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. 

A Full Body Exercise That Hits Just About Everything

Key words to remember "Just About Everything" but still, this exercise is one of the best for overall health but it also is tough to do at first and makes you focus on so many things it's not even funny. It's the Gymnastic Bridge or as it's called in Yoga, Chakarasana or the Wheel Pose. It truly is one of the GOATs in fitness and Physical Culture in general. 

When I first learned it many moons ago, it was just doing the Push-up version of it or as they were called Reverse Push-ups. They're tough to do when they're part of a routine in your arsenal but once you get the idea and hold the top position, you're going to feel one of the biggest stretches ever. Regardless of what size you are, it takes strength to get into and it takes even greater strength just to hold for a period of time. I remember the first time holding it and 10 seconds felt like an eternity. Have no idea what my longest time is in that thing but I do know that in my early 20's, I went to a party once for a cousin of mine at her house and kids were roaming around, so I decided in her living room to hold the Gymnastic Bridge and a number of kids were crawling under me back and forth for a period. Thought that was going to kill me LOL.

The Gymnastic Bridge is just another variation in a series of Bridging Exercises that target multiple muscle groups and forcing the body to work as a single unit. You see this exercise a lot in Yoga circles or in Gymnastics (obviously) and in Wrestling. Guys like Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson would teach this exercise to students to get them in amazing condition in addition to Hindu Squats, Push-Ups and the Wrestler's Bridges. It is a favorite that's for sure.

The idea of it as an Isometric Exercise is to hold it essentially with just the hands and feet on the ground. At first, having the heels up is a good starting point and as you progress, lower the heels until you're completely flat footed. Just the hands and feet alone would be enough but some have been strong enough to take away limbs and hold the exercise with one arm and both feet on the ground, one arm and one leg or do a sequence called Around The Clock which I learned from Logan Christopher. This is more of a skill than anything and yeah it's cool to do if you can do it but the point of the exercise is to feel the stretch, the full body concentration and breathing as naturally as possible.

Once you get the hang of it and can hold it, so many benefits are being thrown into the mix: Control Over Your Body, Strength that is functional, Spinal Health, Agility, Flexibility, The Opening Of The Lungs and hits the Core Muscles unlike any other exercise. Some powerful stuff comes out of doing this exercise. You can do the Reverse Push-ups and get benefits from them too but once you're able to hold it for even 30 seconds to a minute or more, you're getting far better benefit out of it in my opinion. 

I would consider this exercise for the most part a Yielding Isometric meaning that you're fighting gravity in order to hold it. Although I'm a bigger fan of Overcoming Isometrics, some Yielding ones are just awesome and this is one of them. I would sometimes use this exercise as a finisher or as part of my Isometric Training to hit the muscles from everywhere I can think of. Practice this with intent and do a little dynamic "warm up" to help with easing into the exercise like working the wrists, shoulders and hips. These areas are essential to getting into the position because if they're weak, you won't get very far and you'll just be stuck but hey, we all start somewhere. Here's a Demo of what the Gymnastic Bridge looks like.

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.