Isometric Philosophy Developing Strength of Body and Strength on Mind

     I'm an isometrics devotee. If you're unfamiliar with isometric training it is very simply the contraction of a muscle or series of muscles without moving the angle to the joint. Essentially you tense and hold a muscle in a given position without moving for a set number of seconds. Doesn't sound like much does it. I mean you're not even moving. But Isometrics are the most intense form of physical exertion - and the most effective.

In this article I want to introduce to some of the physical benefits of Isometrics, but beyond that I want to share with you the great secret of Isometrics, beyond the ripped, warm marble physiques, beyond the near superhuman physical strength (I leg pressed over 17,000 lbs during a one and a half minute period in my last workout), but the remarkable mental strength one develops - The Immovable Mind.

   Isometric Training is the SINGLE most effective method of strength training available. In 1954 two German Scientist, Muller and Hettinger conclusively proved in over 5,000 independent clinical trials, that one could increase strength by 5-15% with a single 7 second stimulation once a week. Subjects in a later study performing a daily 7 second contraction increased their strength by 72% in 46 weeks. The fall of strength after the end of training is very slow. 70 weeks after the end of training their strength was still 42% higher than before the beginning of training. After doing nothing for over a year and a half they were still 42% stronger than when they started. Since then hundreds of studies have been conducted reinforcing this conclusion.

  Isometrics are, due to their static nature an incredibly safe form of training and far safer than weight lifting which can cause severe problems not just to pressure and, bone and joint shearing but have been shown to seriously damage the heart. More over you can train in isometrics without moving, using contraction alone, or you can alternatively use your bodyweight or various bands and cables should you wish - depending on what resources you have and what your current fitness levels are. There are an infinite number of ways to incorporate Isometrics into you daily life or workout routines. And the best part is you can finish a workout in as little as 7 seconds per muscle – so you can finish working out your entire body in less than 3 minutes of exercise. What’s more, at advanced levels, you don’t have to exercise every day. :-)

  From a physical point of view Isometrics offers safer, more effective and rapidly more time efficient results in terms of muscle building and strength...but that's not their greatest gift...that is within the realm of the mind.

I train in the martial arts, in particular, Japanese Swordsmanship daily. It's a cornerstone of my life, so my sword is very important to me. A lot of time and thought went into the design of my sword and it reflects my desire to improve myself. Why am I telling you this?  Because of the little man on the handle of the sword (tsuka). I have an image of a Buddhist deity known as Fudo Myo-o. Now I am not a Buddhist, and for me this images contains no religious significance, but I like the mythology of this guy.

  Fudo Myo-o legend tells us is a guardian of the Buddhist Deities. He is often depicted as livid blue in colour standing upon a rock covered in flames. In his right hand he holds a sword, in his left a rope. Fudo uses the sword to cut through delusion and untruth. He uses the rope to bind these. And while I won't go into the philosophy behind Fudo at length, he represents to martial artists and warriors (bushi) the concept of an immovable mind.

  Isometrics teaches us to strain our muscles maximally against and immovable force. As a result we grow remarkably strong and thick muscles. To do this however, to strain the muscles voluntarily to their upmost requires great mental strength, great will. Isometrics thus teaches us to not only to develop the strength of the body, but the strength or our minds;  an immovably strong Isometric Mind. In Japanese this is called "Fudōshin" (Japanese: 不動心) a mental state of equanimity or imperturbability (literally and metaphorically, "immovable mind", "immovable heart" or "unmoving heart"). It is a philosophical or mental dimension to Japanese martial arts which contributes to the effectiveness of the advanced practitioner. This is turn gives the isometric trainee great mental clarity and teaches them to cut through the delusions and loose ends that sap you of energy, distract you from purposeful and productive action and ensures that you reach your goals without interruption.

  Incomplete actions drain our energy; they are the quite leak that sinks the ship. They manifest in many ways, a dietary plan that's on the fridge but is never followed through on, someone ripping you off leading to a lingering resentment, or as experience with being "halfway" through that "project" for MONTHS.

You've probably noted by now, much of my philosophy (I have a degree in Philosophy by the way) is rooted in the Japanese Martial arts. There is a reason for this. The concept used to succeed in life and death combat can be applied to any struggle, this includes the work / life balance, work itself, diet and training and more. Unsurprisingly the primary method of strength development in the martial arts is Isometrics. The trick to success in any endeavor and in Isometrics is to apply that small amount of will power to keep moving you in the right direction, to move you towards habitually right choices. For when we are in the habit of training, of eating well, of living well, we no longer have to expend will power on ensuring this. Then we can move on to the next goal knowing that we will automatically continue upon the path and repeat the steps necessary to succeed.

  In order to succeed in Isometrics or any program or choice you make in life that steers you towards improvement and away from easy and comfortable choices that lead only to poor results and lifestyle you need Will Power and Awareness, Isometrics, carves both the body and the mind, providing you with an immovable bedrock of strength in each. With an Isometric Mind, Immovable Will, Fudoshin you can resolve yourself to confront poor habits and build better ones. Cut away your delusions and bad habit. It will be a battle, but one Isometrics can teach you to WIN.

