Total Body Transformation Training Blog

Isometric Training

Isometric training found a new life with Pete Sisco and John Little's "Static Contraction" training. The basic idea is still the same -- stress your muscles by pushing or pulling against an immovable object. This can be made as easy or as difficult as you want. For example. You can grasp your palms and push against one another. You can press your palms overhead inside a doorway. You can maintain the top of a pushup.

Static Contraction training takes isometric training and adds a scientific aspect to it. Traditional strength training exercises are uses but for very short ranges of motion. A few inches and sometimes even less. The idea is to start just short of lockout and finish in the locked out position and then hold the wait. In such a position -- a "static contraction" -- you are able to hold much more weight than you would normally be able to lift through a full range of motion.

Isometric training and it's grown up cousin, static contraction training, can make you much stronger very quickly. The body adapts to the isometric holds and this improves overall strength through range of motion and strength-endurance as well.