Can Strength Be Built Using Isometric Exercise?

Many people around the world debate and think about what the best system is for building strength; from my point of view, a solid program should have you train your body from the inside out. In the terms of building real strength and not just looking strong, Isometric Exercise isn't as popular of a method like many of us physical culturists want it to be and our job is to help educate on the reasons why it can possibly build strength and its purpose in not just exercise but for overall health.

Isometrics in a nutshell, builds tremendous strength out of the tendons, ligaments and the nerves out to our muscles. I've done both styles of training that includes isolating the muscles and targeting the muscles in a compound setting of using multiple muscle groups in a given exercise. Don't neglect the internal principles that could actually bring greater stability to your body within and outwardly.

Frankly I have found that I've gotten stronger both within a short and long-term stand point than with just about an other method I've practiced. Performing styles of Isometrics doing short but crazy intense periods and long holds using less intensity to target the muscles and the surrounding areas for a different effect. Using a program like 7 Seconds To A Perfect Body utilizes the way you maximize the intensity of a contraction for 7-12 seconds. This will give your body a mighty chance of developing strength.

The tension and the intensity of a contraction are the deciding factors that produce muscle growth. Lifting a weight is the external stimulus that makes the muscles tense or contract because the body sees the weight as heavy and recruits many fibers of the muscle to move the weight. Now the more difficult of the weight lifted, the more the fatigue builds up. Isometrics forces you to maximize the level of contraction off the bat and making those muscle fibers fire and fatigue within seconds.

With the combination of Muscle Control and training the large muscle groups, Isometrics lets you get a powerful CNS response that goes into building great endurance along with muscular size. From performing feats of strength such as steel bending, phonebook tearing and rolling a frying pan to helping people move, shoveling snow and even going up flights of stairs, Isometrics have been a blessing and has kept me from being seriously injured in the long run. Make it a part of your regimen and find out the benefits in your health and well being.

If you travel a lot or aren't into doing bodyweight isometrics, check out the WorldFit Iso Trainer.

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The Squat Workout From Hell

I bet you thought this was about doing some crazy weights and doing 20 reps of squats with that weight huh? No no my dear reader; this is about squats you can do anywhere and anytime without any equipment whatsoever. This workout will make you sore yet won't get bored, it changes every time and you can vary the reps or do multiple variations. It'll never, EH EH EH..EVER, make you feel the same way AGAIN (if you're a fan of Chris Jericho, you'll catch that reference).

Squats are THE exercise to build enormous stamina, functional strength and insane conditioning in the legs. You can do them in a variety of ways and at various tempos, repetitions and sets with other exercises. However, when you start to them in high numbers, say over 100, you'll start to notice a few things; your lungs are a little stronger, a bit more pep in your step and even a little more led in your pencil. Leg Training has been a staple for many athletes in all types of sports but one of the very best variations is the Hindu Squat. A foundational exercise in ancient India to build powerful legs for wrestlers that practice the old art of Kushti.

The practice of this exercise comes in different forms but wrestlers of that region plus other middle eastern countries regard it as the ultimate leg exercise. Some wrestlers and other athletes today do it in the hundreds, sometimes 1000 or more. They normally do it at a fast clip and used for speed, conditioning and balance. This is where this workout from hell will come into play.

I've done 500 Squats on many occasions and a couple times 1000 or more. My goal at one time was to see how fast I can do 500 without compromising form and my fastest is under 12 minutes, that's cruising like a motherf*cker man. The first time I did 1000 was in 56 minutes, the next time was 33 minutes on my 33rd Birthday. Although this means with numbers like that you're in pretty good shape but some don't want to have that accolade of being fast and doing that many like an athlete. Some people just want to be in shape and like doing them in sets or like a pyramid set of reps where they can also take a breather every now and then, nothing wrong with that. For someone like me who has a stiff lower back, I don't do the speed demon style anymore, instead I use a workout to do high reps that let's me break away for a bit if I need to and not feel forced to just keep going for the sake of keeping going, I can injure myself that way.

The Squat Workout From Hell would be a good ole fashioned deck of cards where you shuffle, flip a card and have at it until you reached the end. At first, getting through a few cards can be a chore so do what's possible, add 1-3 cards each workout until you can get through a full deck. I do a deck that goes up to 500 altogether and focus solely on the Hindu Squat. I don't time myself but I move as best as I can and if I need a breather to let my back loosen up, I do so but always do my best to finish the deck each time. Here's how you do 500 Reps with a deck of cards.....


2-10 is Face Value

King, Jack, Queen are 10

Aces are 16

Jokers are 50


This workout can be done anywhere and shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to complete. If you were to do them straight through, the idea is 15 minutes or less. I used this workout before going on a hike with my dad last week and it paid off big time. I don't hike all that much so this kept me in great shape for it. You can do it in your hotel room, at a park, on the beach, in the parking lot before going into a restaurant or a grocery store (just be sure to have a towel on hand, might look weird if you're sweating in the middle of an aisle or eating a meal) or you can do it before a sporting event. This is the effectiveness of this workout and it always changes, you can do high reps multiple ways.

Be sure to do loosen up the joints and gradually build up the numbers, you don't want to do 500 off the bat and cold cause it can have some effects that may not feel good. You will be sore the first time around so be sure to recover well and be consistent, in time it'll feel like a cake walk. This is a great way to get in awesome shape and build incredible lung power.

A Fun Trip For A Fun Birthday To My Dad

I don't get to spend much time with my dad these days and for obvious reasons. For a few days last week, I got to celebrate his 70th Birthday and have a wonderful time with my family in Santa Cruz, California. Got some great one on one time with him and having fun conversations about life, sports, what I've been up to and going on a beautiful hike with him on the trails in this mountain area called Medicine Buddha.

Thursday was mainly just getting over the flight down to San Francisco and head back home in Capitola. Nice dinner, catching up and having a few laughs. Friday had a few activities going on including the Hike, even though earlier that morning was doing 500 Hindu Squats to keep my knees in shape for the Hike itself lol. Spent some time with my 98 year old Grandmother and visited/spent the night at my best friend's house with his girl and son. Lots of laughs, a couple movies, dinner and making his girl regret having 2 35+ year olds acting like teenagers in the house.

Saturday was the big day, gathered up most of the family for a photoshoot out in the beautiful california sun along the beach. Headed back to the house for a ton of food and cramming 20+ people in his condo. Caught up with as many people as I can and making rounds, talking to a few of the kids and playing with them a bit. No cake this year but their friend Lisa made this awesome Cobbler that was pretty damn good. Gave my dad a really awesome birthday present of a baseball jersey of his childhood hero Willie Mays (#24) with my dad's last name on it. The moment he saw it, he got a little emotional and went off to change into it, it was a proud moment as a son to do that for him.

Sunday morning I had to leave and head back home. Missing my wife like crazy and was ready to be back home and resume the life man. Next time we see them will highly likely be on our annual family trip to (South) Lake Tahoe and soak up some sun, swim in the lake, do a little gambling and have a good ole fashion family adventure.

Spend some time with the people you love and soak every moment you can, you never know when you'll have those moments again. Cannot wait for what's in stored for the next episode of the family that puts the FUN in DysFUNctional.