful to do ‘Sub-Maximal’ isometrics and some standard dynamic training etc. This rounds out your training and satisfies your desire to train more often, if you so wish. “Strength Curve Vs. Hypertrophy Curve” The recovery curve for strength training is (all other factors being relatively equal) always greater than of hypertrophy training - Isometric and conventional dynamic strength training each has a considerably longer recovery curve than other methods. Why? Because the heavier you lift, the longer you generally take to recover. Remember, there are two types of hypertrophy: -

Sarcomeric (Myofibrillar, Densifying)

-

Sarcoplasmic (Muscle Swole, Enlarging)

Generally, sarcomeric hypertrophy occurs when you lift heavier percentiles (strength training) for low rep sets, with generally longer rest periods between them. In the case of isometrics, sarcomeric hypertrophy occurs when you hold a very heavy resistance for brief time. Or a relatively heavy resistance for greater time (‘Time Under Tension’).

Whereas sarcoplasmic hypertrophy tends to be created when you lift lighter percentiles (muscle swole) in higher rep sets. These are often done quickly, with shorter rest periods between them for generally greater overall volume. So, because strength training takes longer to recover from than muscle swole training the time it takes to heal up fully, between sessions, is generally greater. And that recovery curve will be greater still for very heavy isometric training - Because the loads used in plus-maximal progressive resistance isometrics are considerably heavier than standard full-range strength training. Why the extra recovery time? Because your CNS judge’s pressure (weight/ load/ intensity). The heavier the pressure, the greater the load and the more motor units your CNS must allocate to resisting said load. So a greater inroad has been carved into your recovery (‘battery’ if you like). All effort must be recovered from. Through adaptation to that greater pressure, before you can get stronger. This adaptive process happens through gradual progressive training and resting. The key word being progressive. Hence why when you first start training, you’re seemingly not that strong because the stimulus is new to you. And you must engage your adaptation process to become efficient at coping with the stresses placed upon it. It’s also why, you make very fast strength gains as a newbie, once you’ve engaged that adaptation process fully. As you become more experienced at training and lifting heavier, your progress tends to slow and often halts completely. Particularly IF you try to stick to the same training frequency and volume as you started with. Because generally, strength training progress is gradual according to how heavy the resistance is you’re using. Your CNS applies a ‘strength brake’ to your actions. You must push

past this by gradually getting stronger according to the laws of your individual recovery. The only exception to this ‘gradually progressive’ rule is if something happens that subverts the ‘strength brake’ your CNS exerts over you. For example, if you got struck by lightning. Or you were in the electric chair getting twitched - You’re flung across the room because all your musculature contracts maximally, in a millisecond. And not because of the electricity itself. This reaction occurs as a safety feature, else your muscles would tear from their anchor points because of the force of the contraction. Another well-documented example of this ‘strength brake overcoming’ is when you’re so emotionally involved in a situation that all strength limiters are removed by your physiology - Like when you’re incredibly angry or mentally unhinged. Or when you must flip a 2-ton car off your baby. It is under those stresses that your potential strength output bypasses your proprioceptors (pressure gauge inhibiters). And you glimpse your true, incredible strength - But such phenomena are incredibly draining. It’s highly likely you’d rupture or tear tendons. Even if you didn’t tear all your tendons because they’ve never had to cope with such a level of force before, you’d need considerable time to recover from the superhuman effort. How often could you flip a 2-ton car? It must be such an emotionally and physically intense experience, that the answer is probably only a couple of times in your life. So, apart from waiting for incredibly emotionally-intense experiences to tap your maximum strength, the way to get stronger is to do progressive strength training. As strength training is generally more intense than hypertrophy training, it carves a greater inroad into your recovery ability (all else being relatively equal). Therefore,

strength training, generally takes longer to recover from, but it causes a stronger strength adaptation. This is due to intensity percentages. The heavier you lift the longer you take to recover (with consideration to volume and duration). Because of the resistance percentages used, high-rep sarcoplasmic hypertrophy training (generally up to 65% of your 1 Rep Max for 20 to 8 reps) is physiologically easier to recover from than strength training. 20 reps sound like a long time under tension but the reality is that only 1/3rd of each rep has the full load impact of the weight - So even when you’re using 65% of your 1 rep max, the load intensity as related to the bar path, leverage angle, is a fluctuating phenomenon. So even though hypertrophy training generally uses greater overall volume than strength training systems (reps, sets, frequency). And it is harder work on a cumulative, cardiovascular level. It generally carves less of an inroad into your strength recovery ability. And so, when you’re training in a sarcoplasmic hypertrophy style, you can generally train more often. The main judge of strength training is: -

Are You Stronger Now, Than You Were Last Time You Trained?

If you want to gain as much (alpha, momentary) strength as quickly as possible then you’ll want to focus at least some of your effort on the ultra-heavy, safest-range only, static contraction or old-time-strongmen systems I show you later. If you want more overt muscular development with deceptive and useful strength, then mixing plus-maximal and submaximal isometrics with some standard conventional strength training will be more your thing. A mix of Sub-Maximal ‘Time Under Tension’ isometrics, Plus-Maximal isometrics, Short-range (Power Factor style)

training and conventional dynamic lifting will grant you all round utility. No-one’s saying you can only do one type of training. And IF your purpose is to be an all-round athlete. Or if you’re engaged in any athletic pursuit and are using resistance training to enhance it. Then take note - Train for strength and speed, separately. Speed is primarily developed through short duration sets of sub-maximal isometric exercises done in a specific way and with the most suitable equipment (resistance bands) - And speed training specifically emphasises certain muscle groups that actively increase sprint speed and efficiency. As I’ve already shown you, there are two main ways to use isometrics to build your strength (and to an extent, muscularity). The first is plus-maximal training which I’ll show you more to do with later. And the second is sub-maximal isometrics. As you’ve seen, loads for plus-maximal training are generally anything over 100% (usually 150%+) of your full-range 1 Rep Max. But because such heavy loads are used to stimulate maximum motor unit allocation by your CNS - Plus-maximal isometrics are mostly done in your strongest range of motion - The last third of a positive, or the first third of a negative (and oftentimes the last 10%). Loads for sub-maximal isometrics are generally 65 to 85% of your 1 Rep Max. As ‘Time Under Tension’ sets of up to 45 seconds each. As partial or full-range movements. As with all other progressive training, once you can easily hold the load for 45 seconds, add greater resistance - Building back up to 45 second holds with now greater resistance. In this manner you can progress to holding very high resistances for time. It is the time factor that increases your general strength and muscularity.

If you remember I stated that isometrics are primarily governed by heaviness of the load. Secondarily by the time that load is held for. And thirdly the leverage angle relative to your centre and to gravity/ resistance. When the load is not maximal or plus-maximal, the time (and to an extent) leverage, becomes the governing factor. A further advantage of ‘Time Under Tension Sub-Maximal Isometrics’ is they’re usually done at angles and with movements that are all but ignored by standard gym training. Or that simply cannot be replicated with standard barbells and dumbbells. Example, you hold a Standing Reverse Flye (pull arms to parallel spread at shoulder height to your sides, shoulder blades pinned together) with a 100-kilo expander at full-range for 45 seconds. It becomes too easy. And so, you increase the resistance to 125 kilos and hold the same exercise in the same position for 20 seconds. Increase accordingly. Building back up to 45 second sets, again with heavier resistances. The nearest equivalent exercise to the Standing Reverse Flye with weights is the lying (flat) dumbbell flye. And that puts too much pressure on your outer pectorals and the load is all gravity not elasticity. There’s also the seated pec deck that’s nowhere near as useful because its set ‘bar path’ establishes non-beneficial motor patterns (it makes your shoulders hinky). Same goes for other expander/ resistance band exercises such as The Front Side and Back Side Press, ‘Skin the Cat’, The Whippet, Front and Back Cross Press etc. These and myriad others cannot be satisfactorily replicated with weights. But will work your joints and muscles at angles and resistances they’ve never experienced before. The other point is that when doing ‘Time Under Tension’ sets with weights, there are only certain lifts or angles you can use,

because others put too much strain on your joints or muscles you DON’T want to work hard. For example, if you tried to do a Standing Reverse Flye with dumbbells, it would become primarily a shoulder ‘hold out’. These are limited by how much weight you can support in that position, as opposed to gravity - The benefits to your rotator cuffs, upper back etc. would be negligible because of the shearing pressure on your elbow joints particularly. You’re best served doing sub-maximal isometric holds at the beginning and end of a conventional set of weights. On seated rows or overhead presses etc. Just holding the weight at near lock-out or near maximum, for time, at the end of a set, can generate near-fatigue levels of muscular stress, without having to rely on conventional reppage. “The Role of Volume in Muscle Size, But Not Necessarily Strength” IF you’re ONLY doing plus maximal isometrics and using progressive overload as your main training parameter. Then, despite building great strength, plus-maximal isometrics do not necessarily build large-scale musculature in the same way volume-orientated barbell training does. Why? Because, as noted, isometric training primarily increases the strength of your tendons and works your muscles sarcomerically (densifies). Sarcomeric hypertrophy (sarcomere, myofibrillar) is the process of densifying muscles. This occurs by doing: -

Low repetitions of heavy percentage lifts

-

Isometrics (no movement) strength training - Plusmaximal lifts, or sub-maximal exercises held for time

Your muscles become denser (packed with greater muscle strands, myofibrillar) because of the emphasis on heavier percentiles.

A higher volume of sets, particularly at a greater reppage with lighter weights, are major influences upon the sarcomeric to sarcoplasmic balance. So, to an extent, is frequency of training and speed between sets. That’s why, bodybuilders train more often, with greater volume, higher reps and with lesser percentiles etc. than strength trainers do - Because they need to stay sarcoplasmic. As I say, ultra-brief, plus-maximal isometric training doesn’t generally equate to a high enough volume to bring about extreme, large-scale (swole) muscularity - Unless the weights involved are gargantuan and you do some volume with them (see notes on Power Factor Training, later). For greater muscularity and mass, I strongly suggest you hybridise your training to include: Plus and Sub-Maximal Isometrics, Conventional Dynamic Strength Training and some Volume-Based Dynamic Rep Training (up/ down weight training). Generally, as pointed out, it is volume, in terms of reps combined with dynamic movement with weights/ resistances at the right percentage of your 1 Rep Max, that produces greater muscle mass. That muscle mass can be denser or ‘swoller’, depending upon what you wish to achieve. Sub-maximal isometrics also build extra muscle mass when used for ‘Time Under Tension’ sets - Because the fluctuating tension provided by the microscopic changes inside your muscles as they resist the load elasticity of the strand or band, causes your fibres to continuously fire. Time wise it should be obvious as to why ‘Time Under Tension’ training is ultra-effective - A standard set of 8 reps might take you 20 seconds to perform. Because of its dynamic nature, the bar or dumbbell moves through an up/down bar path. During differing stages of that bar path, the angle of your joint dictates how heavy the load (barbell, dumbbell etc.) is, relative

to your strength and gravity. Tension with weights is dictated by the leverage angle plus gravity. Meaning that whilst the set might be 20 seconds long. The maximum ‘time under tension’ might only be 5 seconds for the entire set. Because generally, up to a point, more ‘Time Under Tension’ is better - Holding a sub-maximal isometric with an equivalent load means you’ll undergo far greater ‘Time Under Tension’ A 45 second isometric set with a couple of hundred kilos is just that. Also, because ‘Time Under Tension’ training is generally done with resistance bands, strands, expanders etc. The load is increasingly powerful because the pent-up ‘elastic’ force in a stretched expander or band is greater than that of gravity (because of its innate elastic ‘snap back’ tension). This is why when you ‘loose’ a stretched band it’ll fly away with considerably greater force than gravity (at least until friction slows it down). As well as that greater pent-up force, there are minor tension changes when holding against the resistance that mean your muscles must recalibrate their effort in response to the load. “Burning Out Your Neurals?” If you train via plus-maximally intensive sessions, make sure you’re not ‘burning out your neurals’ (frying your CNS to maximum fatigue). Or inflaming your tendons. Ironically this is NOT a gym myth. IT IS possible, by training too heavy, too often, to ‘overclock’ your CNS. This causes agitation and restlessness, including increased resting heartrate upon waking (overtraining). This can be sessional or cumulative. And the trick is to dial it down a bit Commonsense in training is required. As increasing strength is the primary way to gauge your progress, you’ll soon know when you’re overtraining. Because

you’ll start going backwards strength-wise. When this happens do not make the idiot’s mistake of ‘do more’. If you’re not getting stronger, then take a few extra days off to recover properly and start training again at a slightly lesser frequency. Poor sleep, stressful lifestyle, bad nutrition and other lifestyle factors can have a marked effect on your recovery ability - So make top-quality rest and relaxation your overriding goal between strength training sessions. But be aware that some training is so intense that you’ll need considerably greater rest than you’d normally factor in. The closer you get to 100% of your 1 Rep Max, the greater the effect upon your CNS. Hence why going over 100% of your 1 Rep Max, has a markedly greater effect again. What you’ve to realise is IF the load is heavier than what your CNS is used to or greater than what it expects. Your CNS must work harder to resist the load and recover. By allocating greater motor units to the task. Hence why, because you’ve allocated more motor units than you did last time you trained. With enough rest. You’ll get stronger. For example, IF you did a few sets of a short-range isometric deadlift. Let’s say 300 kgs from lower-thigh. And you held each rep for 5 seconds in the top position. If you rested and recovered well enough. Next time you do this lift, you’ll ideally do the same volume but with 310 kgs or maybe more. Even if you only added 5 kgs to make it 305 kgs, you’ve still adapted by getting stronger. But without enough quality rest and nutrition you’ll get weaker. If you tried to go back the next day to lift the same weight and volume, you’re likely to have gotten weaker Particularly if you’d done more than a couple of sets the day before.

The only way to lift heavy loads in daily successive progression is to use such low volume that it carves a tiny inroad into your recoverability. Try to lift too heavy, too much, too often, and you’ll quickly find yourself going backwards. Because you’ve not had enough time to recover and repair. And so, you probably wouldn’t do the same as you did last time. Let alone make progress. This is the fundamental foundation concept of Progressive Resistance - Namely that: -

To an extent muscle training (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) bothers your CNS less than strength training (sarcomeric hypertrophy)

-

You can generally train more often, the lighter the loads. And that the heavier the loads are, relative to your 1 rep max, the greater the inroad that effort makes into your recovery ability

Many writer-trainers have made the same point including Arthur Jones (founder of Nautilus Equipment) Mike Mentzer, Peter Sisco, John Little etc. On that note then, you can see that so far, we’ve hit upon there being 3 WAYS to do isometrics (‘self-resisted’, ‘objectorientated’ and ‘progressive measured’) - As well as those 3 ways, there are 2 main TYPES of Isometrics (which I referred to earlier): -

‘Overcoming’ (You Initiate the Force)

-

‘Yielding’ (You Encounter the Force and Resist It)

Both of which have value when done well and can be done plus or sub-maximally (more later) - And finally, you now know there are 2 KINDS of isometrics. -

‘Plus-Maximal’ (over 100% of your full-range, 1-repmax)

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‘Sub-Maximal’ (under 100% of your full-range, 1-repmax)

So - 3 ways, 2 types, 2 kinds (option). We’ll get to the Myriad Techniques later, because now I want to show you a bit more about: “Sub-Maximal Isometrics and Their Role in MuscleBuilding” Plus-Maximal Intensity Isometrics give large-scale stimulation for your Central Nervous System, particularly your tendons and ligaments. They stress your tendons, more than your musculature. Why is this a good thing? Because your tendons and ligaments hold you together through their static strength - Hence they respond best to being trained statically (isometrically), without movement. For maximum efficiency. Your tendons are conduits for the nerve impulses from and to your Central Nervous System to your musculature. They command or allow your muscles to contract maximally Without your tendons being strong and efficient you cannot exert maximum muscle strength. Ligaments join bones to bones. Tendons join bones to muscles. Your muscles consist of bunches of fibres (motor units) at the end of the process. And do what your CNS via your tendons allow them to do. Therefore, even though your tendons and ligaments are already very strong - Because they hold you together - They still need to become stronger in relation to your strengthening musculature. Why? Because a muscle to tendon strength imbalance can lead to two definite results: 1) Your tendons can tear due to their relative weakness (imbalance) to your muscles - Ideally, they stay at least 2 to 3 times stronger than your muscles throughout your training 2) If your tendons become weak, relative to your muscular strength, that limits the force of your muscular contractions - Your CNS, via your tendons, controls how

strong your muscle contractions can be. So weaker tendons mean you can only exert limited force (and so fail to reach your full, strength potential) Generally, hypertrophy methods don’t force your tendons to work hard enough - Your tendons must resist strong static loads for them to stay stronger ideally 2 to 3 times stronger than the muscles they control. Strong tendons efficiently anchor your muscles and allow you to express greater and increasing strength - Think of your tendons like the ropes holding a circus big-top down. If they’re not taut and strong, the big top (muscles) flies away (tears etc.). As I say, this could only happen IF your tendons stay at the same strength for years (at their starting rate) and your muscle strength increases over that time. This type of tendon tear is quite common amongst anabolic steroid users because they tend to train at a higher cumulative volume and frequency than naturals. Remember, isometrics maximally stimulate your tendons which get very little work from standard up/ down muscle training. Because tendons and ligaments are hefty, thick, fibrous tissue not designed to move much, they’re designed to operate statically. Or they operate through shorter ranges of motion than your muscles (like your ‘Achilles Heel’ etc.). In case you’re thinking ‘huh?’ here’s a bit more detail… Isometrics directly stress/ effect your tendons, ligaments and muscles though intense contractions. In turn your tendons control and govern your musculature. All are governed by your Central Nervous System. As we’ve seen, your tendons and ligaments hold you together. Ligaments bind bone to bone. Tendons bind bone to muscle. Whilst these are already very strong - Much stronger than your muscles - And indeed can increase in strength too - They take

longer than your muscles to recover from training. And need specific, efficient training for their needs. Hence when you’re doing training that primarily works your tendons and ligaments, you’ll usually need more recovery time. Be warned, IF you’re doing muscle training, you absolutely must, every few weeks as a minimum, do some relatively heavy training that builds your tendon strength capacity. Particularly as you get stronger through primarily hypertrophy methods. “It’s Science Jim, But Not as We Know It” Isometrics then, are strength-orientated exercises that are a process and stimulator of your CNS. They primarily work and increase your tendon, ligament and muscular strength. Because (particularly) plus-maximal isometrics are done with your current highest intensities - I.E. 150% + of your 1 Rep Max - And held for brief spans as low as 5 seconds - They tend to not have enough time under tension or use enough volume to produce as much muscle growth as standard ‘dynamic’ exercises or indeed ‘sub-maximal isometrics’. This is, of course, all-relative to how you train. If you do plusmaximal progressive isometrics adding a bit more volume through power factor (more later) style partials, plus mixing some standard dynamic training, you’ll gain more mass. Muscles generally densify (sarcomeric hypertrophy) due to very high-intensity, lower-volume training. This causes you to gain thicker, denser muscularity without that much swole (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). As you know now, sub-maximal isometrics are done with 65 to 85% of your 1 rep max. And held for up to 45 seconds per

set, before increasing the resistance relative to the percentage of your 1RM. Here’s a bit more science… You know now that the cells making up your muscle tissue are made of the proteins, myosin and actin (see earlier diagrams). These proteins are arranged into very fine threadlike filaments within the cell. Myosin is thick and active. It’s considered a molecular motor protein able to ratchet along the surface of a suitable substrate (actin) - Like a ‘rack and pinion’ railway system or similar, the (myosin) protein strands slide across (actin) each other. In muscle contractions that are concentric (positive) or eccentric (negative) - standard ‘dynamic’ moving reps - these proteins ‘rachet’ (pull themselves along and across each other), then disengage. Ready for the next movement. With each “turn of the ratchet”, the myosin (hook) grabs the actin substrate (clasp, eye etc.) and pulls itself in a given direction. Thus, they convert chemical energy into mechanical work. This is their main function. Like a mountaineer using an ice axe to clamber up an ice sheet - During a concentric (shortening) contraction, the myosin uses a hook and eye ratchet system to change its length in relation to the actin (which works like a track) - It pulls itself along in a shortening (concentric) contraction. Then during an eccentric (lengthening, negative) contraction the myosin (hook) let’s go and slides away, one ‘hook and eye’ at a time - Back to where it started. However, if the contraction is isometric (static), then the myosin moves to its maximally contracted position on the actin and stays hooked there. The proteins stay ‘hooked up’ (linked together) and that causes a sarcomeric contraction to happen (the increased time under tension causes a thickening of existing muscle fibres etc). Actin is a thinner and seemingly more passive protein compared to myosin. It has several functions within the cell

that we currently know of - One is to give mechanical support to the cells. Another is to allow for cell motility. The basic unit of arrangement for the actin and myosin filaments within the cell is called a sarcomere (hence sarcomeric hypertrophy). A sarcomere is arranged with the thick myosin filaments bordered by two actin filaments. As mentioned, because of their lack of movement, isometric contractions are primarily sarcomeric in nature - They don’t produce much sarcoplasm (fluidic muscle swole) because there’s no ‘back and forth’ (volume). It’s generally the movement of the muscle around the joint angle, under tension - Combined with higher-reps at lighter weights, and shorter rest periods between sets - That brings about aspects of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy - Where not only are myofibrillar (muscle fibres) filling your muscles, but plasma (fluid) and capillaries are being created. These elements occupy greater space within your muscles as fluid, capillaries and fibre than myofibrillar alone. Hence why sarcoplasmic muscles generally become bigger muscles. But sarcoplasmic muscles are also less dense than sarcomeric ones. Due to the sarcoplasmic muscle’s higher fluid content. And this means that sarcomeric muscles are generally stronger because they are primarily made up of myofibrillar alone, without fluid etc. So, IF a ‘swoller’ physique, do primarily conventional lifting of slightly lighter weights for higher reps, with less rest between sets and sessions (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy/ volume training) - To build highly-swole muscle mass (sarcoplasm). Whereas IF you want a denser, grainier, generally stronger physique then lift heavier weight (relative to your 1 Rep Maxes), in a lower rep, strength training (even as conventional lifting) style. This tends to create less overt muscle swole but stronger muscles, tendons and a higher resting muscle tone (sarcomere, density). Simply speaking, the heavier the percentage of your 1 rep max you lift, the more that affects your CNS (So 150% is greater

momentary effort than 100%) and sarcomeric density. If you only do that for low reps and volume, then the combination develops muscle density more than muscle swole. But as we’ve seen, if you want to use greater cumulative volume in your isometric training (or parts of it) you can do isometrics for time under tension (sub-maximally) with lesser resistance. This will work your muscles (sarcomerically) as much as your tendons and CNS - Because the loads are, as noted, submaximal and held for far greater units of time (up to 45 seconds). To train heavier you: -

Use the Same Resistance (E.G the same expander in the same position) but do longer sets - First, 15. Next 21. Then 33 seconds etc.

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Increase the Resistance, by adding more strands, bands etc. to the load and using the same block of time as the measure. Starting, for example, with 100 kgs. Working your way up to an easy 45 seconds. Then increasing to 120 kgs and managing to hold it for 20 seconds to start and going back up from there.

