Conditioning and Strength Without Movement In Less Than Ten Minutes With Little Equipment
Random Observer - “What in the world is this guy talking about?”
Me - “Well, I’m glad you asked.”
Issue
For those new to working out in the gym all the machines can feel intimidating. As a personal trainer at a gym it was not uncommon to use some of our fitness orientation sessions to guide around new customers to the machines and show them how to use them. Machines can be simple in that they take care of most of the technique for you which is nice if you’re training intensely and going to failure. But they are not always open and you show up to the gym at the wrong time your session will not go as planned because well over half the machines you were gonna use are taken up by other folks. Some of them are just chilling on the machine looking at their phone anyways smh. Had this happen to me while training clients on multiple occasions but I learned to adapt real quick.
I’m very big into progressive calisthenics for the convenience, strength, and joint integrity it’s given me over the past few years. It was often difficult teaching some folks proper technique when it came to bodyweight movements like push-ups or squats. However, this helped me in the end to be a better teacher. But the longer it takes to teach someone the slower it will be for them to reach their results.
But for those who didn’t have a personal trainer to guide them, what was the usual option? Well, that was usually the cardio machines. These machines are very useful if used correctly but I was concerned that a lack of confidence guided some folks towards the cardio section using the same machine day in a day out not improving their fitness to a great degree over a long period of time.
People instinctively find value in living a healthier lifestyle however the knowledge is not always there nor is there time. And even if the knowledge is there the lack of time can be a factor as well as energy.
What’s needed is a way to improve someone’s strength or conditioning in a way that doesn’t require a great deal of energy, time, or a learning curve. A workout modality that can effectively cover these three will help one better maintain their fitness journey for multiple new years resolutions to come.
Resolution
With OverComing Isometrics you are teaching your body, the muscles, and the nervous system to generate greater and greater amounts of power. What’s going on with your body when performing isometrics both during and afterward have carry over to several areas. One of them is strength and the other is your cardiovascular system. But doesn’t strength training and running on the treadmill take care of these? Yes. However, what's at the root of why these systems have their benefit? Can their benefits be achieved in a way that is more time and energy efficient?
But before I proceed here are some of the benefits of each of these systems.
Cardio
Improved Blood flow
Strengthen lungs
Improve Metabolism
Improved Mood
Improved Brain Health
Strength Training
Burns more calories than cardio
Stronger Muscle Contractions
Stronger bones
Improved Heart Health
Relieve Stress
Improve Metabolism
Overcoming isometrics has several of these benefits and more. In terms of technical proficiency, the learning curve isn’t as high as most other modalities. The time required to conduct them also makes them useful. They can be done anywhere so no need to go to the gym. Also, warming up for these is as simple as replicating the movements you are about to perform at a lower intensity which will help wake up your nervous system and joints.
Maneuver Plan
What’s a quick Isometric workout that can get me started and cover a wide range of muscles throughout my body?
Something simple that I would throw your way is the wall push. It’s simple and it’s just pushing against a wall and it’s mainly to target your legs. But given that your arms are engaged on the wall and the press from your legs with be driving through your joints and into your hands, your arms will get a decent workout. Sometimes if I do these for long enough my shoulders will get a nice burn. Here’s what the workout will look like and I’d use a stopwatch to time yourself.
Wall Press:
Phase 1:
Right Foot 3 positions for 30 seconds each low intensity (30-50%) w (Continuous/Steady Breathing)
Rest 20 seconds in between each 30-second press
Left Foot 3 positions for 30 seconds each low intensity (30-50%) w (Continuous/Steady Breathing)
Rest 20 Seconds in between each 30-second press
Phase 2:
Right Foot 3 positions for 8 seconds each mid-high intensity (65-85%) w (Continuous or Steady Exhale)
Rest 20 Seconds in between each 8-second press
Left Foot 3 positions for 8 seconds each mid-high intensity (65-85%) w (Continuous or Steady Exhale)
Here’s a few pictures of what this will look like for the left foot.
From left to right(Or left to right then down), first position, second, and then third.
Whatever foot you are driving with that foot will start off closer to the wall. In the first position you will feel your hamstrings more in this position than the others. Breathe in for a count of 3 seconds then start generating force maintaining your breathing throughout not only pressing down into the ground but trying to curl your leg back as well. Once the 30 seconds are up slowly relax and maintain control of your breathing. Rest for 20 seconds then shift the foot back a little further(You’ll feel it more in the calf here), breathe in, press for 30 seconds, relax, and then shift it further back.
Once the 30 seconds are done on both sides for 6 total positions then you’ll press at a higher intensity for 8 seconds doing all 6 positions. It’ll be the same ramp up for three seconds with the generation of force and a controlled relaxation afterward. During the 8 seconds you can choose to breathe continuously but if you want a challenge take one deep breath and exhale slowly for the entire 8 seconds.
Three positions will generally cover all you need for there will be a strength spill-over from whatever angle you’re generating force in. And three is just a belt and braces approach as some studies have shown that very few joint angles are needed to increase strength through the entire range of motion and that if you want to prioritize a joint angle do it in the stretched position. But I’ll cover overcoming isometrics in the stretched position at a later date.
For these isometrics and whatever workout you do it’s always important to keep a log book. It helps you to record your progress and the better notes you keep the better it will help you to troubleshoot down the road. In your logbook I want you to write how you felt performing these isometrics. Any pain/discomfort, what it felt like with generating force(You will get a better gauge of this as time goes on), how was your breathing, what you felt like an hour or two after the workout, etc.
Looking Ahead
This is for all fitness levels as you get out of it what you pour into it. With overcoming isometrics focus and intensity are key. The more you progress the better in tune you are with your body and the better in tune with your body the better these workouts will be. Doing it right there will be an exponential increase in strength and focus and this will poor into other areas of your life to your benefit. If you want to add to this go ahead, maybe some surge reps perhaps? If you want to challenge more of your arms during this keep them at a more bent position at the elbow but keep the elbows low toward your torso so as not to strain the connective tissues in your shoulders too much by chicken winging it.
I will provide yall with more isometrics exercises in the future but this will provide a great start. And with the larger library of isometric exercises, I give yall you can start coming up with your own workouts. And this creativity I believe is beneficial not only for programming your workouts but this resourcefulness will better help you in your current station in life whether it’s helping yourself get through tough times, helping family members, or being a more robust employee. Well, I hope this helps and if you have any questions feel free to ask.
“The exertion of great strength for short periods calls for a stronger heart, than mild exertion over long periods. To run 100 yards in ten seconds is harder on the heart than running a mile in six minutes.” (p 120 Liedeman Secrets of Strength)
Thank you for making it to the end.
Until next time…