Isometrics to Maximize Performance – Carter Peak Performance

Training has many uses, from getting an athlete to maximize their genetic potential, coming back from an injury to participate in a sport / activity, to maintain your independence, or even keeping up with your kids as they seem to have endless energy!

One of the biggest questions I answer (almost daily) is”what’s the best workout program?”

I HATE THAT QUESTION!!!!

It is open ended and literally there are too many variables for my to pigeonhole you into a program. HOWEVER, I can tell you without hesitation that the habit you can do is BE CONSISTENT with whatever workout plan I prescribe.

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This is huge in our field. We are asking clients / athletes to do things that are uncomfortable to do. Adding external load, pushing your limits, finding new limits, these are not easy and getting buy in starts with them trusting you.

One of our favorite techniques to use is Isometrics. It is a great way to find movement positions, allows for tightly controlled application of force within pain free joint angles in therapy settings, gain strength through your sticking points, break through plateaus, and get athletes back into shape from either a long season or laziness in the offseason.

Isometrics can be broken up into 2 categories:

Overcoming Isometric: You’re pushing or pulling against an immovable resistance (i.e. pulling against the pins in a rack). There is no external movement but your intent is to move the resistance.
Yielding Isometric: You’re holding a weight and your objective is to prevent it from going down. Once again there’s no external movement; however, your intent is no longer to move the load but to prevent its movement (i.e. holding the bottom position of the pushup).

It’s important to understand that both techniques will not have the same effect. The neural patterns used in both techniques will be different. Overcoming isometrics may have a bigger impact on concentric strength and yielding isometrics on eccentric strength and muscle mass.

Literally, the definition of isometrics is “generating muscle tension without a change in joint position.” Think of pushing into a concrete wall as hard as you can. You are exerting maximal force but there is no movement occurring during the effort.

Knowledge is power. Here are a couple of the benefits of isometrics as found by smarter humans than myself…

Isometric training at longer muscle lengths (sticking points in a lift) produced greater muscle size than when compared to equal exercise volume with muscle at shorter lengths (1,3)
Ballistic intent (maximal voluntary contraction) resulted in greater neuromuscular activation and rapid force production (Increase awareness and force production) (1,3)
Blending isometrics with plyometric training enhances the architecture of tendons to aid the spectrum of sports performance (2)
If the isometric phase, which can be easily overlooked in training, is not maximally trained, an athlete will do a poor job of transferring the energy stored from the eccentric phase into power (5,6)
Isometric training tools can help take advantage of stress relaxation within non-contractile tissues (tendons / ligaments). This decreases the stresses within these tissues & allow for healing & rebuilding (4,7)
Isometric hold times that are longer (30 seconds) can help with cross-linking in the muscle-tendon junction easing soft tissue issues some athletes may suffer when doing high speed movements (7)

In short, Isometrics are a relatively easy way to maximize your performance, whether your goals are playing with your kids, gardening, taking the stairs, or even playing at an elite level in your sport or winning a championship.

To maximize the effect of your isometrics, simply try and generate as much tension as possible when performing. Doing this stimulates joint specific strength and nervous system recruitment

For example, during the plank you would try and pull the floor together with your elbows and toes all while holding that plank position. That is total body tension and would be hard to hold that for longer than 10 seconds!!

Coaching Cue: PULL THE GROUND TOGETHER (video 1). Don’t just assume the position allowing your hips & shoulders to lay dormant. Your low back SHOULD NOT look like video 2!!

As mentioned, isometrics are great training tool to aid in strength, power, breaking through a strength plateau, or just changing up your routine when stuck indoors!!

Here is a great starter workout with minimal equipment to get you going utilizing some basic isometrics.

Below is a video braking down the isometric workout. Feel free to use one or all of the exercises is bolster up your current workout!

REFERENCES

Isometric training and long‐term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Oranchuk, D el al. Scandanavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sport. Volume 29(4) 2018.
Effects of plyometric and isometric training on muscle and tendon stiffness in vivo. Kubo et al. Physiological Reports. Volume 5(15) 2017.
Effects of low volume isometric leg press complex training at two knee angles on force-angle relationship and rate of force development. Bogdanis et al. European Journal of Sport Science. Volume 19(3). 2019.
Stress Relaxation and Targeted Nutrition to Treat Patellar Tendinopathy. Baar, K. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Volume 29(4). 2018.
Cal Dietz & Matt Van Dyke; Supramaximal Isometric Training, 2015. http://vandykestrength.com/pages/supra_iso
MacDougall, D & Sale, D. The Physiology of Training for High Performance. Chapter 4 pp. 118-120. 2014.
Dr. Keith Baar on Tendon Health, Rehab and Elastic Power Performance: Just Fly Performance Podcast #156. 2019