Same principles apply with Time Under Tension Sub-Maximal Isometrics as they do with making progress in standard weightlifting. Load/ Time/ Volume. “The 3 Ways You Can Get Stronger” Simply put there are 3 principle-based ways you can get stronger. I’m NOT referring to techniques, lifts etc. here. I’m referring to the methods that allow you to adapt to greater and increasing stimulus. You should bear them all in mind as they all have their uses. And you should bring them all into your training - Notice that all 3 are fully-measurable. -

Lifting Heavier Weight (Momentary Percentile Intensity of Effort)

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Doing More Reps (Time) With the Same Weight (Volume of Effort)

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Increasing Your Force Production Over A Measured Unit of Time (Percentile Intensity and Volume)

The most common method of measuring effort and progress is Number 1 = Percentile Effort of Intensity - Strength trainers primarily measure their progress through how heavy they lift with their top reps (their 1-Rep Maxes). The second most used method is to increase reps with the same top weights. So, you increase your volume of effort by getting better at lifting something of the same weight. For example, you initially could do 2 hard reps with 90% of your 1 rep max. Through applied effort you manage to do 3, 5, 7 reps with the same weight. Until you’re ready to increase the weight again. The third method combines elements of the first 2 - In that you work with a certain amount of weight for a set period (of time). Example, you leg press (short-range, safeties on) 120% of your current full-range 1 rep max. You do a specific number of reps per set unit of time. The best, most efficient time unit for these short-range ‘Power Factor’ style exercises is 30 seconds. How many reps can you do in 30 seconds? The goal is to increase the reps and the weight used. Later I’ll show you how to use this way of measuring and building strength, but for now, you should know that there are: “Two Main Types of Isometric?” You now know that Isometric Resistance Training requires no movement of the joint angle for a muscular contraction to occur. Your muscles contract against themselves or a load, with equal resistance (hence no movement). And you know that your muscle contraction can reach a very high (maximum) intensity due to your effort or the level of resistance you’re experiencing.

You should also be aware that you can change, alter or use multiple angles when doing isometrics. And this can potentially be useful to mimic stages along the bar path of a standard lift*. *Although it’s been laboratory-proven that ANY isometric above 60% intensity has a carry-over that makes your standard lifting stronger. You know there are three ‘WAYS’ of doing isometrics. Those being ‘self-resisted’, ‘object-resisted’ and ‘measured progressive resistance’. You also know there are two main ‘TYPES’ of isometric training - ‘Overcoming’ and ‘Yielding’. By pushing or pulling against something immovable, (with all your might, when training with full intensity), you do an ‘Overcoming’ Isometric (you initiated it). IF the weight is bearing down on you in some way, and you resist it, you’re doing a ‘Yielding’ Isometric (it started, and you resisted it). Because isometrics use no movement of the joint angle at the point of maximum contraction, some people cannot understand how any strength and muscle-building can occur from doing them. To clarify. Isometrics can grant you the most intense muscular contractions possible. And increase your strength dramatically. Because the static (isometric) phase of any resistance exercise is your strongest, you’re capitalising upon that which is already your maximum to produce a contraction. Or have a contraction happen due the position, stance, hold etc. you’ve adopted. Think about when you’re moving a heavy item of furniture. Is it easiest to lift it or is it easier to brace it once in position and hold it there? Bracing, holding, static, isometric strength is always where you’re strongest. As I say, isometric contractions have been proven under strict laboratory conditions to produce the most intense muscular

tension available. They’re also generally easier to use in training than negatives (great though negatives are). Because most isometric training can be done without a partner. Whereas a lot of negativeoriented training needs a partner to get full benefit Particularly on big lifts. Because primarily negative-orientated training requires you to lower heavier weights than you can raise, there’s considerable faffing about getting a ‘too heavy for a positive’ weight back into position. Hence why a partner is often needed for safety and speeding up your session. And Muscle-Building? With isometrics this tends to be done through greater Time Under Tension. Which, by dint of its nature, must use lesser resistance than Plus Maximal isometrics - To get the expander, band, cable, stack etc. into place. For Time Under Tension you take a heavy (for you), but NOT super-heavy, resistance. And hold it in the extended, static phase, for longer than the ultra-heavy, ultra-intense isometric systems. Up to 45 seconds. This generally works better with expanders, bands, strands, because most of the movements you do with these devices are different from standard barbell/ dumbbell exercises. As mentioned, you can do Time Under Tension sets with weights. But it’s more difficult to get the right emphasis when using them. Because, for example, a side press with an expander, emphasises your shoulders, upper back and triceps by pressing out to your sides against the elastic tension. Replicating this movement with dumbbells becomes a battle against gravity for the shoulders and elbows. And so, you’re limited by the resistance you can use when using weights. And the muscular emphasis is wrong as there’s too much pressure on the elbows resisting the drop. Remember, ‘Time Under Tension’ sub-maximal isometrics for strength-building, are generally held for up to 45 seconds with 65 to 85% of your 1 Rep Max.

By foregoing the superfluous up/ down movement (where energy is wasted) you generate a near maximum contraction and you’ve created far greater intensity than raising and lowering against a comparable resistance. The ‘sub-maximal’ load allows you to get the resistance into position and brace against its desire to ‘snap-back’ though elastic tension to its original structure or position. Of course, standard ‘dynamic’ raising and lowering exercises have their place and worth. I’m just saying they’re inefficient when it comes to producing and increasing your maximum strength. Why? Because they’re always held back by your strength moving through the 3 phases (weakest, middling, strongest). And you’re always limited in your weakest phase (the first third of your raising-positive range) because you’re not as strong in the bottom of a positive, as you are at the top of a positive/ negative or in any static position etc. Hence why partials done in your strongest range of strength etc. are worthy additions to your training. Because they take place in the strongest range of your positive/ negative strength (the last 33%, or even the last 10%). Generally, super-intense isometrics, I.E the Static Contraction System etc. are held for brief rep-sets of 5 seconds each with plus-maximal loads. The Old-Time Strongman System holds isometric contractions for 8 to 12 seconds. With plus-maximal loads. Both use your strongest range of motion and your strongest phase of strength (more later). Exceptions to this ultra-brief rule are Graduated Isometrics (to plus maximal) - Where you start with a 25 to 40% contraction and build to 100%, over 30 seconds. Although some trainers say these should be done as 90-second sets at 1/3rd, 2/3rd’s, 100%. To me, 90 seconds is too long a hold. Because you’re ‘intensity wanes as your duration gains’ - But you can apply the principle over a shorter timeframe, in principle, such as 30 seconds per set and see for yourself.

As you know, you’ve three phases of strength: -

Isometric (Static, Equal Distance, Bracing)

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Eccentric (Lowering, Negative, Lengthening)

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Concentric (Raising, Positive, Shortening)

You also have three ranges of strength as dictated by where you are during a positive ‘bar path’, or to a lesser extent, a negative: -

0 to 33%

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34 to 67%

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68 to 100% of lockout (roughly)

IF you’re looking to build muscle (hypertrophy) more than strength, then combine sub-maximal isometric resistance holds with standard dynamic higher-rep sets with lighter percentiles (20 to 8 reps, up to 65% of 1 RM). And throw in some maximal isometrics and negatives (to work your tendons). IF you’re looking to build strength moreso than muscle (which you see as a secondary benefit), then focus on progressive resistance isometrics of different kinds (plus and submaximal). Combined with low-rep, 80 to 95% of your 1 rep max standard dynamic training (6 to 1 rep). I’ve had great results by using sub-maximal isometrics at the beginning and end of each standard raising/ lowering set. Depending on what resistance equipment you’re using and how. This can add markedly to your results. For example, at the start and end of a set of heavy seated rows, you can throw in sub-maximal static contractions. If you know you can do 6, 8, 10 standard reps with the weight (depending on your training goal). By throwing in a static hold in the topmost (elbows right back) position, at the start and end of the set (held for up to 12 seconds). You make the set more intense and increase your overall strength and capacity, with one simple addition. “How Do Isometrics Grant You the Most Intensive Muscle Contractions? And Why Are They So Effective at Building

Strength And, Potentially Greater Muscle Density?” As I say, you’ve 3 ‘phases’ of strength in order of intensity: -

Static (Isometric)

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Negative (Lowering)

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Positive (Raising)

You’ll always be strongest (especially relative to your joint angle) in your static, bracing, isometric, holding phase. I say relative to the joint angle, because just like standard dynamic lifting, positionally you’re strongest in the last 3rd of a positive, or the first 3rd of a negative. So, it depends on the position along the ‘bar path’ as to how strong you can potentially be in an isometric. But, regardless of position, your isometric, static strength is always stronger than the other two. Because that’s where your strongest possible muscle contractions are. Think how long you can resist the drop of a weight etc. As opposed to how long you can lower or raise (moving) that same weight. Particularly, as I say, relative to your joint angle Where in the lift you’re holding the isometric. You’ll always be weakest in the first third (bottom) of a positive. Because your weakest strength phase is positive. And your weakest range is the first 3rd of that positive. Hence why starting a deadlift off the floor feels much harder (heavier) than starting it at knee height - Even though the weight is the same, the leverage, joint angle, strength range and phase all contribute to make it harder. The same weight feels much lighter again in your top position. In fact, you can lift at least 50% + more from the middle position. And 100% + more from the top position of a shortrange deadlift (you may need chalk, hooks, straps, tacky etc. until your grip catches up with the load-weight). Because of leverage, the closer you get to lockout of a positive, the stronger you are. Try this for yourself with any lift and you’ll see how true it is.

Your middle range is exactly that. You’re stronger in it than your first third. But not as strong as the last third of a positive. A close second to your static strength is the lowering (negative) phase of any lift - When your static strength has been exhausted, you can use slow 4-second negatives to squeeze out a tad more resistance. And add volume to your sets. Negatives are great and intense training and can be used successfully on some lifts with sensible workarounds (Romanian Deadlifts etc.). The main problem with negatives or negative-only lifting for strength-building is you often need training partners to raise the weight again - Because your negative strength is stronger than your positive - Hence you might be able to lower the weight but getting it back up again, could be too much of an ask. You can more easily resist a heavy load in an isometric by setting it up just short of lockout for safe training. The main benefit of a negative for muscle-building is they cause more soreness (micro-damage, in a good way) than positives and isometrics. If building muscle is your primary remit this microdamage from emphasising the negative, potentially brings about greater muscular development than concentrating on the raising phase only. But be aware it also causes greater posttraining soreness. A 2 to 4 second negative on each rep will impact your musclebuilding markedly. With static contraction/isometric training, it’s generally easier to train alone. Because you can set the equipment up exactly as it needs to be in most cases, before resisting it. Having safeties in place makes it easier to deal with very heavy weights and not splat yourself under them if you ‘give out’. Also, when using expanders, bands and strands, you can train anywhere. And take a gym with you in a drawstring bag

weighing no more than a few pounds. For the purposes of powering your CNS you should use as heavy resistance as possible. But ideally (unless using specialist techniques mentioned later) this must be in your strongest range of motion, for safety. But, with standard dynamic lifts you should make them harder for greater strength and progress - So, in a squat the first to 33.333%, is the weakest part of that lift - Hence why it’s a great idea to train with ‘pin’ squats (moreso than box squats), as these make you stronger by starting in the lowest position of your weakest range. Also, heavy bands (short or shortened) will help you do a staunch isometric squat etc. in your weakest positions, by adding resistance to your standard barbell at the bottom and throughout the range of motion. Or by being the sole form of resistance looped over a bar or fastened to struts etc. In the middle range, 33.333% to 66.666% you’re stronger than the first third. But not as strong as in your last third (67% to 100% lockout) - Naturally on any pulling motion like a row or pulldown, the direction is reversed, but the principle remains the same. “The World’s Most Curlable Pencil…” Remember how I said that your CNS isn’t concerned as to how FAR you lift the weight? Lift distance only matters if that concerns significant Time Under Tension. For example, if you drag a 1-ton sandbag for 1 foot, that might be equivalent to 1 rep and take a few seconds to shift. However, if you drag that same 1-ton sandbag 20 yards, you’re experiencing greater effort and time under tension. So, it would have a greater cumulative effect relative to the load because of the time under tension (volume). Distance is only important when it becomes a significant factor - But IF distance was a primary factor then it wouldn’t matter how heavy the load was that you dragged. It would only matter how far you dragged it.

So if you dragged a one-pound bag for 100 yards, would that make a significant inroad into your recoverability. Nope. Because very light weights do not cause an inroad into your recoverability whatsoever. Only if you did 1000 reps with a pencil would it have any significant effect. And that would mostly be soreness due to overuse… Because the first concern of your CNS is how HEAVY the resistance is relative to your current ‘limits’? That’s how your CNS judge’s pressure. And how it adapts by getting stronger. What was once deemed heavy is now comparatively light. Due to the nature of progressive resistance training. For example, you could rep a 1-pound jar of coffee for 100 reps. Equalling 100 pounds lifted. But the load is tiny and so the stress on your CNS is negligible. There’s merely a reaction to the cumulative ‘work’ (volume) you’re doing. But if you rep 100 pounds just once, the load is naturally judged heavier than 1 pound repped 100 times. So your CNS creates a greater adaptation response because of the load being heavier. But IF you’re already capable of lifting that 100 pounds (you’ve done it before), you’ll only MATCH your previous results. If though, the load is heavier than you’ve done before, your CNS won’t just adapt, it will ‘over-compensate’ because of the progressive resistance. Meaning it’ll reset its current ‘strength brake’ at a much higher potential. As you’ve forced it to adapt to a greater percentage of effort. Hence why, your CNS is not bothered whether you lift 1000 kgs 3 inches or 3 feet in terms of heaviness - It firstly reacts to how heavy the resistance is (pressure) - The leverage (distance, angle etc.) is, along with time, a secondary factor and not the governing one. So, to rev up your CNS just steadily work against greater and increasing loads. This causes ‘over-compensation’ and hence, progressive resistance. In the systems using heaviest resistance you train in your strongest strength phase, with safeties always on because the

loads you end up using are what most people would consider to be very heavy. As an example, is a 500 kg deadlift heavy to you? A 1200 kg Leg Press? A 350 kg shrug? I know the numbers are relative to your bodyweight etc. But those resistances would be considered ‘heavy’ by even the strongest of people. So remember, your CNS’s primary concern is judging how heavy the load it’s being asked to resist or generate is. Its secondary concern is time under tension. How long it’s being asked or forced to resist said load for, according to your current capacity. As well as the heaviness of the load, you can create the ‘over-compensation’ effect by using time and leverage. You’ve seen how it’s relatively easy to use sub-maximal resistances of 65 to 85% and hold them for time - Up to 45 seconds. And, when you push yourself somewhat by doing more than you’ve previously done - I.E You normally do an expander Back Press with 150 kgs and have built up from 15 to 45 seconds. You now press 175 kgs and manage to hold it for 20 seconds. That extra load from 150 kgs to 175 kgs causes overcompensation through load. But it also causes overcompensation through time under tension. Because when you build back up to holding a heavier load for more time (relevant to purpose etc.), you’re also causing an adaptation. More weight for more time. Leverage also has a systemic effect by making each exercise harder according to the load relevant to the joint angle. Generally, the further from your centre the resistance is, the harder it is to cope with a load you could normally do quite easily from a more advantaged position. “Some Advantages of Isometrics Over ‘Normal’ Resistance Training, Are”

How is it possible for a relatively normal person to build up to such numbers? Because you’re not wasting excess energy on completing the dynamic up/ down movement as demanded by conventional training. And because you’re using your strongest range of strength (the last 3rd to the last 10% before lockout) - You’re able to use weights far in excess of your full-range-of-motion version of that lift. -

Isometrics cause far less soreness than standard ‘dynamic’ weightlifting. Because of a lack of movement, the soreness is substantially negated (if any).

Damage done (muscle soreness etc), isn’t a bad thing, particularly for muscle-building. You’re essentially causing microtears in your muscle fibres that mostly occur during the eccentric, negative, lowering phase. And then repairing them with rest and nutrition. It’s just that metabolites released from longer (50 minute +) dynamic training sessions can be difficult to get rid of. And can be debilitating. Certain theories suggest that Lactic Acid (the most common metabolite) causes an increase of Growth Hormone etc. And that in turn causes more muscle to be built. That may be so, but from a strength building point-of-view, Lactic Acid is a lesser concern. And can be an inhibitor. Ideally with strength-training sessions you want to get your major work done before lactic acid build up occurs - Hence why your conventional sessions should be a maximum of 45 minutes - And your isometric sessions should be even shorter because they entail greater stress on your CNS. Oftentimes, progressive resistance isometric training (plus and sub-maximal) is intensive, but there’s very little soreness because of a lack of movement around the joint angle Usually there’s just a feeling of heaviness and effort afterwards, producing a sarcomeric hypertrophy (increased

muscle density) and not one of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (muscle swole). There are many ‘forms’ of Isometric Technique of course. But as you’ve seen, there are only 3 basic WAYS OF DOING Isometrics: 1) Against your own body (‘self-resisted’). Such as hooking your hands together in a clasp and pulling equally in both directions. Or pushing both hands together in a press. There are 100’s of ‘self-resisted’ isometric exercises like this. The whole posing routine of modern bodybuilding developed from the ‘muscle control isometrics’ of the old-time strongman era developed by the likes of Maxick, Bernar Mcfadden, Sandow etc. Isometrics against your own body are an excellent stop-gap if you can do no other resistance exercise. The exercises can grant you amazingly strong muscle contractions. And can, with practice, increase in their intensity. But they are disadvantaged by not being measurable - You can only guess, roughly, as to how much force you’re generating from one session to the next. And that can be variable, depending upon your mood, health, energy and effort applied. And not because you’ve a definite figure to beat. Also, whilst it’s possible to increase the intensity of your contractions through practice, you aren’t lifting or resisting an increasing load when doing ‘self-resisted’ isometrics. You are instead squeezing your musculature as hard as possible against itself. And that has more restrictive limits. 2)

Isometrics against an ‘immovable object’. Such as a towel, rope, wall, a chain anchored to the wall or floor, a missile carrier etc.

Again, there are 100’s of exercises you can do. But you can’t measure how much force you’re generating against the object in question. So, you’re only ever guessing roughly how much force you’re outputting each time. Mind you, immovable objects have the advantage of giving you more of a ‘feel’ for how much force you’re outputting

than ‘self-resisted’ isometrics. In that regard, your current strength output is a little easier to gauge, but still not fully measurable. And, once you’ve reached what you feel is your maximum force output against, say, one chain, you can of course, add another chain - Supposedly (though not really) doubling your potential force possibilities. Again though, what happens when you add a chain, but pull or push against them with less overall effort than you did against one chain? The only way to know if you really needed to add another chain is when you snap the first one through the strength of your effort. Then replace that with a similar chain and another smaller one for extra (known) resistance (like adding weights plates to a stack). You can only really tell that you’ve reached maximum current output against said bar when you bend it. Or the chain when you break it… 3)

Isometrics against measurable progressive resistance (Progressive Overload). Such as weights, meters, cables, strands etc.

You can do pretty much any exercise in this manner. And the advantage is you can measure your force production through poundage, resistance, meters etc. So, you know how much weight or resistance you used last time for each exercise. And because of that, you can make progressive resistance by increasing your measurable, recordable results using resistance bands, expanders, weight stacks, levers, barbells, dynameters etc. So your progressive resistance isometric could be as simple as you doing an isometric squat against 400 kgs of bands Getting to the 2/3rds (approx. 65% of load) lockout position, holding the set for 10 seconds. And next time you manage to extend to full lockout (100% load) position for 10 seconds - So you’ve gotten stronger. Everything else being the same, angle, position of bands etc.

An even more precise way of measuring resistance would be doing a strongest-range of motion static contraction leg press (hold) with I.E 800 kgs for 5 seconds. And next time you do 805 kgs for the same unit of time. All other factors - gradient on the press, angle of seat etc. being the same. Meters, cables, strands, bands, weights levers, barbells and machines. Anything where you know the resistance, poundage, force output. You know your position. And you know what effect you’re shooting for. Ideally, as stated, the heaviest progressive isometric systems are done in your strongest range of motion, with safeties on This significantly lowers the risk of injury when using very heavy weights. It also means you can lift far greater weight (or use more resistance) than you could IF you started the movement in your weakest range of motion. And did a full rep. Now of course, not all isometric training takes place from a position of mechanical advantage. Some purposefully can and are done from a position of mechanical disadvantage. I’ve always felt you should do some training from positions of mechanical disadvantage. Because you’ll often find yourself in those positions in life. And you should know that you’re capable of being strong, regardless of where you are on the bar path. A lot of old-time strongmen lifts used this key principle to be as strong as you can be along the entire ‘travel’ of the lift. So you should know that whilst you can handle maximum weights in your most advantaged positions. And this should make up at least some of your training. I feel it’s important you use disadvantaged (without danger) positions to lift from. This makes your standard and isometric lifts harder and therefore you get stronger, from everywhere. -

What does isometric training have to do with tendon strength?

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How do you efficiently develop tendon strength?

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And why does tendon strength, when done progressively, with effort, create such astonishing levels of physical strength?

As you now know, isometrics are a type of strength training (a static contraction, bracing, holding strength) in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change (at that time) under the load - Your muscles work against each other or against resistance to produce a contraction that can be sub or plusmaximal. Because you’re applying resistance (‘Overcoming’) - Or a load is applied to you (‘Yielding’) - (Progressive Resistance) Isometrics are often called ‘maximum’ or ‘static’ contractions. In that your muscles are subjected to very heavy resistance, that brings about the most intense muscle contractions. Unlike standard raising and lowering phases of a ‘normal’ lift, isometrics are the momentary static contraction, usually, but, not always, at the point of maximum resistance (joint angle). I say ‘usually’ because as noted, you can train isometrics at any angle on the bar path. And there is some evidence to suggest that varying the joint angle throughout the range of movement can potentially give you a more well-rounded practical ability. However, the strength potential to produce an isometric contraction of maximum resistance is why most progressive systems use your strongest range of motion (so you can lift more, forcing your CNS to adapt to the greater load). By doing so you maximise the amount of resistance at the most efficient point in your strongest range of strength (last 3rd and usually last 10%) and in your strongest phase of strength (isometric, static contraction etc.).

Remember, progressive resistance isometrics increasing heaviness (overload percentage).

require

Isometrics, in general, use no movement once applied. Although they may require movement, to get into that position - Particularly when doing: -

Sub-maximal isometrics, for ‘Time Under Tension’ (say with cables, bands etc.)

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Yielding isometric exercises on platforms, levers etc. that need you to move the weight into position before resisting it’s drop

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Dynamic tension where you resist a partial isometric that slows down your movement, creating a drag on your musculature whilst keeping a contraction (Harry Wong published a famous book of the same title in 1983)

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And ‘Isomotion’ where you hold an isometric at the joint angle but move your limbs normally through a pattern like a figure of eight - The famous ‘skin the cat’ movement that goes from a whippet (shoulder dislocation to the rear, not as violent as it sounds) to a front spread (usually with bands or expanders), is a typical example Isometrics are the most efficient strength training you can do

Because the resistance during each movement changes, relative to the leverage angle - In some places on the ‘bar path’

the resistance is maximum for the weight lifted - And at others it’s far less. Think about a standard biceps curl with weights. The resistance is strongest at the bottom of the lift. Where you’re at your weakest. Whilst the myotatic stretch reflex at the ‘pre-stretched’ (bottom) position of a lift does cause muscles to fire strongly. Injury is more likely in that ‘pre-stretched’ position with ‘too heavy’ weights because your leverage is at a biomechanically disadvantaged position. This is one of the main problems with a lot of standard bodybuilding exercises such as the lying dumbbell flye, pec deck, preacher curl etc. Mechanical advantage or disadvantage is important when training for maximal strength production, certainly on big lifts like squats. But it’s bad news for minor lifts where strength is not the over-riding goal. Because you can use far greater resistances from a position of mechanical advantage, it’s obvious you should use those positions to enhance your strength - Whilst remembering to factor in some less mechanically-advantaged training to boost your ‘all-round’ strength from lesser positions on the bar path. You can see the importance of the ‘bar path’ by judging that the strongest contractions are opposite with resistance bands, strands, expanders to weights etc. As the resistance with a band, strand, expander etc. is generally weakest at the bottom (depending on how much you shorten the bands). And is strongest at the top where you are also.

