Are Isometrics The Forgotten Secret Of Strength Training?

 If you've ever read my article on Isometrics being the Game Genie Of Fitness, it should give you a hint to the answer to this question, but just in case you haven't gotten the memo....When it comes to the old time strongmen, the one thing they have in common in most cases throughout the early 20th century to today's legends is the use of Isometrics. For some in today's world of the influencer and trendy shiners of gadgets and other equipment, Isometrics isn't as big of an influence or not as understood as it should be. It can be seen as a foreign thing and it doesn't give off a massive following. 

For centuries, Isometrics whether inadvertently or intentional, has been used as a means to keep certain aspects of strength in the realm of warriors, laborers (slaves in many cases), athletes, archers, gladiators, farmers and many more. I didn't understand much about Isometrics until I read Matt Furey's Gama Fitness Course and started studying up on it all the way up to learning about Zass, Maxick, Otto Arco, Dennis Rogers, Steve Justa and the man of the 1000 lb Squat Bud Jeffries. Getting several courses like Overcoming Isometrics and others, it became apparent that Isometrics truly have stood the test of time and have become a lost art along the way.

I've shown a few Isometric videos here and there and performed a few myself on film and it's awesome to see how known they've become in some circles but at the same time it's sad that many can't even do some of the simple holds, but hey there's always time to learn them. The truth is, despite the simplicity, even the simple Isometric holds can be very demanding and holding for 30 seconds can feel like an eternity. It happens a lot and it can be grueling doing various Isometric positions for 7-12 intense seconds and then with little rest, adjust to the next one and keep going, most can't handle that.

When you truly start to understand the concept of Isometrics and how to apply them whether doing Overcoming, Yielding or a Hybrid style, you'll start to see why they've been a real backbone to how getting fit and strong is. Do what you can and make little progressions but never turn away from the basics and using Isometrics to enhance your strength and fixing some of the weak parts of your body. 

For simple equipment to train with Isometrics, check out here... 

Happy Veterans Day

Why Are Hybrid Isometrics So Effective?

First of all, what in the blue hell are Hybrid Isometrics? Some kind of supernatural entity of exercise? Doubled forms of fitness to create some kind of Superhuman? Although it sounds cool, Hybrid Isometrics are mainly an advanced variation of Isometric Exercise that takes you some steps further to achieving great strength and muscle building. I didn't make up the name, that goes to one of the most prominent trainers in the art of Isometric Training today and that's Matt Schifferle.

Now, what makes up of Hybrid Isometrics? It's literally a combination of Overcoming Isometrics & Yielding Isometrics. Overcoming is the style where you work against something immoveable and stay at that sticking point for intense contractions in a Push/Pull/Squat/Grip Format. Yielding in a nutshell is the type of Isometric Training where you're fighting against gravity such as a plank or horse stance for example. The Hybrid style by definition of the first two styles is the combination of hitting a sticking point while going against gravity at the same time. Here's an idea of doing a Hybrid Plank (This engages the Core far more than the regular Plank plus you're working your lower back and hips from sagging by pressing against the strap). 

How are these as affective if not more than typical Isometric Exercise? Because of the combination of both Yielding & Overcoming styles, you're generating a different level of strength training in order to successfully hold positions for either time or through the 7-12 seconds of intense contraction. It puts a different spin on what constitutes being in a position where the muscles are working harder than normal and not particularly isolating certain muscles either, you're literally working many muscles in order to stabilize yourself. The real effectiveness is that it doesn't take long to really feel it and you aren't going to last very long doing some of these exercise which in the case of plank, if you can hold the elbow or even palm plank for 2 minutes or more, the hybrid would put most people down within 30-45 seconds or less. It is very tough to do and is a plank on steroids. However, because of the short amount of time you'll hold this position, you're going to build strength in ways that the regular plank can't. 

Isometrics are a fascinating form of training and the plethora of ways to work them can turn you into a fitness machine or can help you in rehabbing injuries. When it comes to Hybrids, they rank right up there as some of the simplest yet toughest exercises you can do. I use them as an addition to my regular Isometric Training. A great product you can use to work Hybrid Isometric is the Iso Loop. For other forms of straps to work your exercises check out StrapWorks on Amazon. Get the most out of your Isometric Training and for more info on what Hybrids are and some of the exercises you can learn, grab a copy of Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project. RDP also has a Youtube Channel that shows tons of exercises, workouts and other tips on fitness training. 

