The Science of Strength: Traditional vs. Isometric Training

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Effects of two isometric strength training methods on jump and sprint performance: a RCT (Danny Lum, 2021)
Effect of long term periodization on isometric training (Danny Lum)
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Information contained in this video or otherwise provided by The Movement System is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. Always consult with a medical professional before making changes to your exercise routine.
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[@TheMovementSystem]

Follow along on instagram to learn more: instagram.com/themovementsystem/

[@emanuelelombardo5163]

Cool! I already started incorporating isometrics in my training routine and I now look forward to learning about iso switches!

[@janhelgelorenz4352]

It's totally crazy - about 30 years ago we regularly did maximum isometric strength exercises after warming up during karate training! Also about 5 seconds all out then 5 seconds break 3 repetitions - then a different muscle group - we usually used a wooden stick - and often one broke - the effect was awesome - I didn't know about tendon problems back then and I was extremely busy more explosive and faster in my techniques.... strange that because of the whole bodybuilding craze and studies that dynamic training is clearly superior to isometric training, I had completely abandoned this path - 2 years ago I took a break from karate after a 28 year break started again and realized how much my fast muscle fibers and tendons had degenerated - tried various dynamic exercises to get back into the swing of things and was injured several times - the last few weeks I started doing isometric exercises again and the results are incredible.. ! (sorry for the bad english ...)

[@treycobb2349]

Great video!

[@mhavock]

that bench with the sweaty armpit was hilarious.

[@miketsak2104]

Really nice video and analysis!!!! Very informative.

[@Conoradamspt]

Curious about the ideal ratio of strength training and iso-training across a week for an off-season athlete. I'm visualizing these potential training splits: Upper/Lower (M/T)- traditional strength training Upper/Lower (T/F)- isometrics + speed work Essentially undulating or max effort/dynamic effort + iso's. There's probably other possible combinations that would make for an ideal model.

[@denisbeaulieu5600]

thanks Matt

[@RodWaveFan11-ck9og]

Thank you for the wisdom 🫡 i drank deeply from your chalice 🤝

[@abcdefgh4404]

Fantastic video and information 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@divyansh6574]

Can you please make a video on training intensity and overshooting/undershooting RPE

[@Bazilisk_AU]

Please !! The Brisketts !!

[@treycobb2349]

Hey Matt, I had a question. Do isometrics build just as much strength/ recruit as many motor units as traditional strength training or more? And also do isometrics build more tendon strength than traditional strength training? Thanks!

[@GhostOfRT300]

Brilliant

[@carlost9454]

Left out the frequency of these sessions. Please do tell how many times a week.

[@daniklegault]

So 30 seconds at 70% will improve the tendons regardless if it's a overcoming or yielding isometrics What is important is the time under tension, not the type of isometrics Do i understand that correctly ?

[@akshayebenezar]

What are your top isometrics that most non athletes/ bodybuilders/ general public can benifit from. Kinda like those handful of stretches that target most common problem areas.

[@evanhadkins5532]

If strength and mass comes from repair to fatigue is there any benefit in doing more than one repetition?

[@mrgrumpycat9049]

still needs volume to induce adaptation

[@evanhadkins5532]

@@mrgrumpycat9049 That's what I'm wondering about. What does the extra volume add if a muscle is fatigued?

[@gabrielbraga6749]

​@@evanhadkins5532 More adaptive stimulus. Fatigue is one of the main drivers for hypertrophy when there is sufficient tensile strength applied

[@Neuman2010]

Local metabolic signalling from glucose turnover/depletion.

