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Isometrics Part 1

There are numerous different ways to manipulate reps.  From slower eccentric portions, to pauses in certain ranges, to unbroken reps or even by changing the rep to incorporate a 1 and ¼ rep for more gains.  These are all sound ways to improve strength and really fire up the central nervous system.  With that being said, my favorite method of rep manipulation is to use Isometrics.  

I typically identify isometrics into three different categories: 1. Classic isometrics 2. Movement Isometrics 3. Isometronic.  For this particular blog, we will focus on classic isometrics.

Classic isometrics is when an individual will simply hold a weighted position for a given period of time.  For example, when preparing Nick Gwiazdowski for the Freestyle Wrestling World Championships, we used a lunge isometric hold at 90 degrees to simulate the long duration that he will hold his stance during a match.  This is a very grueling drill, it stimulates a massive neural response and also requires a lot of mental fortitude, teaching the athlete how to “push” and control their mind while under duress.  

Classic isometrics can be used for someone that has an injury that has forced them into very limited physical exercise, they can also be used to target specific weak areas in a joint angle as well as mimic long holding periods found in various sports. Another great example of a brutal classic isometric is to have wrestlers hang from a fat bar for periods of time.  Add in a partner for competition and keep tally on a record board, their grip strength will increase dramatically and they will hold tremendous grip strength later on in the match because they have trained during the long duration phase!  Don’t forget about isometrics!

Stay Tuned for part 2, next Wednesday!!