Have an amazingly awesome day and train well. 

Slowly Getting Back Into Pull-Ups & Chin-Ups

 

Been a long time since I've tried Pull-ups & Chin-Ups but recently I got the WorldFit Pull-Up Handles and wanted to see what I can do with them. Only a few workouts doing both moving and isometric exercises and I still got it. Not many reps of Pull-ups & Chin-ups (about 3 per set at best) but I'm still able to get my chin over my hands. 

The Isometrics are brutal especially on the forearms doing different grips, hanging, Isometric Flexes in the bottom, middle and top positions along with Hybrid Isometrics. I came up with the idea for a doorway version of the Hybrid Isometric Pull-up/Chin-Up by putting my anchor under the door, loop my strap around and shorten it so it can fit tightly around the back of my legs so when I go to Pull-up or Chin-Up, the strap will stop me from going any further. This type of Isometric Training is a bit advanced but it builds incredible strength and power when it's done right. I only hold for this for a few seconds but it's intense as hell, just as much if not more than the Hybrid Push-Up. You can check it out here along with my Pull-Up & Chin-Up Videos

At my size, 3 reps is actually really good, I know I can do better though. The most I've ever done in a row was around 18-22 many many years ago. Just need to be careful not to go overboard cause there can be elbow problems so slowly progress. I've had elbow problems more than 20 years ago when I was a teenager doing Shot Put & Discus in high school and it sucked. 

Being able to do Pull-ups and such again could be beneficial to my arsenal but not a necessity. Pull-ups are awesome and some people are incredible at them like Mike The Machine Bruce & others. Just want to keep it basic and just be happy to be able to rep out a few, not going for Marine numbers or world records, hell even try those Barstarzz moves, those guys are fucking nuts lol. Keeping it basic and Low-Skilled is the key, have fun with it and get creative with the Isometric versions. Building grip strength, back conditioning, tendon strength and more. 

As Matt Schifferle puts it, Low-Skilled Exercises are keys to strength and fitness, progressing to harder exercises is great but master the basics and you can't go wrong (I'm paraphrasing and adding my own spin on it). You don't need to do a ton of stuff to get the job done, top notch basic exercises and you're good to go. Pull-ups weren't always my strong suit and never had trouble putting muscle on my back without them. This is more of just keeping up with what's possible and edging little by little that's it. Check out Matt's book Progressive & Weighted Calisthenics. One of the most AFFORDABLE books on the market today along with Grind Style Calisthenics, it shouldn't cost you 150 bucks to learn how to master pull-ups, that's just ridiculous IMO. 

Be safe, get strong and keep being amazingly awesome. If you're ambitious and want to add some strength into your pull-up training to make it harder, grab a Kensui Weight Vest where you can put on weighted plates to make it heavier. Get 10% OFF when you use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. Maximum Poundage for the vests range from 80-300 lbs. 

Isometric Strength For Stronger Pull-Ups

 A key ingredient to become strong in an exercise (depending on the level of advancement) is build strength in various positions to get the full benefit of it such as various Push-Ups or in this case Pull-Ups. Some don't have the strength to even get an inch and just get stuck there. Now this isn't on the aspects of "Isolating" the muscles by doing a lot of movements for one specific exercise but by utilizing the power of Isometrics. We can build some incredible pulling strength using Isometric Exercises. 

Do we have to get the chin over the bar in order to make the pull-up count? Yes and no depending on who you talk to. Some will say very much so and they're right, yet also, depending on a person's body type and the way their arms are, it's a matter of perspective. I have struggled myself getting the chin over the bar and have stopped right at the chin mark. I'm better at Chin-ups than regular Pull-ups which I know I can improve on using Isometrics as a progression tool to get stronger at them. I just never made it a priority until I decided to do so once the weather warms up. 

The layers of positioning for Isometric Pull-ups can vary but the main areas are the dead hang, middle and at chin or over chin level. Steve Justa's Isometric Style was to do 8 layers or so of building strength for certain exercises like Squats, Push-ups, Arm Wrestling and other things. It worked for him as he was by far one of the most underrated Strongmen in history doing partials with weights most can't even fathom and had such arm and leg power through Isometrics that if you were to arm wrestle him or try to shove him, even a few inches would be a miracle since he was so damn solid even at his heaviest. This kind of protocol may not work for others because it can be time consuming with the amount of various Pull-Ups to work on. 