So bands etc. work in full harmony with your naturally occurring leverage during standard reps - With those, the resistance is congruent with the ‘bar path’ - As you get into your stronger ranges of strength the resistance increases in line with the position - And hence can be more beneficial for training from mechanically disadvantaged positions. -

Isometric = No Movement, A Static Contraction (ranging from minimal to maximal). Isometric Contractions can (when effort is applied) produce the most intense contraction possible at that time, under those circumstances

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Isotonic = Full or Partial Movement, A Moving Rep That Can (but doesn’t have to) Involve a ‘Peak’ Contraction (the ‘top squeeze’ used by a lot of bodybuilders to finalise a rep)

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Isokinetic = A Constant, Equal ResistanceContraction, Throughout the Full Range of The Positive (Lacking a Negative)

Isokinetic training can aid in getting past sticking points in some standard lifts. But is limited in most equipment, by it lacking a negative (lengthening, eccentric) aspect to each lift (positive only) - This is due to a lot of isokinetic machinery using hydraulic-like pressure to ‘equalise’ the resistance. Famous training devices such as the ‘Bullworker’ and the ‘Isokinator’ (both created by Gert Koelbel) use isometric, isokinetic and isotonic (standard) reps to gain full muscle involvement. “Why Progressive Resistance Isometrics Particularly?”

When you’re pushing or pulling measurable, recordable force, you gain immediate feedback as to your current ‘strength’ and when you’ve increased it. This instant feedback also tells you if you need more rest etc. Before you can train again. -

Because Isometrics Are Done in Static Positions, With No or Limited Motion. They Eliminate the Major Changes in Force Output Along the Arc or Bar Path of The Lift

This allows you to focus solely upon resisting, lifting etc. submaximal and maximal loads in the safest way. With a submaximal isometric this can be at any point on the bar path. But with a plus-maximal isometric this means that (for safety) you train in your safest position. But also, it means you can do an isometric safely at a static point anywhere on the bar path. Where although you don’t have a mechanical advantage, you can exert maximum pressure (stopped force) if you’ve warmed up with a few preparation sets (more later). -

Instead of Being Dynamic Through A Range of Motion, The Joints and Muscles Are Worked Against Immovable Force (Overcoming Isometric). Or Held in A Static Position While Opposing or Opposed by Resistance (Yielding Isometric)

The meaning of isometric from old Greek is, Iso - same, Metric - distance. Okay, that’s all very nice, but surely, if they were that great, everybody would be doing them now, right? *

*Well, in the 1950s and 60s, isometrics became a training phenomenon. Bob Hoffman of the York Barbell Company was so convinced of their potency, his company marketed Isometric Training Racks (along with their other training equipment), that you pushed and pulled against. The American Weightlifting Team of the 1950’s (also managed by Hoffman) used them in their training. Famous teacher/ actors such as Bruce Lee, Charles Bronson etc. did them and got amazing results from pushing and pulling against chains anchored in the ground. American Football teams, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, adopted isometrics wholesale. And credited them with their new winning ways. Other athletic supply companies (e.g. Exergenie) also got involved and produced myriad, swish, sleek and modern easy use training devices. To be resisted in the bedrooms of executive homes by the nuclear family. Famously ‘The Bullworker’, invented by Gert Koelbel* was a massive isometric-isokinetic hit machine. Sold worldwide from the late 1960’s onwards to millions of men and women looking for ultra-efficient, safe and pragmatic strength training. This wonder of scientific marketing is still taking the world by storm in various manifestations, today (and they are excellent training tools). *As mentioned, Koelbel went on to create other excellent strength training devices such as The Isokinator (a small hand-

held device using isometric and isokinetic resistance developed in the 2000’s from earlier innovations). By the early 1970’s though, things began to change. ‘Bodybuilding’ hit it big with movies such as “Pumping Iron” etc. Originally bodybuilding was a relatively-low-frequency heavy weightlifting activity with its roots in the old-time strongman/ physical culture training of the 1930’s. It was formerly the remit of icy basement dwellers like John Grimek, Clancy Ross, Reg Park, even the ‘Golden Boy’ Steve Reeves. Strong men who also strove for an aesthetic look that reflected the benefits of their training. But later bodybuilding became the remit of the sarcoplasmic ‘muscle spinning’ pumpers of California beach culture. And Joe Weider’s club of proteges and a force of marketing. Bodybuilding had heroes and figureheads, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger who transitioned from the basic 2 to 3 times a week heavy weight training style of Reg Park, into the Joe Weider high-frequency 6 days a week training (and sometimes more). As well as Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding had ‘Pumping Iron: The Movie’, Serge Nubret, Lou Ferrigno (‘The Incredible Hulk!’), Tom Platz’s thighs and myriad other muscle heroes. It also had danger, sizzle, girls and drugs.

Isometrics had none of those. And so, it fell mostly out of fashion. Barely understood any more in its strength-building significance. Mostly forgotten as the means to generating maximum strength in minimum time. The bodybuilders became household names. And society began to think of ‘weightlifting’ and ‘weight training’, as hifrequency, hi-volume bodybuilding. And not the efficient and practical training that had built amazing strength athletes before then. In fact, strength and muscle and the necessary training for both became confused. And in the eyes of the mainstream you had to have big muscles to be strong. And conversely anyone with big muscles MUST be very strong (not necessarily the case). Whilst you can become very strong as a bodybuilder. It, bodybuilding (certainly the high-frequency, hi-volume route) is INEFFICIENT at making you stronger. Why? Because its primary purpose is to create extreme muscular development. And that generally takes a lot more training and eating to create large-scale muscularity than it does to produce significant increases in strength. Of course, high-level bodybuilders are strong. But how strong are most, relative to their size? There are those who’ll tell you that you can’t have increases in strength without increases in the size of that muscularity. That’s not strictly true. As we’ve already seen, muscles can and do densify under a low-rep, low-volume, high-intensity, sarcomeric style of training.

Whereas muscles tend to enlarge with less density when using a higher-rep, higher-volume, lower strength-intensity style of training. Because strength is merely a by-product of the modern bodybuilding process and not its main aim, bodybuilding is generally the slow road to extra strength. And, bodybuilding is limited, eventually, by the lack of comparative tendon strength. So, because of the higher amounts of training needed to keep a primarily sarcoplasmic physique, most people decided ‘weightlifting’ wasn’t for them - Not many people could sustain training 6 times a week or more and splitting the body up like a cheese round. Home training was almost killed off when the public heard those bodybuilding guys sometimes trained twice a day, every day, for three hours plus! Oh and of course, they “didn’t want to look like that” (as IF anybody with a plastic weight’s set in their garage could look like Sergio Oliva, Mike Mentzer, Tom Platz etc. After a few training sessions…). Ridiculous! “Who the hell’s got the time to be doing that?” Little realising that when you train with heavier percentages you get significantly greater muscle tone. And for far less cumulative effort. Of course, to train primarily for strength and get significantly stronger you DO NOT WANT to be training like a bodybuilder (hell, even a lot of bodybuilders don’t train

anywhere near that much nowadays (6 days a week etc.)). You need to follow the intense and brief route, in some way. There’s nothing wrong with bodybuilding by-the-way - It’s pretty good IF you want to be a bodybuilder - It’s just, as pointed out, not particularly efficient for producing progressive strength gains relative to muscle size and effort. Because the primary purpose of bodybuilding is to build extreme muscular development not strength. Extreme muscular development is often achieved through high training volumes (and high-frequencies) with reasonable resistance - That brings about sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (muscle swole) - Which causes your muscles to uptake more fluid etc. (sarcoplasm, around the muscle’s fibres). Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is a relatively short-term effect. And the sarcoplasmic (muscle swole, fluid ‘modern bodybuilding’) recovery curve is generally shorter than a sarcomeric (muscle density, myofibrillar, strength training) one. And so, to keep your sarcoplasm you must train more often. Hence why it’s oft-repeated that bodybuilding is a highfrequency training activity. But when training primarily for strength, you produce sarcomeric hypertrophy (or myofibrillar hypertrophy) Training with heavy weights at a generally lower overall volume, your muscles become densely packed with strands of contractile tissue (myofibrillar).

As I say, you can train as little as a couple of times a week (or less IF the resistance is very heavy). And for maybe 45 minutes for standard dynamic sessions. 30 minutes or so for ‘Time Under Tension sub-maximal’ isometrics (or 15 minutes every couple of days). And, once every couple of weeks, when you start to resist very heavy loads with plus-maximal isometrics. But we’re talking about A LOT of weight (more later). So we know now that Isometrics have been with us since dirt was young. Each culture knew about doing strong and often leveraged holds against resistance, as a test of strength. And a means of developing it. In the famous statue of Atlas holding up the world, he isn’t doing 3 sets of 20… Before Isometrics were formalised in the late 1800’s, they’d been part of standard training across multiple disciplines - Just that nobody had apparently named and catalogued the techniques of isometric training, static contractions, static exercises. The already mentioned uptake of interest in isometrics from the 1950’s onwards was a second wind - Alexander Zass released some fantastic works on this subject in the early twentieth century (1919 etc.). And massively popularised the techniques as an extension of circus strongman acts. But if you think about it, they were and are, in some form, everywhere. As components of exercise systems. Or as unique ‘standalone’ exercises. Martial Arts, Yoga, Pilates, Resistance Training etc. are full of them.

Disciplines such as yoga and Pilates use one of the most common techniques, isometric holds - By placing your body in leveraged or disadvantaged static, transitional positions, they cause an isometric contraction to occur. This forces an adaptive response that makes you stronger. The horse, cross-step and front stances of Chinese and other, related, martial arts, are isometrics used to build strong legs. The only problem with these static holds is time versus reward. In that static body holds are useful for flexibility and overall strength endurance, but the resistance isn’t enough to create massive momentary strength. It’s through progressive (overload) resistance training you get your most intense adaptive responses - Therefore, to make progress through self-resisted isometric holds you add resistance (load) and/or time (endurance). A weighted horse stance with increasing load can become an excellent training method. A weighted plank can develop overall bodily strength quickly. Even normal ‘dynamic’ weightlifting often uses isometric components to work through and boost ‘sticking points’ along the common bar path. Most commonly on the deadlift and the bench press. And for certain aspects of Olympic Lifting. Ideally to profit fully from isometrics, just like normal weightlifting, you need increasing, measurable resistance.

The old-time strongmen, Arthur Saxon, Herman Goerner etc. Leg-Pressed a Platform with a couple of tons on it - knowing the exact amount to the last ounce. And aimed to improve on it, next time. As I’ve mentioned, the first true pioneer of isometric training was Alexander Ivanovich Zass. Born 1888. Died 1962. He was known as “The Mighty Samson”. And wrote and published a slew of books about isometrics which popularised the training method and brought it to the masses, in the early twentieth century. Zass was a Russian strongman of Polish/Lithuanian origin. He was a member of a Russian Circus group. And came to fully understand that: -

Strength and power come from your Central Nervous System

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The tendons and ligaments of your body (along with bone structure and sinew) is where true strength lies

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Your muscles alone do not make for great strength

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The contractile strength of your tendons governs how much resistance your musculature can handle and produce

He said: “I do not believe in large muscles, if there is no real strength of tendons!” He was of a generation that produced some of the strongest men with the fiercest strength to weight ratios, ever! One or two generations of strongmen who understood how to fullytap and use great strength in the service of their fellow man! Whilst Louis Cyr weighed 300 pounds, most of the famous strongmen ranged from 130 to 180 pounds (Zass, Aston, Aldo, McFadden, Cadine, Rigoulet etc). Even Herman ‘The Mighty’ Goerner (who still holds the onearm deadlift world record) was only 230 pounds, Thomas Inch around the same, Paul Trappen (who still holds the hip/

harness lift world record) was 220, Arthur Saxon 200 pound (still holder of the bent press world record). Many of the strongest were much lighter - Incredible when you think about what these guys lifted, resisted, twisted and moved. Zass was born in Vilna, Poland in 1888, but lived most of his early years in Russia. And after 1924 in Britain. Some of his most notable strength feats are: -

Lifting a 500-pound girder with his teeth (often suspended by his feet from chains)

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Catching cannon balls - Having 200lb steel cannon balls shot at him. And catching them whilst standing 20 feet away from the firing line. He also would catch people shot out of a specifically constructed “human cannon”

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Carrying a fully-grown horse on his shoulders

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Carrying a piano with a pianist and a dancer on it

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Doing backflips with 54.1lbs dumbbells in each hand (something Sandow and other strongmen did as part of their stage shows)

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Doing 200 press-ups in 4 minutes

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Tearing chains with his fingers

So, the much-repeated story goes. During World War I, Zass was captured by Austrian troops three times. And three times escaped - At least once by pulling the prison cell door steel bars apart. He realised that by besting his strength, intensely and briefly against the bars every day or so, he could get successively stronger - IF he didn’t try to do it too many times and for too long (Key Point!). Eventually after a few weeks of exerting brief maximum force, of no more than 10 minutes a time, with overcoming isometrics against the bars…They started bending under the force of his will (can you imagine his face?).

After the third break out, Zass escaped Austria and moved to the British Isles, where he lived the rest of his life. Despite his incredible strength, Alexander Zass was living proof that you do NOT have to be a behemoth to be incredibly strong. Indeed, you really can be ‘stronger than you look’. Zass was 5 foot 7”. And weighed no more than 176lbs. His chest measured 47in and biceps 16.1 inches - Which he purposely increased from 15 inches because the public liked bigger arms on their strongmen. However, he always said: “Big biceps do not stand for strong arms, as big stomach does not stand for good digesting system”. The amazing strength of the Mighty Samson reached the United States, where athletes adopted Zass’s training methods, including Charles Atlas (who used them as the basis of his incredibly popular and enduring ‘Dynamic Tension’ fitness program). Zass credited his Isometric Training for creating his great strength - Which he famously did, mostly by pushing and pulling against chains anchored in the ground or walls. He stated that the sources of his strength were: “Strong tendons, will power, and mastering muscle control”. So, IF that’s the secret to great strength, then why is isometric training best for achieving it? To recap briefly. Strength-Orientated Progressive Resistance Isometrics can be applied with: -

Massive Intense Momentary Force (ultra-heavy resistance, plus-maximal isometrics 5 to 12 seconds each, depending upon the system used)

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A Lesser Force Over a Greater Time (medium-heavy resistance, sub-maximal isometrics, using time under tension of up to 45 seconds per set)

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Gradually Increasing Force to A Maximum (you apply more pressure over each unit of time). Such as going from 0 to 35% in the first 10 seconds, 35 to 75% in the next 10 seconds and 75 to 100% effort in the next 10 seconds. Then dialling it back to zero

To train like this, you’ll know exactly what 35, 50, 75, 100% of your current 1RM is for each full-range lift or exercise is Using plate-loaded systems gains you greater accuracy. Band resistances can be guesstimated with some accuracy. Otherwise you’ll need access to an electronically measured force output machine, made by Ren-Ex, BR Biomedicals, ARX etc. Certain domestic dynameters can also be useful in this regard. Whilst these are all valid isometric methods. Supposedly gradually increasing per 30-second block of time (Timed Static Contraction at 33% 66%, 100%) wins out in terms of muscle fibre and central nervous system recruitment. I concur with the principle, as I’ve tested it in my own training. However, I remain a tad sceptical that you could do 1.30 mins of graduated force isometrics, at a strong enough contraction, in one set.

After the first two 30 second blocks, your intensity would start to wane significantly - So whilst 30 seconds seems to be the most common unit of time used - I’ve had better results from 3 x 10, or 3 x 15 seconds of graduated force 0 to 33%, 34% to 66% and 67% to 100% etc. Try each type of training to see what gives you your best, measurable results - Depending on what it is you’re training to achieve. Though you should know that when doing graduated force isometrics with weights (and not against your own body), you’ll need to quickly add resistance to the stack or lever. Or get a partner to help you add more weight at each percentage uptick. If you’ve no partner to help you, then brace against 33% of your 1 rep-max for 10 or 15 seconds. Take the slack off whilst gearing up to 66%. As in change to a heavier resistance band. Repeat for 10 to 5 seconds. Then gear up to a 100% resistance for the final block. Training smartly, you need take no more than a few seconds to change bands between time-blocks. Note, you can do the same kind of training with levers, stacks, barbells etc. Going quickly ‘up through the gears’ etc.

Isometric Training Techniques We’ve so far discussed:

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3 Ways (‘self-resisted’, ‘against objects’ and ‘measured progressive resistance’)

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2 Types (‘overcoming’ and ‘yielding’)

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2 Kinds (‘plus-maximal’ and ‘sub-maximal’) of isometrics

But what about actual isometric techniques? As you now know, isometrics are used in myriad holds, presses and ‘contrasts’, as well as oscillatory (shifting between contraction strengths), and impact absorption techniques.

Despite a lot of fancy terminology, realise the most effective isometric exercises have fully measurable and progressive levels of resistance. Here’s a brief overview of each training technique (or form) and how you can use them: Isometric Hold: An isometric hold is a static exercise with or without added resistance, that you hold for time. These are some of the most common isometric techniques you’ll encounter in an exercise scenario - without maybe knowing that you’re doing isometrics. Examples might be a Plank. A ‘near lockout’ Press-up. A Pullup or Chin-up in the top position. Or a Horse Stance held for time etc. They generally use your own bodyweight to start. In a horse stance, used in a lot of oriental martial arts, you straddle an imaginary horse. And hold the position at various depths, to work your legs hard.

After practising this stance for a few weeks, you can hold it for maybe 10 minutes or so without collapsing. And whilst this is no easy feat, ideally you need to make it more efficient so that your time in the stance has greater potency and productivity. So, you add resistance that makes each posture or hold harder. At first you might add 20 pounds to your horse stance, as a weight plate hanging from a belt or bands tied to something from below, looped over said belt etc. The point is, you add resistance to make the hold harder. And by doing so you develop greater strength in less time. Varying between a few seconds to a couple of minutes, with an isometric hold you negate any movement. Whilst recruiting the maximum number of muscle fibres, motor units to perform it. This type of isometric (hold) is mostly used to teach your body to properly recruit and stabilise the kinetic chain. Building strength endurance and recruiting greater amounts of muscle fibres over time held. Generally, the longer the hold is for, the greater the recruitment of muscle fibres and, potentially, motor units of your CNS - Particularly when adding resistance to the basic movement. Example, on a plank or near-lockout press-up (push-up) you can add resistance with weights vests, resistance bands, expanders etc. And you can build up to where you add a couple of hundred pounds to your horse stance or any other hold - I sometimes do ‘near lock-out press (push) ups’ with 250 pounds plus for time (so can you).

Isometric holds are ‘yielding isometrics’, because you’re holding a position against the drop. I suggest adding resistance once you can do a plank or horse stance for a couple of minutes, as this gives you a greater reward for your effort and speeds up your strength progress. Isometric Press: An isometric press is a static exercise in which you push or pull (‘overcoming’) against an immovable object for a required time. Such as chains, a house, a tank, a pinned down squat rack or a very heavy weights stack etc. You generate as much force as possible, aiming to eventually move said immovable object. This method of isometric specifically teaches your CNS to recruit greater motor units and muscle fibres to perform that movement. The harder you push or pull in an isometric ‘press’, the more motor units you recruit to the task. So, when a similar movement is performed dynamically, these “extra” muscle fibres will be readily activated to create a stronger lift. Examples are Overhead Press against an Immovable Frame or very heavy barbell you can’t move beyond the position it’s in (at least for now). Because you practice generating stronger contractions against said immovable object, you’ll be stronger when it comes to lifting a barbell in a dynamic overhead press.

All ‘Overcoming Isometrics’ fall into this ‘press’ category, regardless of whether you’re pulling or pushing - Because you’re directly applying pressure and initiating the resistance (Overcoming) - Therefore, most training against measurable digital force devices goes here too. Isometric Contrast (Stopped/ Go): This puts your muscles in the least mechanically advantageous position (as in it’s disadvantageous). And demands they fire maximally from this position without being able to move at that time (as they are ‘stopped’). Because they’re not able to move, IF the position isn’t held for too long (so you can create and keep high-intensity), the technique generates a very strong ‘overcoming’ and potentially ‘increasing to maximum’ contraction. And if you’re warmed up and sensible, an isometric stopped/go is considerably safer than a standard ‘dynamic’ barbell lift involving moving the weight from the same disadvantaged position. The isometric contrast replicates the first stage of a dynamic lift (but is isometrically stopped). This technique can make you stronger in your weakest position. By you applying intense effort at the bottom of the lift to something that you can’t move, right at that moment. Obviously, you can’t move it because it’s currently braced. You cause a very strong contraction to occur in this stopped position by pushing or pulling against it.

However, the load IS NOT going to stay stopped! For that very reason, you must ease yourself into this training by being fully warmed up - DO NOT be engaging in forceful maximal contractions in a pre-stretched position, right from the off! Warm up properly by generating lesser tension (40%, 70% etc.) in and from this position. And build up with 3 to 4 short sets first. There are 2 considerations with a ‘stopped/ go’ isometric contrast. Firstly, you’re applying direct pressure against the currently immovable load - Therefore, the effort you put in against that obstacle, determines how strong a contraction you get (this can be measured with a force meter). You’re asking your CNS to work overtime here. As it recruits more motor units and muscle fibres to the task, the force generated increases until maximum effort/ contraction. As pointed out though, endeavouring to hold it for too long results in a weakening - Because ‘intensity wanes as duration gains.’ So ideally, use a hold of increasing intensity of up to 12 seconds max. To be a true isometric contrast, this type of ‘stopped-force’ is immediately followed by a power movement for low

repetitions with minimal rest - This is your secondary consideration. Here, you’re pushing or pulling maximally against something that, at that time, won’t move - Then (and here’s the trick) that object of resistance moves because a training partner quickly takes out a pin or releases a switch. The very strong contraction you produce in the ‘pre-stretched’ position activates more muscle fibres. This allows you to perform the secondary part of the movement with great ‘power’. By ‘pre-firing’ your maximal motor unit participation by pushing or pulling against the immovable object you set up an intense release. So, when the pin or switch holding is flicked, removed etc. your application of force (which was ‘stopped’) is now released. And so, you often spring upwards quickly with a weight that you previously found very hard to lift slowly. Why? Because you’ve generated a maximum contraction in a stopped position, the increased motor units you fire in the static part of the movement makes the load seem very light when it suddenly moves - You’re often shocked by how easy it is to move it because you’ve gotten stronger by generating a maximum contraction first. As noted, you may find yourself shooting upwards against the resistance - Even though before, if you’d tried to lift the weight normally, it may have seemed very heavy.