[@umeshkukian1572]

Sir,need to know abt birskets.thanks

[@aussieWS]

Listen idk what any of this means. I would like to hear more about briskets though

[@schoolbonddogs]

Ideally isometrics should be combined with lengthened partials for maximum hypertrophic effect since it's when muscles are maximally stretched and loaded at the same time that stimulates the most growth (assuming you've trained to failure). Overcoming isometrics I don't think is terribly practical for most athletes because there's no obvious way to measure how much force is being generated, so what I do is substitute conventional weightlifting eccentric/concentric movements with isometric with 70% (or more) of my one rep max. 20 second holds are equivalent to one set of up-and-down lifts because they have roughly the same time under tension. Train to failure, as always. My progressions typically go from 3 sets of 20 second holds, to 4, to 5, and when I can finally do 6 I bump up the weight and start over back down to 3. Been doing it for about half a year and seeing nice gains but without joints getting beat up. Even if it's true that isometrics doesn't produce as much hypertrophy, I'll take somewhat lower gains at almost zero cost over higher gains that will eventually make me regret lifting as an old man when my joints are so beat up I can't lift anymore.

[@cata9223]

Carful with that I actually train and that would feel like a bicep tear or pec tear to me honestly

[@chazaqs9109]

You need to try ISO-extremes, which are quasi-eccentrics/maximal ROM ISO-metrics. He doesn’t cover them here, and I assume doesn’t know about them, or understand how to do them.

[@schoolbonddogs]

@@chazaqs9109 Where can I find information about this? Sounds interesting.

[@chazaqs9109]

@ Here is some videos discussing them. This is the 1st of a 4-video series. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYPFlpyKp7qAntUsi=rzhkg8FLrzXB6k-2 Christian Thibaudeau has a 4-video series going over them as well. But he calls them EQIs, or Loaded Stretching.

[@Neuman2010]

Good insights here. I've combined overcoming iso with traditional lifts in a Drop Set format (10 breath max effort isos followed immediately by a 20 rep set of lifting). I've also combined overcoming iso with jumprope intervals (10 second hold followed by 20 seconds max effort jump rope). Also find 20-30 rapid fire pulses at the end of a max effort hold will improve hypertrophic response. But yeah, whenever practical the hold should be at long muscle length.

[@douglasweiss6113]

I was a little unclear on the 30-50% you're referencing: is that %MVIC or time or something else?

[@TheMovementSystem]

Basically you want to hold an isometric contraction for less than half of the time that you could hold it. So for a maximal contraction 100% intensity you could hold for 10 seconds before force drops off, but you're better off targeting 3-5 seconds so you can repeat maximal efforts. For sub maximal (ex: ~80% intensity contractions you could hold for about 40 seconds so you want to target ~8-20 seconds)

[@tmomedrano]

the dude is basically describing max and dynamic effort with conjugate method. which is not a bad thing.

[@coreyjones8443]

How many days a week should you do heavy load isometric training?

[@schoolbonddogs]

Not more than 3 days a week, same/similar rules as with traditional isotonic (eccentric/concentric) training. Basically don't hit the same muscle group two days in a row.

[@theheebs100]

how might you incorporate these into a conventional strength program?

[@ujima24uk]

You get snippets of information for free. You've just opted for the paid version.

[@jondeubago5419]

Tendon Strength 7-8/10 intensity for 30 seconds - I’m confused with the 10 second rule you mentioned earlier.

[@thinkingnutrition]

Me too - does it mean a 30-second continuous hold, or cumulative 30 seconds over several sets and reps?

[@thecursedknight1]

The 10 second thing was based on a study where you can maintain 100% muscle contraction for about 10 seconds. Therefore you should do 70/80% and hold for 30 seconds since it’s submaximal and you can do more

[@GyterriumLP]

So as an athlete when do I need overcoming and when a yielding isometric?

[@schoolbonddogs]

The bigger issue is that it's hard/impossible to measure how much force you're using for overcoming isometrics unless you buy a device like Dragon Door's Isochain. I own said device but don't use it that much. Instead what I do is swap out conventional lifts for 3 sets of 20-second holds at 70% of my 1 rep max which substitutes for 3 sets of 10 regular lifts because they have the equivalent time under tension (about 20 seconds per set or 60 seconds total). Been doing it for almost 10 months, numbers are steadily moving up but I don't feel so beat up afterwards because my joints aren't moving through a full range of motion so my recovery time is faster.

[@GyterriumLP]

@ how long are you resting between each set?

[@schoolbonddogs]

@@GyterriumLP Between 20 second holds I rest for 30 seconds. Although I could probably get away with 20 seconds or less.