Post by Bruce Tackett on Oct 22, 2017 23:07:38 GMT
In my quest to find out for myself what long duration iso holds do, I suddenly realized it might be a good idea to find out what they are supposed to do.
As usual, there are conflicting views. Too bad exercise can't be like math in which 1 + 1 = 2.
So, here are all the things I could find about it:
Contractions of longer than 1 minute serve no useful purpose for strength or hypertrophy stimulation, except for perhaps increasing mental toughness.
For flexibility purposes, compound movements using longer duration isometric contractions (~1 minute) can serve as an effective tool to increase active flexibility.
Isolation movements can be useful to train for longer duration isometrics (30-60 seconds), but not excessively long.
Yielding iso's between 10 and 30 seconds are decent for hypertrophy, depending on the muscle group involved.
Yielding isometrics, in the stretch range, shorter than 10 seconds with heavy loads, are wonderful for strength and carry over well into full range strength. In other words, if you increase the weight you can lift at the bottom of a squat, you will increase the weight you can lift at the top of a squat. If you increase the weight you lift at the bottom of a bench press, you'll also increase the weight at the top.
www.higher-faster-sports.com/isometrics.html
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I recommend a 7-12 second contraction because the majority of people starting these exercises cannot produce a full muscular contraction, even with the best of intentions and trying their hardest most will only produce an 80% contraction so a few additional seconds are recommended. Studies now show that as little as a 1/4 of a second in needed to stimulate growth and strength increases.
My second reason to recommend the 7-12 seconds is based on the energy pathways of the human body - our bodies were designed to exhaust Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) stores in the muscle last for approximately 2 seconds and the re-synthesis of ATP from Creatine/Phosphate (CP) will continue until CP stores are depleted, approximately 4 to 5 seconds. This gives us around 5 to 7 seconds of ATP production. Repeat, 5-7 seconds. Thus, in order to stimulate your fast twitch fibres (those primarily associated with muscular size, strength and speed), anything after 7 seconds is unproductive.
www.isometric-training.com/Isometric-Exercise-Hold-Times.html
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The training technique is called Long-Duration Isometrics (LDI), and it’s a proven method of shocking the muscles to overcome sticking points and long-held limits in strength.
Long-duration isometric exercises, however, involve holding a strenuous position—specifically, one that you want to strengthen—for 30 seconds or more.
Research has confirmed that a maximal isometric contraction can recruit more motor units/muscle fibers than both a concentric and eccentric action. In executing a LDI exercise, you will progressively recruit higher-threshold fibers as lower-threshhold fibers fatigure. So while holding a open-hand grip or lock off for just a few seconds will call only a small number of motor units into play, holding the isometric contract for 30 second, 60 seconds, or longer will recruit the less-frequently used high-threshold fibers into play—and these are the exact fibers you want to activate and train to break through strength plateaus and movement sticking points! What’s more, LDI may improve neural programming (motor unit synchronization), and perhaps even disinhibit the golgi tendon organ (which is a restrictor of maximum strength).
An important caveat to LDI training is that the resultant neurological enhancements and strength gains are limited to joint angles near that of the angle trained.
(Hence, 3-point isometrics)
trainingforclimbing.com/training-with-long-duration-isometrics/
******************************************************************************************
If you can add 10 to 20 seconds of maximal intramuscular tension per session, then you increase your potential for strength gains.
Many studies don't report a lot of muscle growth from isometric training. This is only because the old German model (Hettingter and Müller) of six-second actions was used in the initial experiments. This duration of effort, albeit adequate for strength gains, isn't sufficient to cause hypertrophic changes in the muscles. In other words, it won't make you big.
This form of training is called maximal intensity isometric training and it's similar in effect to the maximal effort method (1-5 reps with 90-100% of your max), which leads to strength gains with little, if any, muscle size gains. However, using sets lasting 20 to 60 seconds will represent an important hypertrophy stimulus, similar in nature to the repetitive effort method (8-12 reps with 70-80% of your maximum).
With max duration isometric exercises you're pushing, pulling, or holding a submaximal load for as long as possible, going to muscle failure. For maximum effect you want to use sets ranging from 20 to 60 seconds in length. The effect of this type of training on muscle mass can be important as there's a very significant growth stimulus placed on all of the muscle fibers.
With this method you can use both overcoming-isometrics and yielding-isometrics. However, I find yielding isometrics (holding a weight) to be much superior when it comes to max duration isometric training. In this case, a load of 50 to 80% for a duration of 20 to 60 seconds is best.
The max intensity isometric method is related to the concentric maximum effort method. You'll try to maintain a maximum isometric action for 3-6 seconds. You can once again use either overcoming-isometrics or yielding-isometric, but in this case overcoming isometrics (pushing or pulling against pins or an immovable resistance) are best suited for that purpose and much safer. This type of isometric training doesn't have a significant impact on muscle mass, however, it can increase muscle density and myogenic tone (also called "tonus" or the firmness/hardness of your muscles). Its main effect is on maximum strength development.
This is your basic isometric training method. You select one exercise per muscle group and then three positions per exercise. Select a load you'll be able to hold for 20-60 seconds (I personally find 45 seconds to be the optimal duration). A load of 70-80% of your maximum will generally be a good starting point.
