A brief moment to review the topic of this series. An isometric contraction occurs when the resistance to the muscle is so intense that the muscle cannot move the weight or object. Then the muscle stiffens and does not shorten. At that point, all of the energy in the muscle is used in tension and none in the form of movement. That's how it develops the maximum amount of muscle tension.
With this system of strength training, you perform only a single maximum contraction in each exercise. Compared to a typical free-weight or machine workout, isos require very little energy. One of the main selling points for doing isos was that they weren't fatiguing and could be done more frequently than conventional workouts. You didn't have to rest a day between sessions, which enabled you to train six days a week if you wanted to.
The maximum contractions involve the tendons and ligaments much more than multiple reps on free weights, and they also force the nervous system to be more active. Stimulating the nervous system is of particular interest to any athlete engaging in a high-skill activity such as Olympic weightlifting and the field events in track. Enhancing the ability of your nervous system to respond more rapidly is a great asset in any sport.
Studies have concluded that moving a loaded barbell a short distance isotonically, before locking it in an isometric contraction is more productive than doing isometrics without movement. That's not to say that pure isometrics don't work because they've been proven to add strength. It's just that isotonic-isometric exercise is better, and that's my focus here.
There are a number of ways to incorporate isos into your current program. The best approach is usually to insert some isos into your regular routine so that there's not much overall change right away. When I first used isometrics, I did them on my nonlifting days- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday- and trained with free weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was able to recover from the six-day regime for two reasons: The iso sessions were short and sweet- 15 minutes tops- and I always paid close attention to the heavy, light and medium concept on my lifting days. The short, condensed iso sessions didn't tire me at all but instilled a pleasant stimulation that carried over to the following day and benefited me in the weight room.
Unless you have easy access to a power rack, however, that idea isn't very feasible. At
Some situations may prompt you to give isos priority for a month or six weeks. Maybe you're feeling burnt out with your present program, want some sort of drastic change or are simply pressed for time. Switching to an iso routine can revive your enthusiasm: Isos are new stuff and demand a type of concentration different from what you need in conventional workouts.
When Tommy Suggs was still a tax accountant, he'd drop his regular weight workouts and do an almost exclusive iso routine during tax season. He'd get up at 6 a.m., go into his garage, zip through a 15- or 20-minute session in the power rack, shower and go to his office. That permitted him to maintain his consistency of training and prepared him for the mental stress of the day. When he went back to his free-weight routine, he always felt stronger and found the rack work had helped him get rid of some nagging injuries.
I introduce my athletes to isos by having them do one position per workout. It's the best way of becoming familiar with the technique. Once they learn it on a single position, they can more readily move to others. Contrary to what many believe, a great deal of technique is required to achieve the desired results. Isometrics is one of those exercise methods that are easy to learn but hard to master. You'll soon discover that the more you practice, the greater the gains.
I recommend supplementing your regular routine with isos for yet another practical reason. Locking a weighted barbell into a set of pins and applying your absolute maximum effort for eight to 12 seconds isn't fun. It's not nearly as rewarding as pressing, pulling or squatting a heavy poundage. It's pure work. So for most athletes, a little goes a long way.
If you do decide to start including one or two isos in your weekly program, add them sensibly. You must always be aware of balancing your isos with your other weight work. For example, it wouldn't be wise to do isos for your legs on your heavy squat day. Too much of a good thing. But you could do one or two positions on your light and medium days. In the event that you want to do an iso position on your medium day, drop your back-off set.
Even though isos are much less demanding than full-range exercises, if you pile on too much extra work, you'll become overtrained. It's a delicate balance, but one that you can manage if you pay attention. Keep in mind the fundamental principle that Dr, Ziegler expounded over and over: Once you've attacked the attachments with maximum effort and held that contraction for a minimum of eight seconds, they cannot be made any stronger. Same rule applies if you have maxed out with low reps using free weights. So on a day you work some group extra hard , don't add isos. Even if you’re feeling perky.