Pulling movements help with the balancing of the musculature in order to be efficient in performing better. You can get away with Pushing stuff for so long before you start to have caved in chest. Push-Ups can do wonders but they won't give you that full "Wingspan" of a back. Isometrics for the back utilizing all sorts of directions can aid in building that Pull-Up Strength. It is possible for big guys to do Pull-ups, it's just harder in most cases and not always because they may be fat and all that, some muscleheads have awesome pulling strength but many can barely get over the middle part. Some guys can be over 300 lbs and get their chin over the bar which in itself is impressive and doesn't need to do a ton of reps to prove it. 

You can do Aussie Pull-Up Isometrics, Angled Body Rows using Rings or Straps, working neutral grip, hands facing away, hands facing you, mixed grips, all can be done using Isometrics. When you strengthen those layers and practice moving, it builds strength in those weak points. Yielding & Overcoming Isometrics work well but personally I believe Overcoming can give you the best advantage. With Overcoming, you can stand on a stool or have a bar that can be adjusted to various heights without having to hang from it. I have a door hanging Pull-Up bar that I can just stand under and Pull from all sorts of grips and stand on a stool for the middle and upper portions. 

The Yielding Isometrics can be trickier but doable because you're literally hanging and pulling up to a certain position, you can stop at certain points but you may not last long in that position. The best start is from the deadhang which is a great exercise on its own. You can make it an Overcoming by pulling up to a certain position and contract all the muscles in that position. I learned that from Ed Baran's Primate Power Course. Another idea is what's called a Hybrid Isometric where you get the best of both world's at the same time. A hybrid is when you fight gravity but also keeping position in a immoveable fashion. If you took a strap between the two poles of a pull-up apparatus and pull yourself up until the strap stops your feet and you can't go any further, that's a hell of a way to build strength right there. If you want to learn more about this, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project, there's an entire chapter showing and describing Hybrid Isometrics. 

Although there's variety here, you're also getting an understanding of basic fundamentals on Isometric Training and how they can improve your movements using bits and pieces of strengthening the weak points. I'll be using this myself in my training and get better at doing pull-ups. If there's anyone who can teach you the true aspects of Pull-up Training it's Mike The Machine Bruce, a former Marine and Submission Wrestling Champion who's got not only the world's strongest neck but has a back that looks like it was carved from granite with a ripped to shreds physique. The other is Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project who's incredible knowledge with DIY equipment and Strength Building Training personifies the modern day Physical Culturist that can help you fill in gaps in your arsenal and shoot them into the stratosphere using simplistic and low-skilled strength and conditioning exercises. 

Get stronger in whatever it is you want to do and make the most of what's possible and suitable to your needs and goals. Pull your weight and keep being amazingly awesome. 

BTW if you click on the link where it says Rings, you can get a cool 10% Discount when you punch in the code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to you. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Nettle Root Tincture

Hybrid Isometrics For Crazy Strength

 When it comes to Isometric Training, we generally learn 2 distinctive styles: Overcoming & Yielding. Overcoming Isometrics is using great force against something immovable such as a wall or a curl using a strap. It's one of the more common uses of isometrics as it teaches how to maximize the tension with such great force that only a few seconds will be needed. You can do longer durations of Overcoming Isometrics with less intensity which can aid in hypertrophy and endurance. Yielding Isometrics are in a nutshell, various exercises where you're fighting gravity and you keep a certain position or posture for a period of time such as a plank, wall sit, horse stance, hanging from a pullup bar or a stopping point in a pullup. These are more likely done using areas of Yoga or Qi Gong where posture type training focuses on the energy in your body while externally creating load. 

Both styles of Isometrics have their pros and cons and various people prefer one or the other like those who are fond of the Iso-Chain (Overcoming Isometric Device) and those (like a certain Blue-Collar roughneck) who like to hold horse stances and push-up positions for time in order to build long-term strength and conditioning (Yielding Bodyweight Isometrics). Personally I like the Overcoming style because I can generate as much force as possible for a few seconds and get better results. From time to time I'll do Yielding like holding a stance for 3 minutes or so, 1 minute fist plank or mid-range fist push-up, 3 minute bridges or several 1 minute sets of wall sits. Both work really well regardless.