  If you'd like to learn more about Isometrics and the Isometric Mind check out my complete 7 Week Training Guide – 7 Seconds to A Perfect Body, The Scientifically Proven Method for Transforming Your Body in Just Seconds! Over 250 pages and filled with more than 100 photos it will transform your body from your face down to your toes, sculpting your physique and letting you develop astonishing strength with just seconds of exercise.

About the Author

Paul "Batman" O’Brien, is a fully qualified Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner. He is also a certified in Western Clinical Medicine, Oriental Body Balance, and holds additional qualifications as a Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Whole Body Vibration Trainer.

He runs a busy private medical practice in Dublin, the Meridian Acupuncture Clinic and is also a Reality Based Combat Instructor, Iaido (Japanese Swordsmanship) Instructor, President of the Iaido Association of Ireland and dedicated martial artist having studied the martial arts for over 20 years.

How To Become Tarzan In Your Own Way

            In the Jungle, you don’t know what to expect, don’t always where to eat or drink because there’s always something else that might get in your way. You’re constantly on the move and you can go from tree to tree or you run on the ground. To move like a wild animal, you must learn its moving patterns, where to plant your body when you land, which direction to use your arms to get where you want to go. Tarzan is a great reminder of how to use your body and mind.

            When you've been in a certain environment long enough, you know where everything is, you know what can be dangerous and it becomes second nature to you. You can use that to your advantage when you want to train. When you learn how to use your environment as a resource for exercise and fitness, you can take it anywhere and anytime you want. You don’t always need one specific place, when you aren't used to a certain environment, learn how you can make it your strength and learn how you can use it to get in awesome shape.

            One of my friends Ed Baran has a few words that he says called Way Of The Animal, it’s related to how you move like a wild animal in the Jungle, using your body to develop strength and muscle like an animal. It is far healthier and much more natural to move like an animal in the wild than sulking in a gym waiting to use the weights. When you head outside and go to a park, there’s a great connection there. Since kids are back in school as of late, this is the time to reflect on getting them in tuned with their animal counterparts by imitating them to fight off obesity and other forms of illness.

            A thing I have learned over the years that I’m still learning is to follow my intuition meaning how to use my awareness in a mindful way. For me, my intuition is never wrong and whenever something comes up no matter what it is, it’s usually spot on. Like Tarzan from all his time in the Jungle, his intuition is so powerful that it’s kept him alive, it’s helped form a bond with his body and mind when he senses danger and needs to protect himself. Granted yes in the movies he never dies because the script said so but there is some truth to that notion when you learn to follow your instincts and something inside of you is telling you something, you better listen.

            Have fun when you’re learning how to use your intuition, your way of moving around your own environment and practicing the movements of a Jungle animal. Too many of us get stuck in this rut where things are so downward and dull, boring and we don’t give ourselves time to relax and enjoy what we have. I understand you have certain things to deal with in your lives but that doesn't mean you make it harder on yourself to control what you really can do in a more productive and positive way. Channel your energy and learn from somebody like Tarzan, he’s got more issues then you do and yet he still has that child-like quality of him that still plays even in the worst conditions of the Jungle. Be fun and have a kick ass time. 

Train To Be Effortless

           Too many people try so hard to make things easier in their lives. They work hard for their family, they push themselves to the brink of exhaustion in their exercises to build their body and they just shove so much stuff it becomes more of a chore and a punishment than an effortless series of tasks. It’s not a shame to work hard for what you want but there are ways to tweak things and use your mind to channel your attitude towards certain things.

            One of the greatest quotes in my opinion is from Yoda “Do or do not. There is no try.” You either do something or you don’t it’s that simple. However, you can focus your mind to make things seem effortless by relaxing a bit more and letting things flow and letting the universe take it’s course. This does not mean stop doing what you’re doing and letting things just happen for you, it takes effort but it doesn't have to be so dramatic and emotionally and physically exhausting. Let me give you an example…When Luke was using the force to pull the X-Wing out of the Swamp, in his mind the damn thing was heavy as hell and with all his might he couldn't even get it out of the water. Exhausted and breathing heavily, he sat down and Yoda looks at him with such disappointment. Luke gets frustrated and walks away thinking that even an old dwarf like Yoda couldn't pull that chunk of metal out of the water. Yoda makes it look effortless and not only gets it out of the water but even makes the damn thing fly back onto shore.

            We all have to pull our own X-Wing out of the water in our lives and sometimes it can be extremely difficult. When you learn to channel your mind and believe with action that everything will flow the way it should, things will become effortless for you and even our metaphorical X-Wing will fly out of the water and we’ll carry it in our mind towards shore without any effort at all. Like the late Bruce Lee once said “Be like water”, you’ll flow with power and effortless strength in any endeavor you do and it all starts in the mind and once you learn how to use it, everything will come together.

            A lot of things can be challenging and we sometimes can’t stand it because it can be so freaking hard your head might explode but what if we can shift things around. When an obstacle comes across us, how about we make the challenge a little interesting; have a little fun with it. You’d be surprised how things can seem less of a challenge if you don’t struggle with it so much. It could be just about anything and you can conquer your challenges with fierce vitality and strength that nothing can stand in your way, you’ll find a way to beat it and do it with a smile on your face. Love the challenge because if you don’t it’ll walk all over you, you don’t have to enjoy it or look forward to it but when it comes knocking you’ll love it but also beat it’s ass to a bloody pulp. Learn to shift your mind and see what happens, you never know until you do it, not try it but do it.