Similarly, never do more than three positions for any bodypart. I think that two are plenty for squats: bottom and middle. Seldom is the finish of the squat any problem, except when the middle is very weak. Instead of doing the finish for squats, I prefer heavy overloads inside the rack. Moving half a ton a few inches and supporting it for a long count is extremely ego boosting, and I guarantee the next time you back out of the squat rack with a heavy weight, it will feel lighter than ever. Yet there's no reason you can't do the finish of the squat if you so choose.
The original program suggested three press positions, three pulls, two squats and, one I really like, the "rise on toes," an extremely effective way to strengthen the calves. Nine positions, done quickly with short rest periods between sets, and you're finished. Articles on the subject list six or seven iso positions for just one body part. What they overlook is the principal that once you've exhausted the tendons and ligaments, they're through for that session. Even though you're hitting those attachments in a slightly different manner at the various positions, you're still working the same tendons and ligaments. In other words, when it comes to doing isotonic-isometrics, more is not better. Less is.
What I like best about isos is that you can strengthen certain positions that are extremely difficult to work with conventional movements, such as the deep bottom of a back or front squat. It's almost impossible to overload that position with free weights, especially if it's relatively weak. You can squeeze under a bar in a power rack, however, and perform an iso. They're brutal yet very productive.
Dan Dziadosz was a football player at John Hopkins who competed in Olympic lifting in the winter and spring. His pulling power had moved ahead of his leg strength, and he was having trouble recovering from his heavy cleans. That was having an adverse effect on his jerks. I had him squat twice a week , once heavy and once less heavy. On his less heavy session I'd have him drop a work set and do a low iso to finish off, but I'd have him get lower than he actually went during a front squat or clean. He's be scrunched up in a ball and could squeeze the bar only up to the pins. What was important was that he maintained perfect position. If he hadn't, the iso would not have been useful.
Since he was already warmed up all he did was one set of one rep where he held the bar against the pins for a 12 count (I admit that I sometimes count kinda slow). Within a month he improved his leg strength, his jerk also became solid. That was the only change he made in his leg routine.
The top of the pull is another place where isos can really help. The finish of the snatch is particularly hard to strengthen. How are you going to work it? While high pulls and shrugs are somewhat useful, the amount of weight you can use is limited if that's a weak area. By setting the bar slightly higher than you normally pull and performing an iso there, you can vastly improve your top pull. As every Olympic lifter fully understands, pulling higher is the key to success in the snatch. Without sufficient height, all the quickness in the world isn't going to matter.
If you decide to try high pulling positions with a snatch grip, be prepared for a humbling experience. As a general rule you have to use at least 100 pounds less on the top-end iso than you can snatch. When I was snatching 300, the most I could handle at this position was 205. And I started off using 185. My teammates at
An iso also works well for the top end of the clean and is much easier. Standing high on your toes and trying to keep the bar firmly against the pins with a wide grip for the required count is almost as exhausting as the low position in the front squat.
I’ve also had great success with powerlifters who are having problems with the start of the deadlift. I have them do an iso at a position several inches lower than the height of the bar when it sits on the floor. That position responds to isotonic-isometric quite rapidly and converts to the deadlift immediately- as in the very next workout.
The hardest part is maintaining perfect body positioning through the count. The lifter has to learn to keep his hips in precisely the same place for the duration, or it won't help him. So he focuses his attention on locking his entire body in place and keeping it there through staunch determination until he hears "12."
Unless you train alone, always have someone else do the counting (ideally, someone who likes you). Face it: If you count for yourself, you'll always hurry, and on the demanding positions you might sound like an auctioneer. Staying with the hold for the required count is as much a matter of mental toughness as bodily strength.