This is where this ‘stopped/ go’ technique works incredibly well to increase your strength and power (strength expressed quickly) - Because it revs up or even, tricks, your CNS into allocating overly-large-scale motor unit involvement (more than is feasibly necessary). Then, when the pin or switch holding the load back is pulled out or flicked, your CNS has allocated so many motor units to the task that you’ll potentially shoot up quickly from the disadvantaged position. As noted, the reaction upwards is governed by how much overcoming effort you put into applying pressure against the immovable load, to begin with. Examples include a Squat or Deadlift (at the bottom position) which is pin released. Where you shoot upwards out of the static position like a rubber band finally loosed into the dynamic movement (the positive, raising phase of the squat or deadlift). This is a ‘ballistic’ form of overcoming isometrics. And in theory, can increase your power quickly and efficiently. Although, as I say you must be fully-warmed up before engaging in very strong contractions with this technique. By doing lesser contractions against the immoveable load first (before pin-releasing the load) and some standard dynamic resistance training. Oscillatory Isometrics: Immediately following an isometric exercise of your choosing, release ALL tension - So you exert 100% effort and then

completely relax. After a few seconds of relaxation, perform a single or series of powerful, smaller micro-contractions in the same mechanical position as the isometric contraction. Remember, for this to be effective, all tension must be fully released from the isometric exercise. And the ‘Oscillatory’ (moving) portion only done with 30 to 65%. This is an important consideration for getting this technique right (and getting the true and best benefit from it) - Release all isometric tension. And then, within a couple of seconds of that, do lesser-intensity contractions with the same exercise type. You can also use short-range partials after your maximum intensity isometric. In that once you release all isometric tension. You then do a series of short-range partial movements. Examples might be a single-leg heavy static contraction leg press for 5 seconds. And then resting the weight back on the safeties for 5 to 10 seconds, releasing all tension - Then following it with a set of short-range partial double-leg presses (half the resistance) for 30 seconds. The trick is ‘oscillating’ between full tension, relaxation and a partial intensity contraction or a partial isometric-dynamic movement. Impact Absorption Isometrics:

This is a form of isometric in which you absorb a force or impact and immediately perform an isometric contraction for a required time because you must. Upon properly absorbing the impact, you minimize any change in the joint angle and hold this braced position. Examples might be catching a heavy log, bag or barbell and holding it statically upon impact as done in a lot of Chinese Kuntao systems. Famously Alexander Zass and other old-time-strongmen used to catch Cannonballs using this very technique. The sheer effort of bracing against a heavy moving object and bringing it to a dead stop (rapid deceleration) is what gives this isometric technique its power. You can perhaps see how this would increase your strength by enhancing your ability to slow a fast-moving heavy object, quickly?

Advantages of Isometric Training Factor some or all these isometric training techniques into your strength work. They are an excellent and stimulating addon to your training. And can build your strength quickly for life and athletic endeavours. You’ll probably use the isometric hold, press and oscillatory the most, because they’re easier to do than the other techniques as they need no specialist equipment or partners. I would though implore you to give isometric contrasts, and isometric absorptions a go. As these are excellent for markedly increasing your strength quickly.

1) You can use Very Short Training Sessions Because of their intense nature, Isometric Training Sessions can be VERY SHORT. You can feasibly train and get a very useful, practical and functional session with weighted, progressive resistance isometrics in 20 minutes or so, twice a week to start. And gain MASSIVE strength benefits*. *Eventually, when you’re using very heavy weights these sessions will string out at greater intervals due to their recoverability factor - And most of your time per session will be sent loading great swathes of plates off and on to equipment. You can do ‘Self-Resisted’ isometrics more often because they’re generally easier to recover from. 3 times a week for up to 10 minutes each will be enough. Or every day for 7 minutes maximum (And take a few extra days off at the end of every 3 weeks or so). Potentially the same goes for ‘object-resisted’ isometrics. These are generally easier to recover from because the contraction you generate from I.E pushing against chains, is seemingly less (resistance wise) than the same progressive isometric push or press with a couple of hundred kilos (when you get to that level). Sub-maximal isometrics can be done as standalone sessions every 3 days or so, for up to 25 minutes per session. Or twice a week for up to 35 minutes a pop. Depending upon how much resistance you use (what represents up to 85% of your 1-Rep Max). Bear in mind those training frequencies would give you a rounded physique, strength profile and build a certain overt muscularity - You can also add specific isometrics to your standard dynamic gym session, to gain new attributes or push past sticking points. For pure strength training purposes less is often more. And when dealing with very heavy resistance, it’s not efficient or necessarily beneficial to try to train too often or for too long.

The optimum dynamic standard training session for natural trainers is around 50 minutes including a brief but thorough warmup. 1 hour at a maximum. This makes your training sessions generally recoverable. You can focus on 4 to 5 lifts or exercises. Starting with your biggest effort lifts (opposite to most modern bodybuilding training). ‘Going up through gears’ in a pyramid, using your first few sets of each as a warm up. As an example, if your session involved Squats, Power Cleans, T-Bar Row, Calf Raises, you’d do them in that order because of the specific and cumulative effort involved in each lift. Naturally Squats require greatest effort, hence why you start your session with them and increase the weight each set as you progress to your last (top) set. Your last set should be seriously challenging. And it is in your last 2 sets that you’re looking to expend maximum effort and make the most progress. The same principles need to be applied to progressive isometrics. But your session time should be shorter - Indeed, longer or more frequent progressive isometric sessions tend to be difficult to recover from - Because of the very heavy resistance used. And constant tension involved. How can you tell if you’ve recovered or not? Simply, are you stronger this training session than you where the last? If ‘yes’ then you’ve recovered and progressed. If ‘no’, then you’re not sleeping well enough, your nutrition is off and…here’s the kicker…you came back to training too soon (you’re trying to train maximally, too often). It can be difficult to understand that serious strength exertion takes serious time to recover from. Most people trying to make strength progress are not getting enough quality rest and relaxation, to get that much stronger. 2)

Lack of SORENESS - Because there’s no real movement in the exercises, there’s generally a lack of soreness etc. from metabolite build up

There might be some movement to get you into the position to do the isometric, depending on what type and intensity you’re doing. But there’s no raising and lowering involved like standard training. So there’s very little soreness from ‘microtear damage’ (primarily caused by the negative). Generally, isometric training takes away or negates somewhat, the soreness particularly associated with the lowering (negative) phase of a ‘normal’ weight lifting movement. This soreness is mostly caused by said ‘micro-damage’ and the waste products caused by the movements. Mostly, the side effects of Progressive Resistance Isometric Training (especially with sub-maximal loads held for time) will be a ‘heavy’ feeling in and on the body. You may feel very deeply ‘worked’ at a sinew level. But there’s no to very low lactic acid build-up generally felt. And only small amounts of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Particularly compared to how much ‘effort poundage’ you’ve exerted. This can seem odd at first if you’re used to feeling sore and full of lactic acid and other metabolites after training. Some people see a lack of lactic acid build up as a ‘bad’ thing. Because lactic acid is equated (theoretically) with growth hormone release and therefore, muscle progress. And from a muscle-building point-of-view MAYBE lactic acid does cause extra growth hormone and other anabolic substances to be released…But from a strength-building, sarcomeric muscle density point-of-view, soreness has less importance than for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (swole). IF you’re also looking to create some hypertrophy with your intense strength work, you can always mix rep-sets above eight and mass sets of eight to six reps into your isometricorientated sets. For the hybridized win. 3)

Plus-Maximal Training Allows You to Train at A LESSER FREQUENCY

Heavy Progressive Resistance (Plus-Maximal) Isometrics have such impact, that you can train at a much lesser session rate

than standard gym training. And get excellent benefits from it. Plus-Maximal Isometrics are for producing great strength increases with less overall, cumulative effort. And so, they’re very much governed by the ‘strength recovery curve’. So, be aware that training too often, or for too long, can have a negative effect after a certain point. And indeed, little and not so often are excellent rules to live by when undertaking such training. Regardless of what way, type, kind of isometrics you’re doing, beware overtraining. If you’re genuinely tired, take more time off, at least 3 days extra, because isometrics can be very heavy on your CNS. Any tendon soreness you experience, again, take at least 3 days off. And start again with shorter sessions of 10 minutes max per day. If your tendon soreness becomes inflammation, this can be difficult to get rid of. So, stop training for at least 5 days. And then train maybe twice a week maximum. And suss out which exercise or position is causing the inflammation. And stop doing that for a few weeks at least. Elbow tendons tend to be the most susceptible to inflammation. With self-resisted isometrics I’ve found the over and under hook hand clasp to be most likely to cause inflammation. Against bands, strands and expanders etc. Any exercise where you’re pulling (or pushing inwards), with your elbows down, has the potential to inflame your elbow tendons if overused. So go easy with those - Endeavour to keep your elbows up on the horizontal plane, for most holds and inside-outside presses. This avoids too much strain on tendons. When pulling or pushing forwards or backwards, you’ll be better served keeping your elbows down for strength efficiency. With progressive weighted isometrics I’ve found the bar-hang chin-up to be the main culprit for tendon inflammation.

Particularly when you do chin-ups from directly under the bar (with weight added to increase the intensity of the isometric top hold). As again, this can potentially inflame your elbow tendons (more later). 4) Isometrics Tap the Massive Innate Strength of Your Central Nervous System. By Demanding Your Body Allocates More And More Motor Units to The Task of Resisting Progressively Heavier Resistance Your CNS governs your tendon and ligament strength. And ultimately governs ALL strength and muscle progress. Because your CNS is keen you don’t hurt yourself by trying to express too great a force too soon, there are a slew of safety factors (strength ‘brakes’) in place. Hence why your CNS controls and to an extent, caps your strength. And you generally get stronger through sensible, consistent progression. It’s only by convincing your CNS to push past your former strength limitations. Or by bypassing and curtailing the strength inhibitors (proprioceptors) that control your maximum strength intensities - That you get stronger. This is why, for most people, strength training is a gradually increasing endeavour. And it’s also why you can increase your strength faster through smart training hacks like isometrics and sensible, progressive resistance. But you cannot get stronger by subverting your natural stimulation-depletion-stimulation cycle of your CNS - Unless of course, you take anabolic steroids. And even then, you can only do that within reason before your physiology catches up with you. Anabolic steroids, androgens and other ‘performance-enhancing’ drugs, like all pharmaceuticals are toxic and vary in their potency and side effects. Naturally anabolic steroids (including androgens) mess with your endocrine (hormonal) system. And I’d encourage you to be very careful about what you put into your currently healthy body.

It’s your choice of course. So endeavour at least to make an informed one as to what you do in the pursuit of what you want. 5)

Isometrics Are Equipment, Circumstance or Time Efficient and Convenient. As Noted, You Can Do Isometrics with No or Limited Equipment

To do Isometrics against your own body (‘Self-Resisted’) you need no equipment at all. Just a series of the most effective holds, pulls, clasps and pushes. To train against ‘Immovable Objects’ you can use buildings, structures and chains firmly anchored into floors and walls. Or pinned under something very heavy. You can use nylon luggage straps and ratchet straps (as these are very strong) etc. To do ‘Progressive Measurable Weighted Isometrics’ you can use bands, strands, expanders for longer ‘Time Under Tension’ Isometric Holds (Sub-Maximal Strength Training). And use very heavy resistance bands, standard, though highlyabundant weight stacks etc. for Static Contraction System and Old-Time-Strongman System Training (5 second or 12 second ultra-intense sets) - Just like normal. And now, there are far greater capacity dynamometer static contraction machines that measure your force output into the thousands of kilos - These have a compact footprint in terms of size. And can be used for myriad resistance holds, presses, pulls and hefts. Because in the heavy progressive resistance isometric systems, you’ll be training in your strongest range of motion, with your strongest phase of strength - If you apply the principles of those systems, you’ll be using high hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds, very quickly, briefly and safely (I kid you not). This soon becomes problematic IF you’re using standard barbells and gym equipment to do your Isometric Sessions, particularly the Static Contraction and Old-Time Strongman Systems.

At this point you switch to single limb training. And potentially get double use out of the stacks and plates you’ve currently available. The briefness and intensity of each session easily outweighs the hassle factor of having to overload weight stacks and set up each exercise position. And, as I say, there are a growing slew of digital etc. machines that’ll allow you to do isometric resistance exercises to very heavy force loads of 1000’s of kilos. 6) Isometrics (Even Heavy Progressive Resistance Ones) Can Be Performed Virtually Anywhere and Anytime With some very simple and easily portable equipment such as very heavy resistance bands to do the biggest lifts, you can perform a quick, intense and hugely productive training session in your hotel, bedroom, backwoods cabin etc. The range of isometric dynameters or dynamometers coming out now will allow you to have a device that can measure, track and supply thousands of kilos of force. And it’ll fit in your luggage as easy as a washing kit bag. 7) Isometric Exercises Are the Most Efficient Means of Developing Your Tendon Strength. And That Will Make You A Lot Stronger Than Folk Just Doing Standard Hypertrophy-Orientated Lifting IF you work at it and are sensible with your training frequency (you get enough quality rest). You’ll get progressively stronger - Through the consistent ‘over-compensation’ of your CNS as it’s forced to allocate greater motor units to the task of resisting heavier and heavier loads. And that strength will be applicable in ‘normal’ weightlifting sessions as well as isometrically*. *Obviously to do specific lifts, you must practice those lifts. And not expect your isometric strength to help you with things outside its remit, like your motor (movement) patterns and bar path (technique)… Isometrics ARE a miracle strength builder. But they CANNOT substitute for real technical training in lifting sports or sports

in general. They are merely a strength and power assist - So, practice lifts that require movement, alignment and technique, also. 8) Anyone Can Perform Isometric Exercises. Therefore, Isometric Training Is Applicable for Injured People, Older People Who Might Not Have Exercised for Years. All the Way Up to Highest-Level Military, Strongman Competitors and Elite Athletes This is probably one of the most important things for an older or unfit person to understand. Perhaps they’ve (or you?) done no exercise for years. And the thought of doing ‘weightlifting’ sends shivers down your spine? But just a couple of simple bracing movements against some resistance for a few minutes, a couple of times a week is easily doable and massively beneficial. IF said trainee fully understands the benefits of doing such training. And remembers to breathe! 9) There Are Isometric Exercises for Any Part of the Human Body Like conventional weightlifting, isometrics are highly varied. Any stance, hold, grip or position you can adopt, you can do an isometric in or for. And you can use these isometric exercises to specifically work ‘parts’ of your body - By placing the main emphasis upon that body part. But remember, because of the strength of the potential contractions from isometrics, you’ll encounter the ‘irradiation’ or ‘hyper-irradiation’ effect quickly - In that greater elements of your musculature become involved in the movement Because the strength of the contraction demands overcompensation from your CNS. Isometrics are compound, ‘non-isolative’ exercises. So even when doing what’s deemed an isolation exercise, for example a biceps curl, you can clearly see the principle of ‘irradiation’ or ‘hyper-irradiation’ at work to a greater extent in an isometric than in a standard dynamic rep.

Because your outlying musculature is brought into play due to the strength of the contraction produced. The heaviness of the load resisted or the time under tension, dictates the strength of that contraction. Which ‘washes over’ into other muscle groups because of kinetic effect. True, you may be doing said bicep curl. But when the resistance is heavy, you’ll feel it in your feet as they too are called in to brace against the increasing load. We’ve seen already how Isometrics can range from the posture holds for time of Yoga, Pilates, Martial Arts. To Intense Progressive Resistance methods like The Static Contraction System and The Old Time Strongman Routine. Of course, the wonderful thing about Isometrics is you’re not limited to the frontal plain of movement, that most conventional weights exercises tend towards - Apart from the old-time strongmen lifts (like the Bent Press, Side Press, Turkish Get-Up etc.) which were at odd positions and angles and have mostly dropped out of common usage today. 10) All Your Energy Is Put into Maintaining and Increasing Your Muscle Tension (Load) Bodily (‘self-resisted’), ‘object-orientated’ or against ‘progressive measurable resistance’ - Isometrics generally occur or happen at specific positions that avoid the wasted effort phases of standard lowering/ raising conventional weightlifting - And for increasing strength training efficiency that’s a boon. Because you’re not wasting energy on the up-down, in-out motion of normal training, that can cause or increase sessional fatigue*, you’re not wasting effort on the less efficient portions of the bar path. *I’m merely pointing out the efficiency of the exercise itself, as opposed to whether you like ‘conventional weightlifting’ or ‘isometrics’. And of course, you can mix them up for impressive training results. Because of this general lack of ‘unnecessary’ movement, it’s possible to use your maximum levels of training energy,

efficiently, to grow your strength quicker - By not having to work through the less efficient parts of the bar path, to get to the maximally efficient positions. 11)

Isometrics Can Increase Your Flexibility Because You’re Intensely Contracting Your Musculature (Moreso Than with A Conventional Weightlifting). So, That Muscle Can and Will Then Relax More Intensely

A significant type of flexibility training is to isometrically squeeze your stretched muscles when they seem to be at their maximum. Causing them to contract with maximum intensity, then relax when you release the contraction. This often allows you to ‘relax into stretch’. So, you can stretch further into a movement. When you’ve reached a sticking point. 12) Isometrics Can Decrease the Amount of Training Injuries You Might Get The lack of movement involved ensures you can load your musculature to maximum, if you so wish - That’s particularly relevant to plus-maximal isometric exercises. Because they generally take place in your safest and strongest range of motion. So, there’s much less chance of damaging yourself when handling very large resistances because you’re not trying to lift a very heavy weight from your weakest position. Also, because of the overall heavy and intense postural strengthening that occurs through isometrics, this in turn girds your overall structure.

Disadvantages of Isometric Training Naturally, lifting in your strongest range of motion and using your strongest phase of strength means you’re training as safely as you can. But, as with any form of training, warm up first with a few lighter sets - Going ‘up through the gears’ until you reach your current capabilities

Isometric sessions can be short but trying desperately to rush things is just asking for trouble (experience) - Like all training you must prepare and apply yourself to the task methodically for safety. Most of the Progressive Resistance Isometric Systems use your strongest range of motion and phase of strength to train in (we’ll go through a few of these in a moment). Because of the huge resistances involved in getting the effect needed, the safety aspect of training is vitally important. Also, ‘going up through the gears’ is as much a mental preparation for maximum effort as it is physical. Be aware you can cause serious blood pressure problems, if you do isometrics incorrectly by holding your breath - Breathe properly and naturally, no matter how heavy the resistance is. Take the time to learn how to properly implement the techniques. Holding your breath on an exercise can cause your blood pressure to rise and potentially stay risen. Breathe through exertion. *NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH* 1)

Isometrics Need Your Intense Focus Concentration. Your Mindset Is Very Important

and

Isometrics are physically and mentally intensive. Therefore, keep your sessions reasonably short as it’s very easy to overtrain - Because apart from the strength of the contractions you’re generating, there’s very little in the process that feels like the ‘work’ you’re used to doing with conventional training. Because there’s no movement, some people are inclined to be slipshod. They train too fast. Not setting things up properly. Do the training properly. As you must put your mind properly into what you’re doing, you cannot just ‘go through the motions’ as you can with basic recreational weightlifting (what you see most folks doing in commercial gyms). It takes time to learn to properly control your body, muscles, and breathing. Particularly when doing Overcoming

Isometrics. As these things are highly important when you’re applying pressure directly. This is not a matter of merely moving the weight up and down whilst looking at the girl on the treadmill’s arse jiggle (lovely though it is). Isometrics, like all forms of serious training require you to keep a strong mind/ body connection. Firstly, to exert a maximum contraction in any form of ‘Overcoming’ isometrics. Also, because a heavy load must be taken seriously, else serious injury can occur. In this regard, Yielding Isometrics are a bit easier to get to grips with - As it’s obvious how to fully engage your mind, muscles and breathing fully when a heavy weight is bearing down upon you or you’re resisting it’s drop - The immediacy of the situation forces you to focus, hard.

Isometric Training Concepts

Alexander Zass - Human Bridge The purpose and outcome of Isometric training is still very much misunderstood and underestimated. Even now, in our ‘enlightened, scientific age’ most people are woefully ignorant as to what constitutes the building blocks of strength. Most people ‘get’ that to become stronger you resist/ move etc. increasingly heavy weights. But they might not understand what happens during the process. And why isometrics are so efficient at building new strength. You see, isometrics fully tap your Central Nervous System. Which in turn develops (by causing adaptation) your tendon and ligament strength.

Your tendons and ligaments are already very strong from birth. Because they hold you together. As well as their innate strength though, they also have the capacity (like your muscles) to get stronger. If they’re trained the right way by causing over-compensation. Some tendons are designed to move more than others (the Achilles heel for example). But most tendons don’t move through as great a range of motion as your muscles - Because most tendons aren’t designed to move much and are very strong. They need to be subjected to very heavy resistance to grow. And, here’s the kicker, FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, THAT RESISTANCE MUST EMANATE STATICALLY. As in training for your tendons ONLY, causes a maximal effect IF it is done with heavy loads held isometrically (without movement). Tendons do not generally get enough overall strength stimulus and tension from being worked dynamically/isotonically (through movement) - Because standard isotonic movements won’t use heavy enough loads to create the necessary resistance needed for maximum tendon stimulation. Because you start dynamic movements from a mechanically disadvantaged position, the load must always be light enough to go through a variable range of motion. And the amount of tension you generate is limited by the joint angle relative to the bar path of each rep. The intensity of the contraction needed to develop tendon strength and by proxy the ability of your muscles to contract harder, needs to be considerably heavier and more (momentarily) intense than that of most conventional lifting. And whilst the heaviness of the loads used in plus-maximal isometrics creates the highly-intensive stimulus necessary to stress tendons correctly. It is sub-maximal isometrics that generally produces greater strength and muscle because of the right combination of time and load.

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Generally, any Strength Training, particularly sarcomeric-oriented, low rep, long rest between sets, heavy weight style, takes longer to recover from than high-rep hypertrophy (sarcoplasmic training)

Because strength training usually uses greater resistance as relevant to its training goals -

(Heavier = Longer Recovery)

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(Heavier + Volume = Considerably Longer Recovery)

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Tendons recover much slower than muscles. Because tendons are made of thick, fibrous material that’s a lot harder, denser and less pliable than muscle

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Because tendons are designed to hold you together and hence NOT tear, they thicken under heavy stimulus instead of ‘micro-tearing’.

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Tendons adapt to greater, increasing loads by getting thicker. Whereas muscles ‘damage’ and repair under stimulus, by growing more fibres etc. upon recovery

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It takes less weight to cause ‘damage’ to your muscles than it does to cause your tendons to thicken “And Sub-Maximal Isometrics?”

When you’re doing sub-maximal isometrics the time under tension needs to be greater than sets of conventional weight training to provide more of the right stimulus - Up to 45 seconds with 65 and 85% of your 1 Rep Max. At first, choose resistances you can achieve 45 second sets with. But, to get stronger, quicker, increase the resistances that you use to where you can only achieve 15 seconds to start. And build up to longer holds through stringent practice. Most average, standard weight training sets of 10 reps take 15 to 20 seconds to complete. But the tension during that varies between minimal (33%) and maximal (100%), relative to the weight, bar path/ joint angle and gravity. So realistically in a 10 rep, 20 second set, you’ll only experience around 5 seconds of 100% tension. The rest of the set is variable and dictated by where the weight is on the bar

path and how heavy it is relative to the leverage angle and gravity. The oft-quoted barbell curl is a case in point. It’s heaviest in the lowest position relative to your strength, because you’re lifting it from your weakest position. The load reaches maximum resistance just past half-way. From there on up the barbell gets lighter relative to the leverage angle in relation to gravity (it’s opposite with a resistance band or similar). On a standard barbell curl rep, you’ll only experience brief maximum tension for less than a second combined, on the way up and down. But with Time Under Tension Isometrics the resistance itself is on, at maximum, for the whole set, relative to load of the band, expander etc. you’re holding. The load must be quite heavy (65 to 85%) to get the best, most efficient effect, which is a combination of tension and time So even though the resistance is sub-maximal, the combination of time, load and leverage have a strong, stimulating effect. That strong stimulation can also take more time to recover from. Particularly if you undertake considerable volume (4 or 5 sets of 4 or 5 exercises in sessions up to 35 minutes). So, I hope this is very clear - The amount of heavy training your tendons and ligaments can do is often less than your musculature. Particularly if you’re training with heavier loads. Therefore, your tendons need more rest between heavy sessions. Even if you feel your muscles are ready to go again… Whilst it’s possible to mix both types of training. Be careful that you’re NOT carving a deficit that isn’t being fullyrepaired. Ironically, even though tendon-orientated strength is far greater than that of your musculature, it is also less visible. And hence much more deceptive than overt muscularity.

