Coaches have come back to isometrics thanks to his efforts and the work of Cometti, Thibodeau, and Dr. Isometrics have an long history and, while they seem to have lost their following since the days of Charles Atlas, they are growing in popularity now that Frans Bosch and others are writing about them.Īnother popular trend is Triphasic training, an approach coined and invented by Cal Dietz, who has focused his education on the value of exploiting the contraction dynamics of muscle.Isometrics are a reliable way to see trends in rate of force development (RFD) and are a safe means to test maximal strength of muscles or movements.Isometrics lack the soreness that eccentrics create, but they also don’t receive the structural adaptations that some eccentrics provide, such as fascicle length changes and remodeling benefits to tissue.Isometrics are part of a program and can complement it, as they have a lot of convenient benefits, such as analgesia, tendon adaptation, and neurological changes, if used properly.Isometrics are valuable to athletes because they are near-maximal or maximal contractions, not because they provide anything unique besides constant or high tension.Isometrics gained popularity in the early 2000s with some online articles, but after the buzz wore off, so did the adoption of the methods.

Several articles highlight isometrics extremely well, such as this interview with Alex Natera and the recent work of Joel Smith. Isometric Science in Sport – Updated and ExplainedĪnyone involved in sports training will know that isometrics are simply neuromuscular contractions without movement, but the application requirements and benefits are more complex. This article does more than just present the best exercises-it covers the important science and practical side of isometrics that coaches need. Isometrics have a lot of potential for performance and rehabilitation, but there are a lot of important details that you must consider before inserting them into a program. Many coaches don’t incorporate #isometrics because it’s hard to measure progress & motivate athletes, says Click To Tweet Finally, isometric training isn’t as well understood from a practical standpoint in programming, and it’s usually done as a finisher or theme in a phase only. Coaches who know their sport science appreciate isometrics, but many of them don’t incorporate them because it’s hard to measure progress and motivate athletes for honest efforts.

Athletes tend to gravitate to dynamic training, such as ballistic lifting or conventional maximal strength exercises.

The popularity of isometric training swings back and forth, mainly because it’s not as exciting as Olympic lifting, plyometrics, or medicine ball throws.

When to use isometric exercises