Although this is common sense, I'll say it anyway. Never do an iso before working a muscle group with any form of exercise. Be sure to warm up your target muscles thoroughly. If the isos are an extension of a session, such as a couple of pulling positions after you've power cleaned, then you're fine. If you plan on using isos as your primary movement for your back on a certain day, however, make sure you prepare for the upcoming stress. A few reps with a light weight on power cleans or power snatches for pulls, light squats for the legs and dumbells for the shoulders will flush blood to those groups. A muscle that's warmed up will respond to any exercise, including isos, more readily and be less apt to be injured.
Let's take a look at the method I use to ensure that an athlete's muscles and attachments are absolutely ready for the work set. Set the bar in the power rack at the position you plan for your iso. If you're going to do a pull at midthigh, use straps for all pulling positions. Let's say the last time you did this position, you handled 405. Today you plan on attempting 415. For your first set you use 225 and do three reps, tapping the bar against the top pins on each rep but not holding it against them at all. Your second set is 315, and you follow the same procedure on your initial set: three reps, tapping the higher pins each time. Now you're ready for the money set, 415.
You pull the weight up against the top pins and once you've locked it tightly, the count begins. Remember, the bar must be eased up against the pins. If you jam it against them, you'll end up knocking yourself out of position, and the bar will slide forward or backward or crash back to the lower pins. Steadily exert more pressure on the bar so that when you reach six or eight, you're pulling just as hard as you can. So you do all that and achieve your goal. When you hear "12," however, you don't relax and let the bar drop to the lower pins. Instead, you slowly reduce the pressure on the bar and lower it in a controlled manner. Letting the bar crash to the lower pins can be traumatic to your shoulders and elbows.
In some cases, especially during the learning stage, I have my athletes follow this procedure on their work set: Pull the bar up to the top pins and tap them. Lower the bar, reset and proceed to lock the bar against the pins and hold for eight or 12 seconds. The first rep helps them get the feel of the weight and also enables them to make necessary adjustments in their mechanics. Beginners like that better than doing only a single rep on their work set. A few prefer doing two preliminary reps before locking the bar in place. Whatever helps them fix the weight snugly against the top pins and pull harder is okay with me.
If you're planning to do more than one position for a bodypart, you need to use the three-rep idea only on the first position you use. For example, you want to do the start, middle and top for your clean pull. Once you do the three-rep tap, tap, hold at the starting position, you should be sufficiently warmed up and able to do single reps at the middle and top. If you feel more comfortable tapping the top pins once or twice before locking into the isometric contraction, though, by all means do so.
I've found that it's helpful to change positions each time you do isos for a bodypart. The change doesn't have to be big; moving the pins up or down one hole is enough. The new position, however, forces new muscles to get in the act, and that's a good thing. Plus, the minor change adds some variety to the routine. Exception: If you know exactly where your weakest point is on some lift, you'll want to work that position until it gets stronger.
I also like changing where you grip the bar on the pulling positions. Olympic lifters do that out of necessity since the snatch requires a much wider hand spacing than the clean. So try pulling with a very wide grip, then a bit closer and finally with a clean grip. Anything closer than that is of no value.
Which brings me back to a point I emphasized last time; the need to keep accurate records of every iso session, even if you did only one position. You need to write down where you set the top pins, how much weight you used, including warm ups and work sets, and the exact count that you held the isometric contraction. The sooner you do that, the better. Right after you complete the iso is best because you can double-check your pin placement. While you may be able to recall the count and how much weight you used later that night or the next day, the odds of remembering the pin placements for the isos are dead against you. In the event you do start changing pin placements or using different grips regularly, keeping an accurate account of what you did is even more essential.
Because all of the isos in Ziegler’s program put stress on the back- overhead presses, pulls and squats- he advocated doing something at the conclusion of the workout to decompress the spine. He suggested frog kicks, which are easy to do from the high bar on the Super Power Rack or any chinning bar. Strap onto the bar and lift your knees up to your chest or as close to your chest as you can manage. Inversion boots or inversion machines weren't around yet, but I'm sure he'd have put his stamp of approval on both.
More next installment . . .
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