Therefore, people who ONLY do CNS-orientated tendon training, (deceptive strength training etc), often look less overtly strong than those who primarily build extreme muscular development (hypertrophy training, bodybuilding etc.). This can be difficult to understand. In most cultures, physical size is the arbiter of strength - If someone has big muscles, they must be very strong, right? When showing somebody claimed to be strong, you’re often fed pictures of bodybuilders or strongman competitors. And whilst a lot of bodybuilders and strongman competitors are indeed strong. Most bodybuilders particularly, aren’t generally as strong as they look - Because strength is not the primary remit of what they’re doing. Muscle can be built through sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (muscle swole). Great size can be created through high-levels of volume training at reasonable resistances. Alexander Zass made a key point when he said: “Big muscles without strong tendons are just that and is an illusion of strength”. That’s because tendon strength is the bedrock upon which all muscle power stands. “Breaking Down the Concept of Isometrics to Better Understand Their Function - ‘Big Muscles = Strength’ Is NOT Strictly True” Simply follow the logic of isometrics: 1) Tendons attach muscles to bones. By filtering signals from your CNS, they make your muscles move, or allow them to do so, during contractions Without strong tendons you cannot contract your muscles and create maximum tension because your tendons are the conduit through which strength signalling flows 2)

The stronger your tendons, the more intense your muscle contractions can be. Because your tendons (as

directed by your CNS) govern how much exertion your muscles can undertake Most weight trainers get this equation wrong. They’re so focused on their muscles, they forget about the ‘architecture’ that underpins each muscle contraction 3) As far as we currently know (or generally accept), muscles grow by creating new tissue During resistance exercise muscle tissue ‘tears’ - This microdamage must be repaired to create new muscle tissue (fibres etc.) 4) As far as we currently know, muscle tissue does NOT repair though thickening (although there are ‘hyperplasia’ theories referencing this). Muscle repairs through creating new fibres called myofibrillar When these myofibrillar become densely packed through lower rep, heavier percentile strength training, this creates sarcomeric hypertrophy, which produces a greater natural resting muscle tone (tension) 5)

Tendons thicken (strengthen) best, under heavy, primarily static loads. Thickening to adapt to the new stress of heavier resistance

This is because tendons are thick belts and strands of fibrous material that hold you together. Because their job involves mainly holding or bracing things statically, they respond best to static, isometric load or positional-holding 6) Just growing bigger muscles (swole, sarcoplasmic) is not enough to gain integrated strength To fully tap the power of the new muscle you’ve created, you must thicken your tendons to compensate for your increasing muscle strength. Failure to do so can lead to catastrophic tendon tears 7) As well as tendons thickening to cope with heavier loads, they must also cope with a muscle that potentially now handles greater loads

Through resistance training, muscles get denser or bigger. Or, with specific training, they can become denser and bigger. But either way, if your tendons have not been primed for greater strength, you run the very real risk of badly damaging the underlying structure (tendons, ligaments etc.) of your body 8) Because tendons and ligaments are naturally thicker and stronger than your musculature (they must be, or you’d rip your muscles from your bones every time you trained). They take longer to recover from training than your muscles do Hence why they need specific, maximally-effective training to make sure they’re forever stronger than the muscles they govern and control 9) Your tendons are primarily governed by your Central Nervous System - Which takes longer to adapt than your basic muscle recovery system Generally, depending upon the governing factors of sessional duration, intensity and volume, training that’s specific to your tendons - Isometrics particularly - Takes longer to fully recover from that muscle-oriented hypertrophy. I strongly suggest you pay full attention and train accordingly 10) Producing more muscle tissue and increasing their size as a reaction to greater stimulus is mostly achieved through taking muscles through a range of motion (partial, full or extended) But! Such training does not provide enough strengthstimulation for the underpinning architecture of your structure, such as tendons, ligaments etc. Hence why you must undertake some isometric training that specifically targets your static load-bearing capacity 11)

Whilst isometrics are the most efficient means of training your tendons and ligaments. They’re also useful for producing dense muscle tone (sarcomere) with very little fluid-swole (sarcoplasm)

As I’ve shown you, sarcomeric hypertrophy (sometimes called myofibrillar hypertrophy) produces and leads to a greater

resting muscle tone, due to your newly densified musculature 12) Too often high-frequency trainers will inflame or tear their tendons and ligaments because they’ve not given them enough recovery time over their years of training Also, those same trainers (often very experienced) sometimes tear or rupture a tendon or ligament because they’ve failed to do any specific strength isometric training for them. Their tendons have reached a point where they’re no longer strong enough to control the muscles under their command. And so, they tear. Tendon and ligament tearing are particularly common amongst anabolic steroid users. Where muscle strength progress can outstrip tendon strength after a few years, due to steroids enabling you to train more often with much less apparent soreness and fatigue. The cumulative effect of training heavy e.g. five times a week instead of two or three soon mounts up. And combined with training emphasis upon muscle not on tendon strength, inevitably a cumulative tendon weakening can occur. Tendons mostly get worked through very heavy static resistance, but they can become inflamed through excessive, repetitive movement (injury). Or by choosing the wrong angle to move something heavy from when you’ve not trained or prepared to cope with such practices 13) Dynamic/isotonic training (‘normal’ raising/ lowering gym-based training) generally uses multiple sets of repetitions Whilst heavy, low-rep training can have some tendonal benefit. Most folks doing isotonic/ hypertrophy training use higher-rep sets in pursuit of extreme muscular development (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). This type of high rep, relatively lighter weight training mostly tears muscle fibres and allows them to rebuild, potentially bigger. Particularly high-rep, high-volume training causes an

excessive uptake of sarcoplasm (fluid) - this being the ‘swole’ effect that these trainers are looking for. 14) Oftentimes you can injure your tendons, IF, you swiftly go from a muscle-orientated hypertrophy type of training, to a heavy resistance tendonorientated style Transitioning from sarcoplasmic (swole) hypertrophy training to sarcomeric (density) strength training should be gradually and carefully implemented for efficient adaptation. By systematically lowering the reps and increasing the weight lifted over a few training blocks of multiple sessions, you avoid the risk of muscle tears and inflammation: Week One 25% to 65% of 1RM for 14, 12, 10’s Week Two 25% to 70% of 1RM for 12, 10, 8 Week Three 25% to 75% of 1RM for 10, 8, 6 Week Four 25% to 80% of 1RM for 8, 6, 4 Week Five 25% to 85% of 1RM for 6, 4, 2 Week Six 25% to 90% of 1RM for 4, 2, 2 etc. 15) As stated, tendons respond best to continuous tension. Which need only be a few seconds, if the resistance is very heavy, to cause growth Tendons respond best to systematically adapting to increasing loads (mirroring your CNS). IF! The increase is relatively sensible and gradual (slow and steady wins the race) … 16) Isometric training oftentimes removes the ability of the athlete to do a contraction at an angle and level that’s easier. Because isometrics force you to do the maximal relative to your desired outcome By holding very strong positions, with continuous tension, your tendons get much more work than standard up/ down weight training. And because of that they get the best, most efficient training to make sure they’re challenged to get stronger.

17) Your muscles can also get excellent benefits from holding isometric positions with resistance bands Isometric tension forces your muscles to readjust thousands of times per second to the microscopic movements within a static position. That tension combined with microscopic movements causes tiny adaptations inside their structure. The constant need to recalibrate against the resistance, takes your strength (and speed with the right training) to a higher-level. “So Then, Now You Might Understand HOW Isometrics Build Great Strength?” Isometrics primarily tap your CNS, which governs how many Motor Units need to be allocated to a strength task. Undertaking isometrics properly builds great strength, because they’ve been proven, under laboratory conditions, to create or produce the strongest muscle contractions. A stronger muscle contraction causes more motor units to be allocated to resisting a load - If the resistance is very heavy (for you at that time), your CNS automatically sends more motor units to resist it - By judging pressure (load, resistance) through sensors in your hands and feet called Proprioceptors. The greater the load resisted the more recovery time your tendons and muscles need to adapt and come back stronger. Tendons thicken due to the heaviness of the resistance they’re asked to support. And by doing so, they too get stronger. When you strengthen your tendons relative to your muscles, it allows them to safely exert more force. Why? Because the strength of your tendons governs how strongly your muscles can contract. Weak tendons limit the contraction (tension) strength of your muscles. And tendon strength becomes of much greater importance as you progress your resistance training. But your tendons must get real stimulation from the training you do. And they must get enough rest. Otherwise overuse or lack of innate strength will often inflame your tendons. And if

you fail to address this overuse or under-stimulus problem, you can potentially, eventually, tear them. Hence why it’s vital that if you’ve been training conventionally and you want to get stronger, you do some tendon-orientated training to iron out any potential oncoming strength imbalances. A Few General ‘Rules’ to Follow: -

For every 10 to 15 minutes of strength training (depending upon overall intensity) you’ll generally need a day to recover. So, a 10 to 15-minute training session means you can do the same again tomorrow, one day later (10 minutes = approximately 1 day)

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By that measure, a 30-minute strength training session generally needs 2 to 3 days to recover fully (30 minutes = 3 days). Depending upon what you did, training wise Progressive Isometrics generally take longer to recover from than similar volumes of standard dynamic lifts

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Generally, for very extra 10 minutes of strength training above a sessional limit of 40 to 45 minutes, add at least another day to your recovery

So, if your strength training was a heavy, intense session of one hour, then you may take at least 6 days to fully recover (60 minutes = 6 days). Note, that’s to fully recover, back to 100% (like a recharged battery). It doesn’t mean you can’t do any other training. Just that your full-strength capacity will be diminished by varying degrees through your recovery curve. These are general rules. Sometimes if your session was very heavy and had a lot of intensive progressive isometrics in it, you may need yet more time to recover. For example, if you leg pressed 1000 kgs, deadlifted 500 kgs and shrugged 350 kgs, you’ll probably not be able to do that again and make gains, inside of a couple of weeks. Depending upon volume and lifestyle factors. If though you can get beyond 8 hours sleep, your nutrition is very good, and you take plenty of magnesium, zinc, selenium,

boron, omega 3, vitamin a, c, d and e etc. then you may well recover quicker. Also bear in mind that if you’re younger or you’ve avoided a lot of wear and tear on you, then you may well recover quicker. But, as I say, all things being relatively equal, heavy training beyond a certain duration, tends to need longer recovery than higher-rep hypertrophy training. For example (as mentioned), IF your session was: -

Short-Range Deadlift 300 to 500 kilos at 10 to 1 rep (heaviest rep being an isometric)

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Isometric (Static Contraction) Leg Press 500 to 1000 kilos at 5 to 1 rep

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Isometric Shrug 250 to 350 kilos at 5 to 1 rep

Then you might not be able to repeat this session (and progress) until a couple of weeks later at the least. And, as I say, I don’t mean you couldn’t train at all. You could do training that was lighter than that session - Just that you may not be able to train at that same strength intensity (maximal) for a few weeks, due to the inroad you’ve carved into your recovery. Good quality nutrition, sleep, rest and relaxation are important here for quicker recovery. Because if you like training, you’ll generally feel inclined to do as much of it as is feasible and physiologically possible. On the flipside, oftentimes sarcoplasmic (swole) hypertrophy trainers can sometimes train every day or every other day, for a few weeks in a row - IF the training session is not overlong or overtaxing. This is because the weights used compared to your maximums is considerably less - Usually up to 65% of 1RM - Whereas the reps are generally high. Essentially sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (a phenomenon primarily of the muscle system) can take only 2 days or so to fully recover from – Depending, again, upon how great a volume you did that session.

Sarcomeric hypertrophy (muscle density) takes longer to fully recover from. Depending again upon the weight-intensity, volume and duration of your session. Because the effect on your CNS is far greater than that of sarcoplasmic training. And, muscle density does not evaporate because strength built in a ‘low-grind’ style, stays with you a long time. The sarcomeric hypertrophy effects are processed into your musculature as new, ultra-dense myofibrillar (fibres) - So doing more sarcomeric (muscle density) training too soon, may have a detrimental effect. Whereas theoretically (not currently proven), doing sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (swole) training more often, when you’re not fully-recovered, can stimulate greater muscle growth. Why? Because a pre-emptive exhaustion of your ATP/ Creatine Phosphate energy system is thought to cause a greater pump and subsequent uptake of glycogen (secondary energy source) and protein uptake synthesis into your muscles (more swole). The main ‘enemy’ with sarcoplasmic (swole) hypertrophytraining particularly over the longer-term, is cumulative volume. The weights aren’t that heavy compared to your maximums (generally up to 65%). But the reps, sets and exercises per session or training block, are. That style of high-rep, higher-frequency, short rests between sets, type training is primarily the realm of modern bodybuilding. So you can perhaps see why a lot of bodybuilders opt to use anabolic steroids to achieve a continuous ‘swole’ state of enhanced protein synthesis (uptake)? Potentially natural trainers must use a higher frequency to keep up their sarcoplasmic swoleness. Which can be a difficult and hence why natural bodybuilders should primarily use a hybridised style of training using hypertrophy, mass and strength ranges. Theoretically to get more muscular, you must increase your volume through more sets and reps. Or heavier weights and

the same amount of sets/ reps etc. Higher-frequency, higher-rep training usually means you suffer cumulative exhaustion. So, anything that allows you to train more often and suffer less fatigue and soreness seems like a boon to people who want or need to train more often to achieve and sustain an effect. Of course, anabolic steroids are pharmaceutical drugs. Like all drugs they have a toxic effect on your body. Their strengths and potency, like their side effects, can range from mild to serious. For progressive-resistance-orientated strength training (where increasing strength is your primary goal) drugs are not necessary. Just commonsense and plenty of rest. I’ll point you to Alexander Zass, Arthur Saxon, Paul Trappen, Herman Goerner, John Grimek etc. All massively strong men. Most still holders of strength records, lifetimes after they’ve died. None of whom took or had access to anabolic steroids Their choice supplement was Bovril (beef tea). Most true, progressive, plus-maximal isometric strengthorientated training (once into intermediate and beyond mode) generally takes at least 7 days to fully recover from. Depending upon the heaviness of the loads involved. And once you resist loads that most people would describe as ‘very heavy’ your recovery curve becomes considerably longer (to make progress with those plus-maximal exercises and loads). Even conventional, full-range, dynamic strength training systems - Low rep, low volume, longer rests between sets, 85 to 100% of your 1 Rep Max - Still require considerably more rest as you lift heavier (depending upon volume). IF the strength training is isotonic (‘normal’ up/ down movement) and in the Starting Strength range - Pyramiding up to 85% of your current 1 rep max. IF the volume of sets and reps is recoverable - Then it’s possible for most people to strength train around 2 to 3 x a week for up to 45 minutes, as a natural trainer. And still make some gains.

You can make decent gains with that type of intensity and frequency - Especially IF you take some extra rest days every few weeks. However, once you start going into the Max Strength Range. And you’re beyond intermediate lifter level - Where you’re lifting 90 to 100% of your 1 rep max each session - Your recovery curve generally becomes longer. Particularly if you’re doing considerable volume. Perhaps you can manage 2 sessions a week at that sort of output (depending upon your current physical capacity and condition), with relatively low volume. Up to 50 minutes per session (general guidelines based upon your current conditioning). And progress in strength. To progress further whilst undertaking standard strength training in your 90 to 100% range, you must do less overall volume. Or cycle up from 75% in peaks to 95%. I.E week 1 = 75% x 7, week 2 = 80% x 6, week 3 = 85% x 4, 90% x 2 etc. IF your training is mostly in the Plus-Maximal Range - Where you’re using up to 150% plus of your 1 rep max, then full strength-system recovery usually takes longer. Again, depending upon volume. You can, of course, do lesser training as well. IF you’ve lifted 200% of your 1 Rep Max in an isometric leg press this week, you can do other training, if you so wish. It’s just that from a strength-efficiency POV you’d be wasting your strength-gain time* *If you love training though, you’ll feel inclined to train more than once every 3 weeks. And so, design training around the attributes you’re seeking. Maximum Strength is one such attribute, others are power, speed, balance, movement, mindset etc. A mixture of heavy progressive isometrics and more conventional strength training can give you a training schedule of a few times a week. And this should satisfy everyone apart from the most ardent gym jihadi.

Because of the heavy resistance involved, Plus Maximal lifts are usually done in your safest range of motion - In the last 3rd of your positive and often the last 10% - As Partials, Isometrics, Negative-Only etc. “The Process for Building Strength and Muscle Seems to Be Quite Simple” -

You train to stimulate adaptation (muscle growth)

Your muscles get stronger when you rest. IF they have the right amount of stimulation for your purpose. Combined with enough choice rest and nutrition, you get stronger. If you consume a slight to middling excess of quality nutrition, you can also grow greater muscle mass. Muscle gets potentially bigger if it has enough load to stimulate a sarcomeric hypertrophy (density). Or the right load and volume to stimulate a sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Too much stimulation though, maybe too high an intensity for too great a volume. Or a too often high training frequency, will curtail your muscle gains. Because you’ll be continuously digging inroads into your recovery without fully repairing them. Training and overtraining are a matter of current personal capacity, lifestyle etc. Capacity can, to an extent be enhanced somewhat. But once you hit your limit, doing more just becomes detrimental and offers no greater benefit. Strength needs time to grow. If you keep tapping your strength response without adequate rest and recuperation, you’ll make very little progress. And in many cases, you’ll go backwards. The logic the public has been fed is that extremely muscled people - with veins popping out like snakes - are mega-strong. Because of the SIZE of their muscles. Of course, they’ve a lot of muscle tissue. But they oftentimes don’t have strong enough tendons to use all that muscle power and connect it to the bone - Because their tendon strength remains, due to their chosen style of training, relatively untaxed and underdeveloped (compared to their muscularity).

It’s the bodybuilders who train smart and do strengthorientated phases of training. Or even incorporate static contractions into their reps, that start to become as strong as they look! Historically (until the late 1960’s) bodybuilders such as Reg Park, John Grimek, Clancy Ross etc. Trained to be strong, first, through the liberal application of compound (multi-joint) lifting, isometric strength feats and heavy, infrequent training with a multitude of training equipment. A lot of bodybuilders these days forego compound lifting altogether. And focus solely on muscle isolation movements. Isolation movements are very efficient at enhancing direct muscle size. But in using them as your primary method of training, you tend to treat the body as a collection of parts. And not the kinetic whole that it is. And, oftentimes, when said isolation-addicts throw in some compound lifts, the weights used often aren’t heavy enough to fully tax their tendons. Because they’re using higher reps that don’t have the necessary effect on the tendons they need. Now, of course, bodybuilding training is functional for bodybuilding. IF what you want to do is greatly increase the size of your musculature to an extreme, then bodybuilding is the best means of doing that. It’s just that even up until the 1980’s most elite-level bodybuilders could do the splits, climb ropes and run. Most now have a hard time waddling to the ‘walking’ machine… Because oftentimes their exercises completely ignore true functional strength with tendon strengthening exercises. But then, it is called bodybuilding, not body-strengthening for a reason.

“Are Isometrics the answer to all your strength training dilemmas?”

Whilst isometrics are amazing strength builders and an excellent method of training, or addition to your training. I don’t feel you should ONLY do them for strength work. Though they can form a significant part. Based on my experience, you should do well-rounded training for overall attribute development. Depending of course on what attributes you’re looking to develop and why. It’s not just athletes who need to develop a range of related attributes, of which strength is just one. When you use isometrics, you’ll gain massive new strength Just that, MOST lifting you do, performs myriad functions. One is strength. But one of which (with most lifting) is resisted movement. A dynamic isotonic lift takes you through a range of motion. And this movement can be incredibly beneficial, particularly to athletic performance. As well as standard barbell etc. lifting, I’d encourage you to do weighted movements like Farmer’s Walk, Zercher Carries etc. Strongman like training with odd-shaped objects and the like. Strength application should be well-rounded and adaptable and so should you. Whilst isometrics are the most efficient strength developers for enhanced muscular tension, you need a range of related attributes to do something well. In the 1950’s and 60’s the American Weightlifting Team, under the tutelage of York Barbell Company owner, Bob Hoffmann, began experimenting with isometrics. The team had won numerous World and Olympic weightlifting championships (snatch, clean and jerk and the standing overhead press, which was the third Olympic lift until 1972). At first, they did a few isometric holds at certain points on the bar path of each Olympic Lift. And support exercises such as presses etc. Gradually they did more. And whilst their static strength increased markedly, their overuse of isometrics made their Olympic Lifting suffer.

They spent less time on the dynamic movement (strength applied quickly through a range of motion). And more time breaking the lifts down into smaller and smaller static components. Ultimately by doing more isometrics they got better at doing those, but, as noted by their Soviet contemporaries, worse at actual weightlifting technique (specificity). Of course, I’m using a daft example that went too far Isometrics are amazing support exercises for other resistance endeavours - They’ll also help you create excellent and ongoing strength intensity. And that strength crosses over to dynamic movement Because isometrics they make your tendons and ligaments so strong, that they increase your robustness, bodily control and strength of will. But it’s precisely because isometrics are more to do with the development of your CNS, tendons and ligaments, that they shouldn’t be your sole ‘muscle’ work - Particularly for sports. And muscle? Isometrics increase muscle size somewhat. Certainly, plus-maximal isometrics can create large-scale muscle, especially when combined with a volume-based system of partials such as Power Factor training (later). And sub-maximal isometrics held for time under tension work your musculature, hard. Bringing about a densifying sarcomeric hypertrophy. But generally, isometrics don’t build as much overt muscle as the isotonic (‘normal’ up/down gym training). Certainly not from a sarcoplasmic (swole) point-of-view. Muscle tends to get worked more thoroughly through movement around the joint angle with volume. Higher reps, sets, frequency etc. tends to produce greater overt muscular development. And generally, the higher the reps with lower percentages of your 1 rep max, the more likely will you be to produce sarcoplasmic (muscle swole) results. The great thing about progressive isometric resistance systems is because they (even sub-maximals) tend to use very heavy

‘weight’, your bones, sinews, tendons, ligaments and muscles ALL get phenomenal work. And if you want a bit more overt ‘show’ muscle, you can always factor in some standard dynamic training primarily in the mass range of 8 to 6 reps. By undertaking hybrid training, through the hypertrophy range of 20 to 8, the mass range of 8 to 6 and the strength range of 5 and under, you allow yourself to gain some mass without necessarily uploading excessive sarcoplasm (fluid). Alexander Zass said isometrics build: 1) Strong will power 2) Ability to control your muscles 3) Tendon strength 4) Right Breathing Strength is important to those who need or desire it. As isometrics represent some of the most intense training you can do, if you want greater strength, at least part of your training should be done isometrically - Particularly very heavy, safest, strongest range of motion, progressive resistance. As we’ve already seen, isometric training is intense. Therefore, because of its effect on your Central Nervous System it demands a quicker and generally less frequent training pattern. Even when doing sub-maximal isometrics for time under tension (e.g 65 to 85% of your 1 rep max for up to 45 second sets), you’ll find it very difficult to train for more than 35 minutes per session, a couple of times a week. And make distinct progress. Time Under Tension isometrics are generally greater in their overall effort-intensity than standard dynamic work. And, because of the time held for, in some ways, feel as intense as very heavy plus-maximal lifts. With plus-maximal isometric training aim to make your sessions shorter still. And most of your time (after a few months of sessions) will be spent loading ALL the plates in the

gym onto the machines, levers and bells. Particularly when training in your strongest range of motion (hence why A/B/C splits are worthwhile). Progressive isometrics are excellent adjuncts to normal athletic training. They produce huge strength gains and quickly. And some of that ‘no movement’ strength crosses over into general physical preparedness and performance. But for all-round athletic development you ideally need speed, power, strength, quickness, mobility, flexibility and the sportsspecific techniques and attributes needed for your endeavour.