Perform anywhere from one to five "sets" per position, three being best in most cases:
1. Hold statically at mid-range.
2. Hold statically at full contraction.
3. Hold statically a few inches after the starting position.
www.t-nation.com/training/isometrics-for-mass
As usual, there are conflicting views. Too bad exercise can't be like math in which 1 + 1 = 2.
So, here are all the things I could find about it:
Contractions of longer than 1 minute serve no useful purpose for strength or hypertrophy stimulation, except for perhaps increasing mental toughness.
For flexibility purposes, compound movements using longer duration isometric contractions (~1 minute) can serve as an effective tool to increase active flexibility.
Isolation movements can be useful to train for longer duration isometrics (30-60 seconds), but not excessively long.
Yielding iso's between 10 and 30 seconds are decent for hypertrophy, depending on the muscle group involved.
Yielding isometrics, in the stretch range, shorter than 10 seconds with heavy loads, are wonderful for strength and carry over well into full range strength. In other words, if you increase the weight you can lift at the bottom of a squat, you will increase the weight you can lift at the top of a squat. If you increase the weight you lift at the bottom of a bench press, you'll also increase the weight at the top.
www.higher-faster-sports.com/isometrics.html
******************************************************************************************
I recommend a 7-12 second contraction because the majority of people starting these exercises cannot produce a full muscular contraction, even with the best of intentions and trying their hardest most will only produce an 80% contraction so a few additional seconds are recommended. Studies now show that as little as a 1/4 of a second in needed to stimulate growth and strength increases.
My second reason to recommend the 7-12 seconds is based on the energy pathways of the human body - our bodies were designed to exhaust Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) stores in the muscle last for approximately 2 seconds and the re-synthesis of ATP from Creatine/Phosphate (CP) will continue until CP stores are depleted, approximately 4 to 5 seconds. This gives us around 5 to 7 seconds of ATP production. Repeat, 5-7 seconds. Thus, in order to stimulate your fast twitch fibres (those primarily associated with muscular size, strength and speed), anything after 7 seconds is unproductive.
www.isometric-training.com/Isometric-Exercise-Hold-Times.html
******************************************************************************************
The training technique is called Long-Duration Isometrics (LDI), and it’s a proven method of shocking the muscles to overcome sticking points and long-held limits in strength.
Long-duration isometric exercises, however, involve holding a strenuous position—specifically, one that you want to strengthen—for 30 seconds or more.
Research has confirmed that a maximal isometric contraction can recruit more motor units/muscle fibers than both a concentric and eccentric action. In executing a LDI exercise, you will progressively recruit higher-threshold fibers as lower-threshhold fibers fatigure. So while holding a open-hand grip or lock off for just a few seconds will call only a small number of motor units into play, holding the isometric contract for 30 second, 60 seconds, or longer will recruit the less-frequently used high-threshold fibers into play—and these are the exact fibers you want to activate and train to break through strength plateaus and movement sticking points! What’s more, LDI may improve neural programming (motor unit synchronization), and perhaps even disinhibit the golgi tendon organ (which is a restrictor of maximum strength).
An important caveat to LDI training is that the resultant neurological enhancements and strength gains are limited to joint angles near that of the angle trained.
(Hence, 3-point isometrics)
trainingforclimbing.com/training-with-long-duration-isometrics/
******************************************************************************************
If you can add 10 to 20 seconds of maximal intramuscular tension per session, then you increase your potential for strength gains.
Many studies don't report a lot of muscle growth from isometric training. This is only because the old German model (Hettingter and Müller) of six-second actions was used in the initial experiments. This duration of effort, albeit adequate for strength gains, isn't sufficient to cause hypertrophic changes in the muscles. In other words, it won't make you big.
This form of training is called maximal intensity isometric training and it's similar in effect to the maximal effort method (1-5 reps with 90-100% of your max), which leads to strength gains with little, if any, muscle size gains. However, using sets lasting 20 to 60 seconds will represent an important hypertrophy stimulus, similar in nature to the repetitive effort method (8-12 reps with 70-80% of your maximum).
With max duration isometric exercises you're pushing, pulling, or holding a submaximal load for as long as possible, going to muscle failure. For maximum effect you want to use sets ranging from 20 to 60 seconds in length. The effect of this type of training on muscle mass can be important as there's a very significant growth stimulus placed on all of the muscle fibers.
With this method you can use both overcoming-isometrics and yielding-isometrics. However, I find yielding isometrics (holding a weight) to be much superior when it comes to max duration isometric training. In this case, a load of 50 to 80% for a duration of 20 to 60 seconds is best.
The max intensity isometric method is related to the concentric maximum effort method. You'll try to maintain a maximum isometric action for 3-6 seconds. You can once again use either overcoming-isometrics or yielding-isometric, but in this case overcoming isometrics (pushing or pulling against pins or an immovable resistance) are best suited for that purpose and much safer. This type of isometric training doesn't have a significant impact on muscle mass, however, it can increase muscle density and myogenic tone (also called "tonus" or the firmness/hardness of your muscles). Its main effect is on maximum strength development.
This is your basic isometric training method. You select one exercise per muscle group and then three positions per exercise. Select a load you'll be able to hold for 20-60 seconds (I personally find 45 seconds to be the optimal duration). A load of 70-80% of your maximum will generally be a good starting point.
Perform anywhere from one to five "sets" per position, three being best in most cases:
1. Hold statically at mid-range.
2. Hold statically at full contraction.
3. Hold statically a few inches after the starting position.
www.t-nation.com/training/isometrics-for-mass