Hybrid Isometrics however is a completely different animal that utilizes both styles at the same time and create such incredible strength that they're a bit more difficult than one style or the other. Imagine going against gravity but at the same time hit a sticking point that generates a lot of force to stay in place. Even very powerful guys who can do solid isometric work would have trouble holding a Hybrid version for more than a minute because you're not just engaging muscles, there's certain coordination involved and it takes another level of the mind/muscle connection for it to work. I would bet that even someone who can hold a 5 minute plank wouldn't even come close to that if they used a strap for the Hybrid version. Shaking like a leaf in a matter of seconds would be an understatement.

The great benefit you can get from Hybrid Isometrics is that they don't take long to feel everything. Because of the strength needed to stay in place but also push or pull against something immovable, you're getting the best of both worlds and can create another level of strength and endurance that could carry over to everyday life. Below are a couple examples of Hybrid Isometric Training that you can try. The first is the Hybrid Push-up where you would wrap a strap around the upper area of the back and press against the strap with bent arms in the push-up position. This works your whole body like crazy especially the core muscles just to stabilize you while you maintain incredible tension. The second is what I call the Isometric Zercher Squat where you put the strap around the inner area of the forearms (as if you're holding a barbell in the front of the body) and you get into a squat position (preferably mid range or a quarter squat) and drive upward. This really tackles the tendons and ligaments in the legs and strengthens the lower back and core muscles for stabilization. 

If you did just a couple sets each for a maximum of 30 seconds at a time, you'll be getting the workout of your life and feeling muscles you didn't think you could feel. Just a couple minutes and you'll feel like you just ran a marathon, it's about as intense as it can get. There are other exercises you can learn on Hybrid Isometrics by grabbing the book Overcoming Isometrics from Red Delta Project. One of the best books out there today on the subject of Isometric Training. 

Isometrics As A Cardio Workout?

When most think of cardio; it's running or jogging on a treadmill or going around a town or neighborhood or even doing some kind of aerobics like spin classes. Those have their pros and cons like anything else but the real form of cardio comes in so many other things we tend to forget. You can chop wood or swing a sledgehammer smashing a tire, do sprints, work with the slam ball, do hundreds of squats or step ups, hell even do plyometrics. All of these give off a powerful cardio affect that actually is a lot more functional than just pure jogging. However; does Isometrics count as cardio?

The legendary Steve Maxwell has said that some of the best cardio is from strength training and he was referring to more on the Isometrics side of it and for years, I didn't think much of it cause I didn't even think it was possible. Cardio in a nutshell is just exercising to get the heartrate up to a certain level and keeping it there for a good period of time or raise it and lower it in intervals like from Sprints for example. When I started to really understand how easy it was to get the heartrate up during Isometric Workouts, it became clear that Isometrics are one of the best methods for getting in a great cardio session. If you really think about it, you can get some killer cardio from Yoga especially DDP Yoga.

When it comes to Isometrics, you learn to provide how much tension is used within the amount of time you're working a hold. If you don't use a lot of tension say 30% of your strength, you can do a hold for a good amount of time like say trying to do a 5 minute Horse Stance; it doesn't sound like that long but when you keep the tension at a certain point and the muscles start to burn and controlling your breathing, at a certain point, it becomes harder and harder to keep a steady breathing pattern. Your heartrate goes up and starting to sweat and you're not even moving. How crazy is that? Now how about using tension where you only last 7-12 seconds? The amount of tension normally would be around 65-80% of your strength so you're really digging into the hold hard and your breathing pattern is different. It's not the same as if you're using lighter or decreased tension. 

Both short and long duration holds benefit the body well and your breathing is a key in both. Never hold your breath whatsoever in Isometric Training or in most training methods for that matter. Last night I did an Isometric Workout where I did both Overcoming & Hybrid Isometric Exercises for 45 seconds each doing a curl, squat, deadlift, plank, bent arm pushup and dead-bug. Those kicked my ass because after each exercise, I was feeling my heartrate go up and I was pushing/pulling/squatting more in the 60-65% strength range and it felt like an eternity, they were that tough. I was sweating, breathing hard and feeling the pump in some of them. I wasn't even moving yet I came out of that feeling like I just ran a marathon. 