Isometrics Myth 1: Isometric training DOES NOT help in functional strength training. Q: What does FUNCTIONAL mean? A: I’d suggest it’s anything that’s FIT FOR THE PURPOSE IT IS INTENDED. The definition and purpose (function) of training for strength, is to get stronger - As all ‘functional training’ must be fit for purpose, ask yourself: -

What is the purpose of what you’re doing (Why?)?

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And what is your desired end-result (Outcome)?

Strength training must make you stronger, otherwise it’s not working. If it’s not working, then it’s not functional or fit for purpose. Even isolation-style exercises are suitable - Because their purpose is creating extreme muscular development (bodybuilding) by adding highly-focused, specific volume to your training. A critic might say that modern ‘Mr Olympia’ style bodybuilding training is NOT functional. They’d be wrong though, because it’s functional for bodybuilding. But nowt much else.

Isometrics are functionally excellent at creating strength (and when used specifically, speed. Therefore, IF you’re looking to get stronger, you should at least do some isometrics. As well as partials, negatives, dynamic training etc. The main misconception a lot of trainees have, is they believe that a ‘muscle must go through a full-range of motion, to get stronger’ - And as we’ve seen, this is not true. Why is that not true? Because those trainees are confusing matters and outcomes. The ‘full range of motion’ phrase refers to generally developing extreme muscularity for bodybuilding via sarcoplasmic hypertrophy methods, not strength. It may or may not be true that a full range of motion is needed to develop large-scale muscularity. Certainly, some, but not necessarily full, movement of the joint angle (particularly negatives) seems to stimulate microtearing of muscle fibres - And so, stimulates rebuilding of said muscles at a slightly larger scale. But as you’ve seen, muscularity and strength are not necessarily the same thing. Or necessarily that indicative of each other. Indeed, there may well be some merit in the idea that to generally get extreme muscular development and strength, you use and move with very heavy weights ala modern Strongman competitions. Strongman competition places demands on your body that practically commands it to get bigger and stronger. The dynamic, ballistic movement of events in strongman competition (I.E Atlas Stone Lifting, Farmer’s Walks, Yoke Carries etc.), combined with feats of strength repetition, creates that size. To bring about extreme muscular development in bodybuilding, the key principle is said to be the pre-stretch (myotatic reflex) and ‘top squeeze’.

Where a muscle at the bottom of the movement is prestretched (myotatic), causing it to ‘fire’, before moving under focused tension into a squeeze-like ‘pop’ at the top of the rep. The position you’re in when ‘pre-firing’ your muscles is physiologically disadvantaged, so you must be careful not to use excessive amounts of weight, in case of injury. In a (but not the only) standard bodybuilding technique, you keep a squeeze (tension) on the targeted muscles until you reach a peak contraction (top squeeze) - Focusing on the mindmuscle connection. Hypertrophy Training focuses on higher-reps, with minimal rest between sets. Training often. A ‘peak contraction’ is not a ‘maximum contraction’ - With a maximum contraction the muscle undergoes extreme tension in any position against a load to the full extent of its current capabilities. It does not need a ‘peak’ (top squeeze) to achieve that maximum. The two are separate things. The first (peak contraction) is a focused path of muscle movement (a lift) with a squeeze at the top. The second (maximum contraction) is intense muscle tension with or without movement. ‘Functional strength training’ focuses on movement and completion of certain lifts. Critics of isometrics say that training your muscles from only one joint angle is not enough stimulation to create strength throughout your full range of motion. Again, you can choose to do isometrics at various joint angles to give you a feeling of being thorough, but I’d also urge you to understand the strength creation and exertion process. Isometrics primarily strengthen your tendons and ligaments. And causes those to thicken under intense pressure, moreso than primarily ‘dynamic’ (standard weight training). A muscle CANNOT exert force without your tendon allowing it (and being strong enough) to do so.

Isometrics are essential for causing your tendons to be fully involved in functional strength training. And to stay considerably stronger than the muscles they control (if they’re not, things go ping). Why? Because isometrics make your tendons stronger. Muscles cannot contract without tendon involvement - So the stronger your tendons are, the greater force they can allow your muscles to contract with (greater muscular tension can be created). And the stronger your muscles contract, the greater the force you can exert! Regardless of the joint angle.

Isometrics Myth 2: You will lose weight by doing isometrics. You generally lose weight through: 1)

(DIET) Limiting your calorific intake (calorific restriction) to just below your daily needs (dieting)

2) (EXERCISE) Consuming the same level of calories but burning them at an elevated rate through exercise such as High-Intensity Interval Training, Steady-State Cardio, Resistance Training etc. 3) Or both and more. Movement is generally more efficient at burning calories than static exercise. Hence why walking for 20 minutes burns more calories than standing. The movement component (on a scale of exertion) is key. This naturally, depends upon relative intensity. If you’re standing but holding a heavy weight for a few minutes, that’ll burn more calories than gentle walking for the same amount of time. Or indeed for possibly up to treble the amount of time. But as I say, this is all relative. Generally moving more burns greater calories than staying still.

Restricting calories works for a while, until your body figures out that you’re trying to starve it. Then it’ll hold onto every calorie it needs and you’ll find it very difficult to make any further progress. Also, calorie restriction can cannibalise your muscle mass if it’s too severe. And it’s likely that without resistance exercise, dieting will cause you to lose considerable muscle tone (saggy body). Hence why, when dieting, you ideally vary your calories somewhat to create a ‘state of confusion’. And do enough exercise to give your body a reason to keep losing weight WITHOUT causing it to demand or need greater calories. Whilst all forms of resistance training cause you to burn and consume more calories (generally). Isometrics cause an intense effort of your Central Nervous System. That doesn’t involve any movement but does involve intense muscle tension. As stated, it’s generally movement (at a relatively elevated rate) that causes you to burn more calories than you take in. And hence lose weight. So, if walking burns more calories than standing, running burns more than walking. So do crawling, leaping, jumping, climbing etc. Isometrics are about exertion. And you’ll use more calories whilst intensely contracting your musculature, regularly, than when you’re not. But the effect of doing isometrics is not as great as anything involving MOVEMENT and EXERTION. Hence why moving with weight is better than static weightlifting, for burning calories. Firstly, when you’re training with very heavy progressive isometrics, your training sessions are too short to really have that great a fat-burning impact. Any fat-burning comes from the ‘afterburn’ effect of resistance training. Where you continue to burn greater calories because of what you’ve just done, after the fact.

Eventually, when you start using very heavy progressive resistance isometrics, with most of the weights in the gym, your sessions need to be spaced out over several weeks for full recovery. Hence why steady-state and HIIT cardio are more useful for enhanced fat-burning. Even if you’re more into doing sub-maximal isometrics every other day or so, this may not burn enough significant calories. If you’re doing standard dynamic weights sessions at 3 x 45 minutes per week, you may find that you burn more fat because you’ve cranked your rate of calorific burn up. But whilst more muscle will cause you to lose body fat (altering the ratio). It won’t do so as much as exercise involving resistance and movement. Movement (and more of it), generally increases your rate of calorific burn, much faster than sheer muscle exertion. Hence why sprinting for the comparative overall effort, will get you leaner than lifting weights. And conversely doing more explosive, dynamic weightlifting will burn more calories than relatively static lifts. Isometrics primarily increase your tendon, ligament and muscle strength in that order. But they use no or very little movement. So, you burn calories by the sheer intense momentary effort required to do a static contraction. But not through any allied movement. In this regard a set of 5 Power Cleans with 50 kgs, done in 20 seconds, will burn more calories than holding 1000 kgs in a Static Contraction on the Leg Press for 5 seconds. Even though the isometric uses far greater weight. Why? Because Power Cleans require you to drive your whole body, rapidly, dynamically, whilst propelling a weight upwards. Whereas the Static Contraction Leg Press whilst incredibly momentary intense, involves you supporting a very heavy weight for around 5 seconds. Of course, yes, generally, the more muscle you have, the less body fat you’ll have in relation to it (generally generalising) -

But really, IF you want to lose weight, you must move more Particularly at varied and varying intensity. And oftentimes with resistance. Each year, weight loss is one of the main New Year’s resolution. And most people seek shortcuts to getting what they want. Most shortcuts don’t work that well. But some shortcuts WORK very well. If you want to get significantly stronger, isometrics are a strength-building shortcut that work incredibly well and quickly. But they won’t really help you lose that much body fat. Move more IF you want to lose body fat. Walking is a good start. And H.I.I.T is a great example of something that’ll help you lose body fat quickly. Hi-Intensity Interval Training is purportedly more effective at burning fat than long, slow-paced steady-state cardio. And its effects are proven to (like conventional weight training) burn fat long after you’ve finished the H.I.I.T session (which steady-state-cardio apparently does not). For example, do the following very simple set - If you’re not fit, take 1 minute’s rest between each exercise - Squat Thrusts are your first exercise - Then take a rest and do the Flat-Footed Mountain Climbers. Build up to where you’re only taking 30 seconds between each exercise, after you’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks: -

30 Squat Thrusts (1st x 10 medium, 2nd x 10 medium-fast, 3rd x 10 as fast as you can. And repeat this for each exercise)

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30 Flat-Footed Mountain Climbers

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30 Push-ups

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30 Tuck Jumps

You’ll see how elevated your heart rate is. That elevated heart rate will cause you to burn calories much faster. But, as well as that, it’ll cause you to burn calories (like conventional weight

training) for purportedly much longer than slow and steady cardio. Slow and steady cardio has some benefits, but to make the static bike or the stepper more useful, vary your pace - Going from slow to faster, back to medium and up to flat out, then back to slow-medium etc. This makes your sets more effective. Because they can be shorter, due to the extra effort you’ve put in having a greater calorie-burning effect. Whatever route you choose to lose weight, you best bet is to do it by moving more, burning more calories and eating right. Plus flushing out dead cells through cardiovascular exercises, skin brushing, saunas, massages etc. A good healthy diet matters - But you’ve your own definition of healthy - So just limit your sugar, sugar-like (fastabsorption) carbohydrate intake, hydrogenated and trans-fats. And replace those with complex carbs, quality lean protein, naturally substitutes to sugar and healthier fats, particularly making your Omega-3 to Omega-6 intake ideally 3-to-1, if not then 2-to-1. Isometric Training only has some impact on your weight and fat loss. But move more to lose body fat more efficiently.

Isometrics Myth 3: Isometrics WON’T help You Build Power What is POWER? The best definition I can think of is “Strength Applied Quickly”. So, without strength you cannot have power. Period. Power, Speed and Balance come from having a basis of Strength. The strength to be able to stand up, lean over, walk, run, lift things etc. without falling. The strength to move all of you quickly through a range of motion etc. Now obviously to train specifically for power, you must do power exercises. And these are often suggested to be done

with varying percentages of loads. Ranging from 5% to 25% for low-load throwing type work. I.E Throwing a medicine ball against a tight net. Or twisting a slamball side-to-side into a wall. Above base level is 30 to 65% work. This is where you do heavier movements such as Power Cleans and Barbell Jump Squats. This weight needs to be challenging enough to require a serious effort. But not so exhaustive that you fail to complete a single rep. Most sets of Power Cleans and Jump Squats are low-rep, highintensity, big explosive effort. They must move quickly, else you fail to complete the movement. And they really take it out of you because they require strength and movement away from the planet. Above 65% and it’s said that your power moves need to be very low rep work. As the weight used really takes it out of you because it’s heavier, it gets much harder to move it quickly and safely. If you’re using Power Cleans and Jump Squats here, then do sets of 2’s and 3’s. And take appropriate rest between sets. As I say power work needs to be specific to what you want to achieve or get better at. For example, IF you want to increase your vertical leap, you must practice your jumping skills and specific isometrics that make your jumps more potent - There’s not just strength involved - There’s speed, technique, timing, balance etc. The action of jumping itself takes work. Hence why Olympic long and high jumpers practice their specific sport’s requirements, regularly. That involves boosting their strength, timing, balance, co-ordination, speed, technique etc. Power is best defined as “Strength Expressed Quickly”, but power is not speed. Speed training should only involve your type 2b fast-twitch fibres. And so, needs to be trained for differently and specifically.

As mentioned, power is best defined as strength expressed quickly. For example, a powerful punch moves quickly with great force. But it is different to a fast ‘speedy’ punch that travels quickly but has little overall impact. Progressive Isometrics help you build incredible strength. Therefore, from that base of incredible strength, develops your power, which can be enhanced by moving relatively heavy weights quickly. But speed is something else. It is NOT enough to think of speed training as just needing to do something quicker. After all, it that were true then to sprint faster you’d just go out and sprint more often, to run faster, right? So, any strength training you do can only ever be a small part of your preparation for what it is you want to achieve. This would be obvious IF we’re talking about football (soccer) or rugby. So why isn’t it obvious when it comes to training other skills? For example, if you’re competing in kickboxing, mma, judo etc. you don’t need to lift weights more than a couple of short sessions a week, if that. This would give you all the sportspecific strength you need, because the rest of your training involves resistance training anyway. Nope for kickboxing, you’d kick and hit pads, do bagwork, sparring, padwork, sprinting, roadwork, shadowboxing etc. You’d also work on all the necessary attributes of your sport, such as: Speed, Power, Technique, Endurance (Fitness), Flexibility etc. All designed to boost specific performance ability in your chosen sport. Because all sports involve myriad, inter-connected skills, obviously you cannot expect to rely solely upon one aspect of your training to compensate for others that are lacking. Isometrics can increase your power by being a mainline to greater strength gains. Strength being the basis of power. Isometrics can also significantly boost your speed when used in highly-specific manner.

BUT! As generally the best definition of power is ‘strength expressed quickly’, it’s best you mix some strength plus movement exercises into your training. Because power generally involves movement. One final point is that a lot of what passes for speed training, is merely just strength and muscle training, done quicker. You’re told that if you can move an object faster, you’ll be quicker. But this only has a limited effect on your speed - Even though you might think that, because you’re training faster, that that will make you faster, this is not necessarily true. Also know this, a lot of strength and muscle training can make you slower not faster. Why? How? Because you’ve three types of muscle fibre: Type 1 - Endurance (Slow-Twitch) Fibres Type 2a - Strength and Endurance Fibres (Mixed) Type 2b - Speed (Fast-Twitch) Fibres Standard weight training puts more emphasis upon the first two fibre types and offers no specific training for the third. Meaning the old boxing trainer’s adage about ‘weights making you slower’ has some truth to it. And whilst most muscles have a mix of all three types of fibres, certain muscles are predominantly biased towards specific fibre types. And the training you do has a direct effect on the emphasis and output of those muscles. Meaning you can make muscles that are predominantly ‘fasttwitch’ slower by doing the wrong type of training. So strength is the basis of power. But power is not speed as such. And when you’re training for speed you must do specific isometric exercises in definite ways to enhance it. Why? Because holding certain static positions for specific time with definite resistances, causes your muscle fibres to continuously readjust (fire) to the microscopic changes occurring within them.

Holding a position isometrically is like winding a cable tighter. You increase the elastic potential of your own musculature. Gravity-based weight-training doesn’t do this. When you do a heavy weight-training session you exhaust your musculature, so during stages of recovery, your muscles lose their elastic potential through fatigue.

“How to Properly Train Isometrics for Stunning Strength Results in Superquick Time”

“There Are Myriad Types of Isometric Exercises. Therefore, Choose What Exercises to Do, According to Your Training Needs and Goals” Bodily (Self-Resisted) Isometric and Object Isometric Training do not need you to buy any specialist equipment as such. If you’re going to use bars to bend and chains to anchor in the ground, you might have some lying about. If you’re really looking to do a cheap, effective DIY job, then you can affix strands of thick electrical plug flex (very strong) through holes in solid boards or metal plates and use that to stand on and pull and push.

Or you can get reasonable quality, heavy duty chains and some eye bolts from a farmer’s co-op or hardware store for a few quid a foot. Progressive Resistance Isometrics can be done with standard barbells, strands, bands, expanders, cables, levers and weight stacks. Although when you keep doing Progressive Resistance Isometric Systems you SOON NEED A LOT of resistance (hence why dynameters and bands are more convenient, but you’ll need a lot of heavy bands) - More on that later. Alexander Zass used chains and bars for almost all his ObjectResisted isometric training. These were anchored by him standing on them. Or pinned into the ground or walls of immovable structures. To anchor chains into suitable strong boards etc. (as noted) make a solid baseboard, preferably out of metal or compound material. And drill holes through it. Using eye bolts to attach your chains to. Or, if you’ve the suitable space, you can anchor them into the ground (cement) etc. By pulling or pushing against these chains (‘Overcoming Isometrics’), for gradually increasing (waves) to maximum contractions, Zass developed incredibly powerful muscle contractions (strength). Remember a ‘wave’ is a steady build up and tamp down of contractile strength over the course of one exercise set. For example, with an overhead press against a building lintel. Once you’re positioned you start exerting lighter pressure.

Gradually increasing your attempt to push the building upwards, away from you. Once you’ve reached all out maximum contraction (pressure) you hold that for a few seconds. And dial back on your strength exertion, from max to zero over a few seconds more. One full set (in this instance) might take you 12 to 15 seconds to complete. It’s important to smoothly increase the contraction over a few seconds, then tamp it down to relaxation*. (*Please remember to do a few lighter warm up sets before going all out). The secret to this wave training is not to just do one all out set and quit. But as soon as you’ve tamped down your exertion and gotten your breath back. You do another set, to exert more force than last time. You can do about 3 all out sets like this in 3 to 5 minutes. Training yourself to get better and faster at doing them. When doing Progressive Resistance Isometrics against devices, bands, levers etc, be aware of different system hold times: The Static Contraction System uses lifts of 5 seconds Dynamic Contrast Technique uses lifts of up to 10 seconds The Old-Time Strongman System uses 8 to 12 seconds

Sub-Maximal Isometrics use sets of up to 45 seconds with 65% to 85% of your 1 Rep Max Speed Training Isometrics use sets of up to 20 seconds with 65 to 75% of your 1 Rep Max (specific positions) Gradual Progression Isometrics uses sets of 30 seconds each, light, medium, all out. Over 90 seconds (although I’d suggest 30 or 45 second sets of 3 x 10 or 3 x 15 units have greater efficiency) The Static Contraction System uses very heavy weights in your strongest range (the last 10%) and phase of motion (isometric). Dynamic Contrasts use weight that is slightly heavier than your full-range 1 rep max, for that lift. They are braced against a momentary immovable object (pin or switch). The trainee builds to a maximal contraction. And the device holding the weight back is swiftly removed. So, the weight comes off the ground or moves from where it was held to where you’re aiming for - If done right, the weight that would normally be heavy and very difficult to move, comes up at a rapid pace. Even though, if you’d tried to lift it normally (without the isometric) you’d have found it very hard to do so. The Old-Time-Strongman System uses very heavy weights in your strongest phase and range of motion. For slightly longer sets than the Static Contraction system.

Sub-Maximal Isometrics use up to 85% or equivalent to your full-range 1 rep max of the movement you’re replicating. Held for sets of up to 45 seconds. They can be anything from 10 seconds and up. Gradual Progression Isometrics are done in segments and are closest to Zass’s ‘Wave’ in function. Generally, the length of the recommended sets is longer than Zass’s wave principle - Think of them as Light-MediumHeavy sets, where you gradually increase the intensity over sections of the same isometric. A lot of the literature about this type of training recommends 30 second segments (3 x 30 seconds) - However, as I’ve stated elsewhere, in my experience, a 3 x 30 second set can be too much overall effort. And so, your intensity may well wane towards the end of the last third. Ideally, you’re better off doing 10 to 15-second blocks (3 x 15). And including a tamp down at the end of the set. So, I.E 10/10/10 or 15/15/15. I’d implore you to experiment with all types of isometric training. But before you do so, please pay attention to what you might see called:

‘The 20 Golden Rules of Isometric Training’

1. Isolation Movements Are Not Possible with Isometrics: And that’s a Good Thing for integrated strength training! Many isometric movements can mimic conventional weight lifting or bodybuilding exercises (and vice-versa), if you want them to. And some cannot be replicated with weights. But it’s very difficult to do pure ‘isolation exercises’ with isometrics. No lift or exercise is truly an isolation anyway. Because when you’re working against a load, depending on how heavy it is, other support muscles come into play. This is the principle called ‘irradiation’ or ‘hyper-irradiation’. It’s an effect that’s particularly apparent when you’re using the heavy to plus maximal contractions of isometrics. Your muscles cannot work in isolation. Not even with a muscle-orientated ‘peak contraction’. They can merely approximate isolation. For example, when you’re doing an isometric bicep curl at the top position with a dumbbell, expander etc. you can’t really do an isolation. Because, depending upon the level of resistance (load), more of your body gets involved in the movement. With 20% of your 1 rep max it’ll seem like your bicep is isolated. But change that to 100% and you’ll see how myriad muscles assist in resisting the load (lats, shoulders etc.) - Your bicep merely being the prime mover. All isolation exercises are an abstraction, to an extent. Even the Leg Extension, probably the most classically isolative of all gym exercises - Where the quads are the prime movers - Naturally must involve other minor muscles. At 20%, 40%, 50% the exercise feels like an isolation. But at 100% it cannot be isolative because the heaviness of the load causes greater muscle recruitment throughout your entire kinetic chain (irradiation). Let’s say you do a Shrug. At first you use a light weight. And because of that, you do a high rep set. Your traps start working

hard because of the volume (reps). And because the exercise is primarily an isolation for them at that time. But after a few sets you’ve increased the weight to somewhere near the maximum you can do for Shrugs. You pull a very heavy resistance band into the maximum position. Or take a very heavy barbell off supports and hold it in the top shrug position for a few seconds. Whilst that’s primarily an exercise for your trapezius. Depending upon the level of resistance, other muscle groups become involved. Eventually, if the resistance is heavy enough, it’ll work your entire body. Like any other muscle then, you cannot truly isolate your trapezius in this case - It can merely be the prime mover Particularly with a very intense isometric hold. You’ll feel it in your feet and indeed they’ll have to stabilise you against the heaviness of the load in relation to the ground. And you’ll wonder why your legs ache the next day, as you were only doing some ‘trap work’? Your legs ache on heavy shrugs (particularly plus-maximal isometrics) because of motor units allocated and hyperirradiation (the process of more of your musculature becoming involved, the heavier the load). Hence why isometrics can have a very ‘tonic’ effect (revving up your sense of well-being) when used in brief. 2. ZASS SAID: Always Start Implementing Isometric Exercises on A Breath In, Not Out! NO, this is NOT a misprint. And it is one the most difficult things to put into practice, because it goes against most modern sports training advice. Exert yourself on the IN breath and relax on the OUT breath Most old-time strongman training involved exertion on the IN breath. If you read the texts of Arthur Saxon, Thomas Inch, Alexander Zass, Bernarr Mcfadden etc. It was very common and

understood to be the right way to breathe for Power - Be that for Isometrics, Partials or Standard Reps. Try it, it works incredibly well. Because if you think about it, it makes perfect sense - Because when you draw breath in, as you exert yourself against the load, you draw ‘energy’ (if you like) in to yourself - You’re inflating your air cushion as you exert yourself. You’ll already be doing this on some lifts anyway. Example, as you lower the barbell in a chest/ bench press, you’re inflating your lungs to act as a cushion against the load itself. When you press upwards in said bench/ chest press you’re going ‘with’ the motion by exhaling as you push the weight away. BUT! You’re probably not doing this on all your lifts. On a lot of movements, you’re encouraged to breath out as you exert yourself (usually on the positive). This too seems to make sense. Anyway, before things get too metaphysical or confusing, give this ‘reverse style of breathing’ (by modern definitions) a go on all your lifts and see which works best for you. But whichever way you breathe when training, NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH! As this will cause your blood pressure to rise. And potentially stay risen - Which is obviously dangerous. 3. ‘Create A Flexible Wave of Power’ Meaning, with an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ you ease your way into an exertion by percentages. Gradually increasing the contraction over a timed set until it’s at your current maximum for a few seconds. And then gradually tamping it down. You then repeat this pattern by potentially exerting even greater contractions in the next set. This is difficult to do with a ‘Yielding’ isometric - As oftentimes the weight is bearing down on you with no choice but to react with maximum instant resistance - Else the weight falls rapidly back to where it wants to go.

