That’s where isometrics come in - they have an extremely effective, yet underutilized ability to improve the smoothness and efficiency of a lift’s entire range of motion.

Most lifters actively avoid working where they’re weakest. Isometrics can be especially helpful during the middle portion of a movement - say, when a barbell is at knee level during a deadlift - because this tends to be the weak link for most athletes. Isometric training is the contraction of the muscle without any movement of the joint. Here’s how isometric training can kick your workouts - and results - up a notch. Isometric training may not be as exciting as quick, adrenaline-boosting moves like deadlifts or clean and jerks, but they can be beneficial for gaining more strength, flexibility, and muscle.

The concentric portion involves shortening your muscle fibers, the eccentric is the controlled lengthening of the tissue, and an isometric contraction is a static, non-moving engagement of the muscle itself.

Knowing the design and functionality of a machine as complex as the human body can help you use it optimally in the gym.īelieve it or not, there’s more than one type of muscular contraction. If you want to make progress in the gym, you need to have at least a cursory understanding of how your body functions.

Do isometric exercises