Never underestimate the power of Isometrics. They'll kick your ass in ways you didn't think were possible and can build muscle like crazy (not over-bloated type muscle like in today's bodybuilding) and I mean the type of muscle that hardens and is tight. It teaches how to handle tension and controlling it. Strength & Power beyond belief man and with the cardio aspects of it, that's just icing on top of a killer cake. Now that doesn't mean Isometrics are the end-all-be-all, movement is life after all so do plenty of training that's dynamic to get the best of both worlds. Be strong but be safe as well, training is meant to help prevent injuries, not cause them and Isometrics when done right is one of the safest yet most powerful methods to help build an injury-proof body. 

Lions & Tigers: Hybrid Isometrics To Develop Awesome Strength

Now I know what you're thinking, "What the f*ck do two different wildcats have to do with Isometrics?" Good question...You've heard of the Liger right? The offspring of a Lion & Tiger? They do exist along with nearly a dozen other animal hybrids. A hybrid can take on features and combined levels of that wild strength to develop exceptional DNA that is rare and off the charts powerful. 

Hybrid Isometrics may not have the same realistic comparison but it is a style of training that is a little more advanced than your typical Isometric Exercises. They're the combination of Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics; the ability to go against gravity while also trying to push/pull through a immovable object at the same time. Both styles of Isometrics have their pros and cons like anything else and have used both many times doing Horse Stance Holds, Fist Planks, Curls, Deadlifts, even Arm Wrestling. Combining the two is a whole other level level of Holy Shit.

I first learned about the Hybrid when I read Matt Schifferle's Overcoming Isometric Book. Quite frankly it's one of the best books ever written on the subject and the idea of Hybrid Isometrics fascinated me. It takes the best qualities of the two styles and promotes strength and muscle on a different scale that does take practice to truly understand. The way he puts it is actually pretty simple and not very complicated which I like because in many cases through the fitness industry and social media plague of trainers, complicated explanation and training seems to be the norm and it shouldn't. 

One of the best exercises that targets practically everything is the Hybrid Push-Up which simply enough, you take a strap long enough to wrap around the upper back and be able to give you that stopping point in the pushup with the arms bent and hold it. Even 30 seconds of this can feel like forever and you're shaking like a leaf. Some want to give the idea that the yielding version of the mid pushup plank will develop a harder body and build that mental toughness to create strength which in reality it can but sometimes, once you reach a certain time, what the hell is it really doing? The Hybrid version here builds strength on a different level by fighting both gravity and staying at a sticking point at the same time. The longest time I've ever held this was just over a minute and it just took me down. It's very hard once you understand it and it tells you where your weaknesses are. Here's a 40 second video of me doing it. 

Another great Hybrid Isometric is something you won't find in the Overcoming Book and it's something I thought of that takes the traditional Horse Stance with a Push Press. In Martial Arts like Kung Fu or Karate, the Horse Stance is a staple of many benefits to build strength and endurance in the legs and the longer you hold it, the more the body comes into play. At times to make it even harder to fight gravity, they'll use heavy rings on the wrists and hold the arms outward at chest length. Another idea from this is how football players hold the blocking position and push the Blocking Shields as hard as they can. My Isometric Exercise combines the Blocking Position while Pushing The Dummies basically. I didn't invent this obviously but it was just a thought of in my head and went with it. I held this for about two minutes and it hits so many muscles and really tackles the tendons and ligaments in the knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists and ankles. 

These exercises will give you a different set levels of strength that can be used for real life and harness a different level of the mind/muscle connection that puts things in perspective. I said before, they're an advanced level of Isometrics so learn the mechanics and holds of both Overcoming & Yielding. I've written that Overcoming Isometrics are basically the Game Genie Of Fitness and Yielding is like a secondary cousin but together, they'll skyrocket strength levels you didn't think existed. It's helped my strength in many areas but I'm also just learning more about them and testing exercises that are not in my normal state of training so my analysis isn't there yet. Grab the book from Matt and his other books like Micro Workouts, Grind Style Calisthenics & his new book Suspension Calisthenics.