The only way you could use this graduated resistance principle with a Yielding Isometric is IF the load was increased as it bears down upon you - Pressure gradually applied to you with a graduated resistance. But this wave-like pattern is the best way to do an ‘Overcoming’ isometric. As it fires up your CNS. Increasing your exertion every few seconds. When Zass specifically talks about his object-based training methods he reminds you NOT to focus (in this case) on breaking the chain. But rather through proper training, for long enough, the chain will break when it’s time for it to do so. Concentrate upon increasing the intensity of the body power you create each time. And eventually you’ll move, break, resist and hold objects that stood still against your power, before. 4. ‘Your Breathing Should Be Steady and Calm as You Can Make It’ IF your breathing becomes too frequent or intense, your heart rate increases too much - Zass describes it as ‘rushing’ - And that will break your power wave. This is particularly important for isometrics where you aim to increase your output to maximum through an overcoming ‘wave’ - Ideally you want to be in a relatively calm state when undertaking these. This is commonsense, as you want to achieve the same effect with a set of heavy squats, else you gas out before you fully fatigue your muscles. Or get the required reps done. If you find your heart rate is too high when doing an iso set, stop. Rest, calm down, breathe deeply for a minute or so. And repeat the exertion. Feel your increasing intensity as you build the exertion through the duration of the exercise/ rep. Remember, whilst Isometrics are intense exercise, they’re not meant to be pure, ongoing cardio (especially not ‘Overcoming Isometrics’).

Nor are they necessarily meant to keep your heart rate above a certain level - Like some forms of ‘Hi Intensity Training’ (the Arthur Jones, Casey Viator etc. method). It’s difficult to exert maximum power when you’re breathing so hard you could puke. Therefore, it’s better to stop training and get your breath back than to scupper a worthy set by gassing out. Isometrics need you to concentrate fully and totally upon creating a maximum contraction. As this will eventually be stronger than anything you’ve experienced before, it requires your total commitment to be effective. Half-measures are only for warmups. 5. ‘The Power Wave Must Involve Your Whole Body’ Isometrics are generally about all-body power. How you generate this body power is particularly important with an ‘Overcoming Isometric’. By applying the Power Wave (Zass states): “You’ll Strengthen the Muscle-Tendon-Bone Relationship”. By learning to tap the power of your CNS and mind to express maximum exertion your intensity potential increases. When you make yourself do an Overcoming Isometric or have a Yielding Isometric ‘done’ to you. By practising them, like anything else, you get better at producing maximal force through your own endeavours. Hence why (in this case) your mind controls your body. And your results are a matter of how much effort you’re prepared to use, at that time. If that exertion is measurable and recordable, then it’s progressable. And it’s up to you how much progress you’ll make (if you recover well enough from what you’re doing between sessions). 6. ‘Always Stretch/ Warmup Thoroughly Before Training’ Dynamic stretching (moving stretches like leg swinging etc.) has potentially greater benefit for resistance training than static

stretching - Because static stretching before resistance training can purportedly weaken your ability to exert maximum force. Do a general warm-up, where you raise your resting heart rate and sweat a little. If you don’t want to do a full warmup, then replicate the isometric you’re about to do through a series of low to medium intensities before exerting maximum force. Perhaps mix some light, slow reps in with a few sub-maximal holds. This is very important because you’ll be contracting your musculature harder with an isometric than it’s probably been before. You run the risk of popping your muscles right off their bones if you go heavy, quickly. So, warm up, stretch and tense at varying degrees before training. Gradually increase your intensity on each ‘set’. Now, when I say for you to stretch, I don’t mean a 40-minuteyoga session before training. What I’m referring to is basic ‘remedial’ stretching that knocks the kinks and binds out of you enough for you to be prepared. Also, as I say, tensing and relaxing your muscles at increasing resistance before training helps, a lot. Depending on the focus of your session, dictates how many sets of what exercises you’ll do. I usually time my sessions to not overtrain. As it’s very easy to over-excite your central nervous system when doing isometrics. Because they can be difficult to measure in terms of overall effort. Even though intensity (resistance) can be measured more easily. The best warmup I’ve found for a mixed, reps and isometric sessions (in fact for weights in general) is 5 minutes of varying intensity on the ski-track or stepper (I.E 20%, 55%, 75%, 40%, 90%, 65%, 100%, 30%, 55% etc). Or some jumping and dancing on the spot. Followed by basic remedial stretching into the commonly athletic positions (Press, Twist, Hinge, Squat, Lunge etc). Topped off with some dynamic (leg swings etc.) stretches.

The best warmup for isometric-only sessions tends to be general joints jinking/ dynamic stretching. Followed by low to medium to higher intensity isometric sets. Gradually going ‘up through the gears’ to produce a maximum contraction. Because of their effect on your Central Nervous System, it’s difficult to get a feel for how intense your isometric session is - Therefore, I find sessions of up to 35 minutes to be beneficial (very short 7 to 10-minute sessions can be too, if you’re careful). When you’re starting out, stop at 25 minutes to get used to the tonic effect isometrics have on your CNS - Just like conventional weights, if you do too much, you’ll have sleepless nights and nerves as raw as sushi. Start your exercise (particularly an ‘Overcoming’ isometric), slowly, with a small exertion and steadily increase it. Example, you’re doing a standard reverse flye (often incorrectly called a ‘band apart’ nowadays). The band might have a full resistance of 100 kgs. Your first set should be a 20% pull. In that you merely pull the band a small distance and hold it. Then after a short rest, go again, this time pulling it to 30%. You can do the same with weights, cables, strands etc. as you’re essentially doing a pyramid - Where you gradually ramp up the intensity of each exercise (set). So, you’ll be best served (particularly with ‘Overcoming’ Isometrics) to do 3 to 5 sets of each exercise. I.E 5 sets of Deadlifts against chains. Light, Medium-High, High Contraction, All Out and Repeat All-Out for final set etc. Or the same movement, doing top iso-holds and increasing the weight each set. Refrain from doing any more than 5 total sets on each isometric exercise. And make sure your sessions are short - So in this case you might do your warmup and go ‘up through the gears’ doing 5 sets of isometric deadlifts. And a couple of sets of one other exercise. And then quit.

Simply put, I suggest 5 sets, so you can warmup properly. Too many people rush in to doing an all-out set after 1 or 2 warmups and wonder why they pull or pop something Remember Isometrics are very intense resistance exercise that are deceptive in their overall effect - Respect them. 7. ‘Take Your Time’ Because you can potentially train very quickly with isometrics, there’s a tendency to rush into it, to ‘get it done’ - There’s also a tendency to feel you’re not doing very much. Just squeezing some muscles against themselves. Or against a resistance. And so, you feel you must do ‘more’. This can often cause you to pull a muscle, train for too long, go too heavy too soon. Or similar. Treat your isometric training as you would an increasingly heavy weights session involving multiple sets of conventional Squats or Deadlifts. Take your time, and get everything right, before hitting heavy to maximum intensity contractions. Zass’s advice for overcoming isometrics against immovable objects was to start with 2-5 second contractions of gradually increasing intensity. And up the power of the contraction and the time it’s held for. So, set 1 and 2 might be 5 seconds each. Until your middle sets are 8 to 10. And your top 2 sets (4 and 5) are 15 to 20 seconds - Using the rising and falling ‘wave’ principle. I.E 5 seconds increasing, 5 seconds maximum, 5 seconds tamping down (or similar). Also, just like standard weight-training, you take slightly longer between more intensive sets. 8. ‘The Old-Time Strongmen Were Very Big On ‘Muscle Control’. Which Is the Basis of The Modern Bodybuilding (Isometric) Posing Routines.’ Zass stated you should: “Listen to your body during the whole process. Feel the flow of power and strength, feel the release, listen to the recovery with a feeling of uncertainty followed by the new inflow of strength.

Only this way one learns to have full control of the muscles.” Control of your muscles and how intensely you can contract them is vital IF you’re to prosper using isometrics. The greater muscle control you have, allied to strong tendons, the greater your potential strength expression. Modern Bodybuilding posing routines (isometric postures) are the historical prodigy of old-time muscle-control techniques strung together to create a show. 9. ‘Do Your Exercises Properly the First Time, Every Time’ Statistically it takes ten times longer to change a habit than to get a new one. Get used to doing exercises properly the first time and you’ll establish good habits from the off. For instance, on lunges, you must feel it in your quads and hips more than anywhere, otherwise, you’re not doing them right - Your quads should feel tense and your hip joints should feel ‘loaded’ because they’re being stretched. With overcoming isometrics, you must feel your contraction intensifying as you exert more pressure. And apply that contraction to the max for full exertion and benefit in overcoming isometrics, after a few warm up sets. In yielding isometrics, particularly, your levels of measurable progressive resistance must increase, regularly and efficiently. You must push yourself to heft more weight in a sensible and progressive fashion - It’s no use being the strongest cripple in the gym - Good form is there for a reason. This is possible, even with the massive loads you end up supporting with the Old-Time-Strongman and Static Contraction systems. IF you’re fully recovered when returning to the gym. Then you’ll make progress. Sometimes in very large steps. 10.

‘Use Natural Biomechanical Exercises and Positions’

Obvious really. But you should refrain from twisting your joints the way they’re not meant to go.

Also, refrain from putting yourself under immense pressure in a mechanically disadvantaged position - Unless you’re using a specific technique and have warmed up fully to it, before going to maximum. This is why most systems of heavy progressive resistance isometrics use your strongest range of motion and your strongest phase of strength - isometrically - because you’re strongest there. Whilst you can do an isometric anywhere along the ‘bar path’ (and this can be useful for working through ‘sticking points’ in specific lifts). You’d be best advised to refrain from lifting or resisting plus-maximal-weights in your weaker ranges of motion without properly understanding the techniques involved. IF you’re using specialist techniques like ‘Contrasts’ etc. that start in your weakest strength range and phase (outlined earlier). Only do them with professional, proven coaching. Same rules generally apply for Isometrics as they do for standard barbell training. Avoid Stupid. 11.

‘Properly Use Muscle Imbalances, Teach Your CNS To Increase Your Strength and Power’

As far as Zass was concerned you teach your CNS through learning to contract your muscles smoothly like a wave gradually increasing that wave power intensity. This tweaks your CNS. Allowing it to become more efficient at allocating motor units to the task at hand. As we went through earlier, CNS allocation is the basis of all tendon strength. Your tendons being the direct arbiters of effort, on behalf of your CNS. The easiest way to encourage your CNS to become more efficient is to use isometric squeezes every 10 minutes or so, for 10 seconds. Get used to contracting your musculature, isometrically. 12.

‘Isometric Hold Time Range Should Be Less Than 2-3 Minutes Before Adding Resistance’

Isometric holds are where you adopt a position (Horse Stance, Wall Sit etc.) and hold it against the drop. With practice you can hold these for a very long time. For example, with the much used ‘Plank’ - After stringent training you could probably hold this, with reasonably good form, for 20 minutes - But what would be the point? If you’re using these isometric holds to build strength, then after you can stay in them for 2 minutes, it’s more efficient to add resistance to make them harder. So, for a plank, horse stance etc. add weighted vests, resistance bands etc. This gives any iso holds far greater efficiency. Because you’re handling greater weight than just your body alone. And that speeds up your results. 13.

‘Isometric Press Time Should Be (Ideally) Less Than 20 Seconds for Overcoming Isometrics And (Ideally) Less Than 10 For Plus-Maximal Yielding Isos’

Isometric Overcoming Presses require you to apply pressure in a low, medium, high, maximum, then back off fashion. The maximum contraction time when doing these depends on the TYPE and HOW of what you’re doing. For example, you’re using a heavy barbell positioned in the almost lockout overhead position for a press. All you must do is bend your legs slightly and press up to make the overhead support happen. You can in theory hold a heavy weight overhead for 30 seconds or so. Giving you an excellent time under tension set. The point is here though, for a truly taxing isometric press you want the weight to be so heavy that you CANNOT hold it in the almost locked out position, for any more than 9 seconds (and 5 seconds for other systems, more later). Because you’re pressing it up for 9 seconds, gravity (or resistance bands) grants you maximum resistance straight away.

IF you were pressing against a wall though, YOU must apply pressure in a burgeoning wave. And that, for safety, takes a few seconds longer to kick in to maximum power. The same goes for if you’re applying a press as an ‘Overcoming Isometric’ against a lintel of an immovable object. Ideally this needs to be a very intense movement. You want to get to a maximum contraction within the first 6 seconds. And hold it for effect for up to 18 seconds, in a wave motion (light, medium-heavy, maximum, lighter). Because you’re applying pressure in an overcoming isometric, it must be built up. As you can see the wave principle is relevant to mostly overcoming isometrics. And not so relevant to yielding isometrics - Because, as stated, with yielding isometrics, resistance will be immediate and absolute because the weight bears down upon YOU. As opposed to you bearing down upon it. 14.

‘Impact Absorption Isometrics Can Be Held for Up To 5 Seconds’

When you catch and stop a heavy weight, you absorb its power and respond. Holding it briefly in an isometric. And then stop and relax or move back into a dynamic exercise. Like IF you and a partner were throwing heavy logs or girders. You’d catch the weight on an absorption. Hold it at a momentary stop, the act of decelerating that moving object. And return the weight dynamically. This technique was used by myriad old-time-strongmen for training and shows. And in some systems of Kuntao (and other particularly Chinese martial systems). Of course, the weight must be heavy enough to be challenging. Causing you to instantly decelerate the heavy weight with all your bracing strength. 15.

‘Athlete? Use Isometrics to Supplement Your Training’

Isometrics are excellent for increasing your strength (and speed, when done right). They tap your full exertion power throughout the range of movement (different stages of the ‘bar path’). And in differing positions. But most sports are dynamic in nature and need you to move efficiently, to play them well. You need to practice the necessary movements to get better at your chosen sport. And thus, most of your sport training should be dynamic and specific. For example, IF your sport involves throwing things, practice your throwing of those things, often. Yes, you can use isometrics as the most efficient means of gaining huge strength and along the ‘bar path’ of your throw etc. And you can use dynamic lifts to build your strength expressed quickly - But that’s only one aspect of any sport or endeavour. Tennis players need to run, jump, turn, hit the ball with efficient shot selection, serve and volley etc. Rugby players need to tackle, pass, run, kick, ruck, scrum etc. Every sport has specific drills, skills and competences it demands of its players. Your job as an athlete or player is to work on those as your primary focus. Strength training should only ever be an addon to your main work. 16.

‘If You Feel Sharp Pain in Your Muscles or Joints Whilst Doing Isometrics, Stop Immediately’

Learn to recognise the difference between a strong contraction and pain. Depending upon volume undertaken, rest more than usual between sessions. Because Isometrics tap your tendons and ligaments hard. And these generally need more recovery time. Most people DO NOT get that isometrics are deceptive in their effects - They start treating isometric training like highfrequency bodybuilding - And wonder why their tendons are inflamed and their nerves fried, because they ‘only’ trained 9 times that week…

If you’re just getting back into isometric training after feeling said sharp pain, gently stretch every day. Then, when you’re feeling healed over a week or so, repeat the exercise you last did, but at a lower intensity (up to 75%). Feel what is causing the pain. If it continues, stop and give it a few days more to heal - Again, a lot of people read this and freak out. “What about my gains, they’ll fade away!”. Hardly! Strength musculature brought about through sarcomeric (density) methods (low rep, longer rest periods, heavier percentiles of your 1 rep max) has a considerably higher resting tension (tone). And stays that way (strong) for much longer. Remember, whilst smart bodybuilders, powerlifters and the like know the value of isometric training. Isometrics are not, bodybuilding. Take it easy. Train with a lesser frequency or duration. Endeavour NOT to inflame your tendons. And if your pain keeps on for a couple of weeks or more, stop training and see how that goes. If you can’t stretch it out, treat it with repeated sessions of RHCE (Rest, Heat, Compression, Elevation). Or RIHCE (Rest, Ice, Heat, Compression, Elevation) - If that fails to make it better over a few days, consult your doctor. Notice I’ve put the ‘Ice’ part of the famous RICE meme in with a proviso. Unless you’re also heating your injury to encourage blood flow to the area, then Ice (cooling it down) may delay healing. Always heat and cool injuries repeatedly throughout the day. If in doubt just add heat (RHCE). Be sensible and respect what you’re doing. And you’ll see that isometrics are some of the safest strength training you can do. 17.

‘Prepare Yourself Mentally for Focus and Success’

Zass used to say that chains and walls only exist physically, not mentally. Mental power and visualisation are vitally important to all strength and athletic endeavours (and a productive life itself) -

The old-time strongmen talked about accessing the untapped power of the mind to hold, lift and move ultra-heavy weights. Witness the massive support lifts of Arthur Saxon, Herman Goerner, Paul Trappen - All isometrics with HUGE weights. 2 and 3 ton plus support lifts - All due to the power of their minds working with their bodies. And even though most competing strongmen today are considerably larger than the Olde-Time Strongmen…And most are banging down the androgens and other performanceenhancing (steroids etc.) drugs by the barrow load… They cannot replicate some of the Olde-Time Strongmen’s achievements – Including Trappen’s Hip/Harness Lift, Goerner’s Single-Arm Deadlift and 3 and 2 finger deadlifts, Saxon’s Bent Press etc. With all our scientific advances we’re still not fully understanding their mind-power successes through the isometric source of their strength and power. 18.

‘Only Set Time Limits on Your Sets, Not Rests’

As we’re dealing with pure strength training here, allow your muscles and nerves to recover from the previous exercise. You may find that when you do a rep/set of heavy progressive isometrics, you feel a bit ‘zingy’ - That’s your nervous system vibrating somewhat - As very heavy (weighted) isometrics directly engage your CNS. So if you need it, take more time between sets - If it’s not just an excuse for slacking off! Because the exertions are very heavy, make sure you’ve got your maximum power back between sets. Take enough time to recover according to your personal assessment, not more or less. Every person is different in this regard because your recovery ability depends on your physical condition and capacity. This requires judgement and ongoing practice. And can be improved through sensible, measured training.

The quality of your training is dictated by the intensity of effort you can put into each element without injuring yourself. 19.

‘How ‘Tonic’ Are You?’

This next one seems quite odd nowadays because modern life has almost robbed us of such feelings as described here by Zass. When I first read him stating this, I wasn’t sure how modern folk would respond. But here it is… Zass recommends testing your current physical power by once a week (NOT on a training day) grabbing a chain or sturdy stick and trying to ‘stretch’ it - For a stick that means bending it, elbows in, hands facing down as you would a device like a Power Spring or similar. Okay so far so good. You’re just testing your strength, right? Use about 95% of your current intensity for around 8-9 seconds, then drop it and relax. This is the bit some people find odd… “Listen to your body. You’ll feel your arms rise a little in front of you or to the sides. As a reaction to the pressure you’ve just exerted. They will then start slowly lowering.” Note here: Did you as a kid ever play the ‘lean against lamp post’ game? (if not, you should have, as it was great fun). This is where you lean, arm-first, with pressure, against something (I.E a streetlight) for a couple of minutes. Then take your arm away. And as a reaction to down pressure, your arm rises of its own accord… You’ve just tested your body’s ‘tonic ability’. The length of time your arms stay up is defined as an amount of “tonic activity” you have. You should notice an increase of tonic activity every week when doing isometrics - Meaning by doing Isometrics (particularly ‘Overcoming Isometrics’) you’ll increase the tonic effect on your system (you’ll rev up your CNS).

Zass states: “If this isn’t happening (your arms don’t rise and stay up for long by pure reaction to the isometric) then you need to examine your training for flaws in the execution of your power wave (gradual exertion to a maximum contraction).” Yes, a lot of people I mention that last point to, think it’s bizarre. But it is an immensely powerful insight into the current health of your Central Nervous System. On that note, the easiest way to suss out how much strength you can potentially exert right now, is to crush a quality baked bean can (or similar) - Hold it in a double-palm and crush and fold it with your thumbs. If it’s easy, then you’re fully-rested. If you find it difficult (relative to your overall strength and compared to last time you did so), you might need a couple of extra rest days. You can also use a bathroom scales for the same purpose, by gripping the pressure pads and squeezing. Also, you can buy hand-grip dynameters (dynamometers) for a few quid that are accurate and go up to around 130 kgs of pressure (and some more expensive ones that go up to 200 kgs).

Immensely Powerful Strength-Building Isometric Training Systems These Heavy Weighted Progressive Resistance Isometric Systems are brief, intense and maximum-effective for building exceptional strength gains, quickly. Note here, for all-round strength (particularly dynamic) development I alternate these with conventional weight-lifting. Personally, I’m a great fan of isometrics, but my training requirements are more well-rounded, hence why I mix them with conventional training. Again note, these isometric sessions have a very intense effect on your Central Nervous System. And are deceptive in that effect. So, more rest will often be needed between training sessions. The amount of exertion you express per session will affect

your other training, regardless of type. The Static Contraction System The Static Contraction System is a heavy weighted progressive resistance method formulated by Peter Cisco and John Little (Little has his own version called ‘Maximum Contraction’) - From existing isometric knowledge. This series of 7 exercises are clinically-proven to be the most efficient at recruiting the maximum number of muscle fibres per lift. Originally the 7 lifts were done for 10 seconds each. But have now been whittled to 5 seconds per maximum exertion. ALL the exercises are done in your strongest range of motion (in the uppermost 10% of a positive/ negative). Using your strongest phase of strength (isometric). Because you’re training in your strongest phase of strength (isometric) and your strongest range, it’s possible to make very large jumps in the resistance you’re using between sessions If you rest enough to recover, get stronger and go back to the gym to do it all again. When you start out, these sessional leaps will take place over the first few weeks. However, as you progress, you’ll need more time between training sessions. Because the intensity of weight used means it generally takes longer to make strength progress with greater loads. When you progress to resisting very heavy weights that’s when it becomes sensible to split your static contraction training into workouts A and B. Or even A, B, C. And these sessions should alternate according to your training frequency. Splitting them into A, B, C sessions means you can, if you so wish, do these isometrics in with conventional training (if you don’t try to do them too often). The exercises chosen are designed to give you the ‘biggest bang for your buck’. And are the easiest and safest to do as a solo trainer, when you follow the express guidelines included.

They generally consist of 1 set of all-out intensity - The trick is to do at least 2 warm up sets before doing the maximal lifts Particularly IF you’re at the start of your training session and NOT warm. Example, IF you’re starting your static contraction session with Deadlifts (short-range, mid-thigh). And your maximum lift is 400kgs. Then choose 150kgs and do a set of 8 careful, slow reps with it. Then take 225kgs and do 8 short-range moving reps. Then 5 short-range reps at 275kg. Then 5 at 325 kg. Now with your last two sets do 5 second top holds with 375 kgs and 400kg, to finish. Strict Static Contraction trainers would say that’s too much volume - But I usually do the pure iso-holds at the end of a conventional weight’s session. I use the short-range reps as a warmup for the isometric holds. Or, if I’m doing a full static contraction training session then I’ll do less progressive volume as the session goes on. As you’re better warmed up as you go through the exercises, you need more volume at the beginning of the session to get ‘into the groove’. Bear in mind I’m using weights that most people would consider to be very heavy - I want to make sure I’m warmed up enough to do those lifts safely. Whatever you do though, DO NOT go straight in and do a maximal lift. I know there are certain styles of weight training that get you to do your absolute maximum lift first off. But I always feel that it’s much better to go ‘up through the gears’ to prepare your CNS for a maximum lift. Always do at least 3 warmup sets before doing your first couple of exercises. And ideally, you’ll have done some skitrack training or similar, to raise your core body temperature at the start of the training session. Remember these lifts are all done in the last 3rd. and more likely, the uppermost 10% of your positive/negative. As

isometrics. Always keep the safeties on or in place. The 7 lifts of The Static Contraction System are: Leg Press (Legs) - Load the weight sled with 130 to 150% (can often be 200%) of your full-range, 1 rep max. Whilst you can in theory do just the one set. As mentioned, I strongly suggest you do at least two lighter, progressive sets as a warmup before going ‘all out’. As these warmup sets are partials, you could do something as simple as 120%, 150%, 175% etc. Commonsense and progression. For partials and for the static contraction iso holds, always keep the safeties on (unless using the specialist ‘overcoming’ techniques such as isometric contrasts we talked about earlier). Position your feet according to which muscle groups you want to put most emphasis upon (although with such heavy holds it’s less of an issue). On most standard foot plates on normal diagonal 33/ 45 degree (slant) seated machines - those you press up and out - the further you put your feet up and out on the pressure board, the more equal the demand on your hips, quads, hamstrings, arse and inner thighs. The further down and in on the pressure board/ foot plate, the more emphasis you’ll generally place upon your quadriceps. This is near enough the same across all models. Regardless of whether it’s an almost flat leg press, like a very shallow hack squat type machine. Or if the press is a 33 or 45 degree or so angled model. And regardless of how the machine is configured. Press the very heavy weight off the blocks (safeties) - Always keep the safeties on (KEEP THE SAFETIES ON) so you can ‘catch’ the weight if you need to lower it quickly. Push up to nearly lock out your legs (99%). This’ll usually be a matter of inches away from full lockout - But, DO NOT

hyperextend your legs by totally locking out your knees because the weight will be very heavy. When you’re ready, unlock your legs 5% or so. Allowing your knees to be at a slight angle. Because the weight will be very heavy compared to what you’d lift in a normal full-range leg press, just hold the weight, hovering just above the blocks - Stopping it returning to the supports for 5 seconds (this should be very difficult and feel like being dragged backwards through a jet engine…). If you can do more than 5 seconds, the weight is too light. And you need to increase the load. If it’s too heavy to get off the blocks or to keep off them for near 5 seconds, reduce the load by 10% and go again - You want to move and hold the weight with your strength, as this gives a sense of achievement and progress. I generally do 2 to 3 warmups and 1 to 2 sets with the heaviest weight I can manage. Usually at the end of a leg-orientated training session (I go through phases of doing them). So, after my Squats etc. I might do a few fast sets of isometric leg presses. Low-volume, high-intensity. Naturally IF you’re using a vertical leg press, then you’ll likely use less weight than on a conventional sled model because the vertical angle makes it harder. As the weight is full and not diminished by the angle of the leg press. When you get to the point where you must do Single Leg Presses - Because you’re using most of the weights in the gym - Press one leg against the footplate and the other EQUALLY against the floor. This’ll stop any pelvic imbalances occurring. Always press the weight up and brace your other foot against the floor. Otherwise you risk damaging your pelvis through single-side action bias (because the resistance is heavier than sprinting or cycling). Short-Range Deadlift (Lower Back etc.)

Place your barbell across the pins or struts of a power rack. Usually at mid-thigh height. Because you’re going to do a short-range deadlift (often mistakenly called a Rack Pull, which is different because it uses less leg drive than the shortrange deadlift). Mid-thigh is the optimal position - As this gives you enough of a struggle to get to lockout or thereabouts - But allows you to lift at least 130% to 200% of your full-range 1Rep Max (and possibly more). If the weight is very heavy use chalk or tacky. Only use straps or hooks if your grip is failing even with chalk - The strength of your grip won’t, at first, keep up with the strength of your legs and back - Do separate grip work to bring that up to par. Also, remember, the purpose of what you’re doing here. Every static contraction exercise overloads your CNS with heavier weights than you normally can handle when you’re doing standard dynamic lifting. Because with normal lifting you’re limited by your weakest range and phase of strength. By using very heavy resistance your CNS is forced to allocate more motor units to the task of making you stronger. Simply put what’s the difference between a 200 kg deadlift and a 400 kg one? About 200 kgs of course. So, if you normally lift 200 kgs in a standard off the floor deadlift but you now lift 400 kgs for a short-range one. Your CNS only knows that it must react to the greater stimulus by allocating more motor units to resist it. Hence, you get stronger. Bend your legs slightly when you lift and treat everything as you would the set up for a normal deadlift. Squeeze your grip, guts and arse very hard. And lift the weight by pushing the planet away from you with your feet. Come up to 95% of lockout (keeping your knees slightly bent). And hold the weight for 5 seconds.

Because the range is very short and you’re very near lock out, you can handle very heavy weights - DO NOT fully lock out your joints though. Let your tendons and muscles take the weight. And not your joints. Again, I usually do 2 to 3 sets if I’m mixing them in with conventional lifts - Sometimes I do a couple of warm up sets with 110%, 130%, 150% etc. If I’m only doing a session revolving around The Short-Range Deadlift plus one or two further exercises, I’ll do considerably more volume - Maybe 7 sets of Short-Range Deadlift done for reps. With a couple of very heavy 1 rep isometrics at the end. This usually takes less than 20 minutes. Again, for pure Static Contraction Trainers this is way too much volume. Sets of reps are all in the mass range (8 to 6). The couple of very heavy isometric holds at the end of the session will be with up to 200% of my current full-range 1 rep max. Lateral Pulldown (Back) This often requires a partner to help you do this very shortrange hold. And you can do a belt-weighted short-range pullup instead, if it’s easier to stand on a block or box and just do a static hold (face level with bar etc.). When doing the Static Contraction Lat-Pulldown, sit and place the leg brace pad over your thighs. You and your partner pull the plus-maximal weight down to where your arms are 10% away from lock out - which on a pulling motion means they’re near the top of the exercise. All you need do now is, initiate the Lat Pulldown from your shoulder blades, without pulling from your arms. Rotate your shoulder blades down, back and together. Hold for 5 seconds. Again 5 seconds should be really challenging. If you can’t find anyone to help you, then, if the gym is cool with you levering the weights you want to use in the stack.

Prop them up to where you need them. So, when you grip the bar - You’re only 15% away from lock out. Then initiate the pull from your shoulder blades (squeezing them together). Get the weight off the lever. And hold the same as above. Also, because of the nature of pulling and rowing motions, you’re naturally stronger in the first part of the positive (opposite to pressing motions) - So you can often get a heavier weight off the blocks and into the static position - Whereas you may not be able to pull that thing for a full-range rep. Note here: If you can’t get anyone to help you. And you can’t prop the weight stack up enough to allow you to do this movement, then a great alternative, as mentioned, is to use an overhead Olympic bar across a power rack. Or pullup bar if you can get onto blocks underneath it. Use a dipping belt with weight added. And do the same movement (initiate from shoulder-blades) as for the Lat Pulldown (see Olde-Time-Strongman in a moment, for a full description). Shrug (Traps) Best done in a power rack. Or with a shrug lever. If no power rack. And if you’re allowed to, fix some block weights under the shrug lever bumpers. This raises the arms to near lock out position, before you load the plates on. You want the movement to be very short-range. Because you’ll start using very heavy weights after a few months (therefore a power rack with pegs or struts is a better choice). Simplest way to do a shrug is to merely bring your shoulders up to your ears WITHOUT nodding your head, sticking your chin out or moving it in any way. Hold a couple of very heavy 5-second sets. Bench Press (Chest)

This is one of those times when it’s okay to use a Smith Machine. Or better yet, a power cage where you can set the bars near lock out. With 120 to 150% of your 1 rep max. With a Smith Machine, you ideally want the bar to be 5 to 10% below lock out. And when you take it off the blocks, you press up to a near full extension. And then, like the Leg Press, you unlock your arms about 5%. Hold for 5 seconds. Then rack the bar on the next available peg down (refrain from crushing your head). Start a bit lighter with these. Perhaps with 110% of your max. And do a few sets gradually increasing the weight up to 130% or so. They can be tricky to get right first few goes (particularly with a smith machine). With a power rack or cage, again position the bar so its 5 to 10% below lockout. Press it up to lockout. Then bend your arms by 5 to 10% and hold for 5 seconds before lowering it to the struts or supports. Close Grip Bench Press (Triceps) Again, use a power cage or smith machine. And do the same thing as your bench press. Set the bar 5 to 10% below lockout. Naturally because this is primarily a triceps movement, you’ll use less weight than your bench (chest) press. But all else is the same, except, make your hands into a diamond, thumbs ideally lightly touching. Grip the bar firmly. Resist the drop. And refrain from crushing your face. Shoulder Press (Shoulders) These are safest in a smith machine or power rack because you’ll start handling very heavy weights soon. And you may want to do these seated (although I prefer standing lifts wherever possible) as that’s potentially safer. Again, have the weight at around 90% of your lock out. Press it up to near full extension, using your legs for assistance in a Push Press if needed.

Carefully unlock your arms. And hold the weight at about 95% of your lockout (elbows slightly bent) for 5 seconds. If you’re doing them standing, place your barbell on top of a power rack etc. Be very careful you’re NOT hyper-extending your lower back under the load - Because, with this style of lift, you’ll be directly under the bar and probably need to use your legs to push press the extra heavy weight off the rack, before you lock your legs and slightly unlock your arms for the hold. Again, best start with a few lighter sets. Ideally your shoulder press should be done with a neutral grip (most suited to dumbbells). Or from front shoulder position for a barbell. Behind the neck presses are most often implicated in shoulder impingement and rotator cuff issues and for most people they should be avoided. The Static Contraction system is primarily for strengthbuilding. In my experience ultra-short isometric exercises build major new strength quickly. They’re often touted as muscle-building systems as well. But I’ve found that unless you use greater volume than 1 x 5 second set per exercise, they do not build that much new muscle mass (because the stimulus is too short and there’s no joint movement around the joint) * The proviso for this is IF the weight you’re using are so huge, that the briefest of work against them, is enough to provide maximum muscle stimulus For strength and increased muscular development, immediately follow your static contraction sets with the necessary volume in the form of: Power Factor Training. The Power Factor System also formulated by Peter Sisco and John Little from existing knowledge about partials and volume. Is where you push or pull a heavy weight for as many reps as you can over a strict, set, unit of time.

In your safest and strongest range of motion (the last/ first 10% of a positive/ negative), use the same exercises as listed for The Static Contraction System: Leg Press, Deadlift, Shrugs, Bench Press, Close-Grip Bench Press, Lateral Pulldown, Shoulder Press. With weight usually equal to (depending on how many sets you’re doing) 125 to 200% of your full-range 1Rep Max. Sets are strictly timed for 30 seconds (these are proven to be more effective for muscle stimulation than 50 second sets) You aim to do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. As this technique measures your force output over a strict unit of time. For example, with the Leg Press, you press the weight off the safeties (keeping them on) and do short-range (partials) presses. Lowering and raising the weight within the muchshortened range of motion (always keeping the safeties on). 2 or 3 sets are all you need of each exercise. IF you find that doing the static contraction system alone isn’t giving you enough muscular stimulation (because plusmaximal isometrics primarily work tendon and ligament strength). Then follow your Statics with Power Factor training. As standalone Power Factor sessions you can do more volume. I often do up to 5 sets going up through the gears between 125 and 200% + of my full-range 1 Rep Max. Most strict Power Factor trainers would argue that’s too much volume. But I feel that because they’re short-range, timed sets, the volume is a manageable addon to your other training. Notes: When you first start doing the Static Contraction system. You’ll likely be able to do ALL 7 exercises each session - But as you start resisting heavier loads, you’ll need to split your sessions into A and B. Or in extreme cases A, B, C. This might seem ridiculous right now. But by the time you start resisting very heavy loads, these training sessions might be strung out over the course of a couple of months.

There are folks doing The Static Contraction training once every couple of months. Because the loads they use have increased to such an extent that they’ll genuinely keep growing muscle strength, fibre and tissue during that time. So next time back they’ll be stronger than they were last. Think about it, how many times a week could you, at your current bodyweight and conditioning, lift and recover from the following isometrics: Leg Press 1000kgs, Deadlift 500kgs, Shrug 300kgs? Bench Press 300kgs, Close-Grip Bench Press 200kgs? Shoulder Press 200kgs, Lat Pulldown 200kgs? Or greater? A typical A/B Split might be: Session A: Leg Press Shrug Lat Pulldown Bench Press Each done for possibly 3 sets each (lighter, medium-heavy, allout). Session B: Deadlift Shoulder Press Close-Grip Bench Press Alternatively, as you lift heavier weights you could do A, B, C sessions like so: Session A: Leg Press Lat Pulldown Close-Grip Bench Press

Session B: Shrug Bench Press Session C: Deadlift Shoulder Press As I say, by this point, you might be Leg Pressing 1000 kg plus and Deadlifting 500kg. Because these are all short-range movements, it’s easier to handle large-scale resistance. And you can (with enough rest) make staggering progress. Each A/ B session might take you no more than 25 minutes or so. And most of that time is spent loading the machines and bells with the necessary weight. If you split your sessions into A/B/C then I’d advise you to do maybe 10, minutes cardio at the beginning of each session. Because the weight session will be very short. For 2 exercises, 3 sets each, you’re looking at maybe 15 minutes max (more time loading weight than lifting itself). And that’s a lot of faff just to turn up and do something ultrabrief. So have another reason for going to the gym (some HIIT or Cardio first). The Olde-Time-Strongman Isometric System This is an older formulation than The Static Contraction System. It consists of 6 exercises all of which are done with safeties in place (where possible or needed). And these are done as partials with isometric holds in the last 3rd of the movement. Or similar. Most exercises are held for 8 to 12 second sets. With weights that are considerably heavier than your full-range, 1-rep max for the equivalent movement. Quarter Squat (Legs)

Ideally, whether you’re only doing an isometric session. Or whether you’re mixing them in with standard weight training. You should do a few warm up sets with 65%, 85%, 95% of your 1RM. Do these in a power cage or power rack. Put the safeties (catchers) at about 30% down, into the negative (lowering) phase. Carefully brace yourself under the bar. Keep everything tight. Prepare as you would a standard squat. Slowly lower the bar (3 second negative) to where it just about hovers over the safeties (these form a limit-level). Hold in that position for up to 12 seconds. Then press the weight back up and re-rack the bar. If the weight is light enough, do a few short-range reps and then rack it. If the weight is so heavy you can only do the hold and lowering portion of the lift (you cannot press the weight back up), then carefully bail the bar on to the safeties. Then unload some of it to squat the bar back into position to do another set. Reload the bar in the top position and repeat the negative and isometric. Do a maximum of 3 warmups and 3 ‘work’ sets in total. If you’re just starting your session having done no other lifts yet. And depending on how warmed up you are. You might want to hold your first set for up to 30 seconds. Ideally after a couple of warm up sets, your first ‘work set’ should be at least 115% of your full-range 1 rep max. Do the next set with 125% for up to 15 seconds. And the last (set 3) with around 130% or so for up to 12 seconds. If you’ve bailed the bar onto the safeties because you couldn’t press it back up, rest and then, for your lower percentage sets (I.E 75%), get under the bar on the pins and press it back to lockout (a pin squat) and re-rack it in the starter position. To load it with greater weight. The most important part of the lift is the negative (lowering) and the static hold (iso). This exercise will develop huge

strength in your legs, back and core. But you must keep good squat form. Be careful to keep your weight through your centre foot. Make sure you’re not leaning forward and putting undue pressure on your knees. Or leaning backwards through your heels. Your last work set needs to be with the heaviest weight you can currently safely handle for 8 to 12 seconds max. If you can do the last ‘work’ set for longer than 8 to 12 seconds, increase the weight for greater effect. Romanian (Paused) Deadlift (Back/ Posterior Chain) The great thing about a Romanian Deadlift is it concentrates upon the negative (lowering) phase of the lift. As an isometric, you focus on the negative (lowering) and the static hold at knee height. You place the bar in a power cage or rack at the correct height to get it off the pins and lower it to a second set of safeties you can bail the bar on to. If need be. At a push you can use the struts of a squat rack and lift the loaded bar up and off these into hang position. Start with 75% of your 1 rep standard deadlift max as a warmup. Only use straps if you’re having trouble holding the weight. Point your chin forwards and slowly lower the barbell until it’s just below your bent knee - Your chin should be pointing forwards, NOT down. Your hamstrings should feel tight as this is where most of the load should be. And your whole body should be working very hard to resist the drop. Go no further than just below your knee, as any lower can put undue strain on your lower back (if the bell lowers to midshin, you’re better off putting it down and starting again). With the first couple of sets, if you’re doing 3, hold the barbell in this static position for up to 20 seconds. For your last ‘work set’ hold for 8 to 12 seconds.

On the first couple of warmups you can do some short-range reps. As you get to the heavier sets, concentrate fully on resisting the hold/drop. At the completion of the rep, if you can, push back and up to full lockout. If you cannot come back up. Then lower the bar slowly and carefully to the floor. Or better yet to the sturdy blocks at midshin height - This’ll spare you having to plonk the barbell all the way down and unloading some of it to lift it back onto the struts. And then reloading the barbell in the top position. Rest a minute or so in between sets. Then do another rep. Train carefully and you can easily use up to 150% or so of your full-range 1 Rep Max and make good progress. Use chalk to get a better grip if necessary. And as with short-range deadlifts, only use straps or hooks etc. on your heaviest sets if your grip is failing. Overhead Press (Shoulders) Ideally done standing, you want your barbell on top of a power rack. Or in a near lockout position inside said rack (at a push use a Smith Machine). Same notes here as the static contraction variation for this lift. Although the overhead hold is usually 8 to 12 seconds on your heaviest sets. Get your body directly under the barbell. Use your legs to push press it up to lockout because it’ll generally be considerably heavier than the normal weights you use. When you’re ready, unlock your arms by 5 to 10%, slightly above the safeties. If you’re doing 3 sets of this, then hold the weight for set 1 and 2 (increasing percentages) for up to 20 seconds. Hold your last ‘work set’ for 8 to 12 seconds. Make sure that you DON’T drop the barbell on your head. As you’re probably going to be doing this lift later in your session, you may not need many warmup sets. I suggest you

start with 105% of your 1 rep max. And do 2 to 3 sets, gradually lifting heavier up to the equivalent of 150% or so of your full-range 1 rep max. Dips (Chest) Use parallel bars or a dipping station. Position a solid block or mini-bench between the arms or bars for you to step up onto. Use a heavy-duty dipping belt and load at least 25% of your current bodyweight onto it to start (you can work up to very heavy resistances). Once you’re onto the block, your arms should be extended at near lockout position. All you do is jump or press up to lock out to raise yourself off said block. Let the weight stabilise (it’ll swing a bit). Lean forward slightly for extra emphasis upon your chest and unlock your arms by 5 to 10% maximum (on the warmup sets you can lower to just above half way but as you add weight, stick to a 5 to 10% drop). Hold the position for 8 to 12 seconds against the drop. Then press back to lockout and put your feet onto the block. Or, if you can’t lock it back out, put your feet onto the block and come off the bars. Rest for a minute or so and do another set. Again, it should be a very short-range motion. And the emphasis should be on resisting the drop. Do 3 sets. Shrugs on Toes (Traps) Again, as with the static contraction system, use the pegs of a power rack. Or use a shrug lever (platform) where you can prop and affix blocks under the bumper pads. To bring the lever arms up to near lockout. Using a lever is easier to do this variation because you’re on your toes for the whole set. This works your calves, hamstrings and inner thighs very hard as well as your traps. Hold for 8 to 12 seconds with as heavy a weight as you can manage.

Do 2 to 3 sets. Only use straps if your grip is failing. Whilst lifting a very heavy load is more important than being limited by your current grip strength (which can be increased through specific grip work). I’d still encourage you to boost your grip strength through all possible means. Chin Up Hold (Back) Best here to use a barbell across the top of a squat rack to hang from. The bar should be level with your mouth (so you might need to step onto a block). Use a dipping belt with at least 25% of your bodyweight on it, to start (and build up). Step up onto a block to get your mouth level with the bar. It’s important (opposite to an overhead pressing motion) you DO NOT stand directly under the bar. As I’ve found that standing directly under the bar puts a lot of strain on your elbow tendons (ulna) when pulling up from there. Instead, stand about 1 foot away from the bar (out and back). Seize the bar firmly in a chin up grip (where the bar is level with your mouth). And, without letting yourself drop, hold yourself at bar level for 8 to 12 seconds. Then lower. Rest and do 2 or 3 sets in total. Again, when you start doing this training, you might be able to do all your exercises in one go. But as you progress, you might find doing a session of all 6 exercises, too taxing or too much of a faff. So, you can, like the static contraction system, do an A/B split. Like so: Session A: Quarter Squat Dips Shrugs on Toes 3 to 5 sets of each should be enough IF you’re doing a primarily isometric session. Perhaps 2 lighter, 2 medium-

heavy, 1 heaviest (I.E 110%, 130%, 150% etc.). Less volume is needed if you’re doing a mixed dynamic and isometric session. Some exercises lend themselves to doing sub-maximal lifts. But obviously for a chin up etc. it’s difficult to do it with less than your bodyweight unless you use a weight-assisted machine. Session B: Romanian Deadlift Chin Ups Shoulder Press Whichever way you decide to do or use them, these progressive resistance isometric training systems will get you stronger. As standalone training they can be done quickly, intensely and efficiently. Or factored in as addons to your standard dynamic training sessions. Briefly, remember the purpose of what you’re using isometrics for is to get stronger, quicker. Being a form of strength training that staunchly effects your Central Nervous System, you should be aware that their effect is deceptive. The Happy Ending I want you to put the key principles in this work ‘Super Isometrics’ into practice. I merely advise you to treat isometric training as you would any heavy weight training system. For seminars, products, feedback etc. you can contact me, the author, Russell Wilks [email protected] Train hard and enjoy it. And thanks for your ongoing support.