Four Reasons Why Adding Weights To Overcoming Isometrics Works
There are a myriad of ways one can perform a repetition of a movement and all of them have their benefit. You can do it slow, you can do it fast, you can perform it just in the stretched position, and many others. One of the best and most time-efficient reps is Overcoming Isometrics but with weights. The weight can be with a barbell as seen in Bobb Hoffman’s, “Functional Isometric Contraction” or it can be with just your body weight. What weighted overcoming isometrics accomplishes is not only the isometric but also what’s called a, “Pause Rep.” These two with their power combined provide some fantastic benefits.
But what are paused reps?
Paused Reps
These are simply repetitions where one pauses at a certain point within the range of motion. Where you choose to stop will affect the adaption you’re trying to stimulate. Paused reps can be a very valuable tool in your training regimen.
Sticking Points
One of the first things this helps you to do is overcome your sticking points. Sticking points are the point in your range of motion where you have the most difficulty. For example, let's say on a handstand push-up that once you’ve pressed downward as your feet glide along the wall you begin to encounter some resistance about halfway up and you start to struggle. You try to grip your hands to the floor increasing the activation of your tricep, while at the same time transitioning from a quick inhale to a strong exhale to further your strength output. After about a second of struggle which felt like an eternity you push through and achieve lockout.
In order to stop that struggle of eternity the next time, you practice some grease-the-groove training where every day at lunch you proceed to get into a handstand push-up. Instead of performing a full rep you drop down and position yourself at the point you had that struggle and hold that position for 10 seconds. 15 seconds would be too unbearable so you start low as the idea of greasing the groove is to stimulate and not annihilate. You do this every day for two weeks while taking time off from doing full reps for the handstand push-up.
You come back to full/moving reps and you no longer have that sticking point. Get it?
Control
It’s easy to go wild/lose control, get heated, flip a car, fight Toguro, and many other examples. But control can sometimes be the greatest flex( To show off your values in a non-humble way or make a statement). Instead of bouncing a weight or bouncing out of the bottom of a pistol squat, you show that you have full mastery over the object being moved. The better the control the better the strength.
If you’re a beginner, see how long you can hold push-ups in the stretched position.
If you’re advanced, see how long you can hold a one-arm pull-up in the middle position.
Hypertrophy
In certain positions, especially the stretched position, a paused rep can help stimulate more hypertrophy. This can be done in two ways,
Either with a great deal of weight being held in the stretched position.
Or, performing your max number of reps and just before failure you go to the stretched position and hold for as long as you can gritting your teeth.
The Combination
The more you understand my brand the more you understand that I find value in using overcoming isometrics not just as a side piece but as a primary or secondary. Having laid the benefits of paused reps and having talked about the benefits of overcoming isometrics in the past Combining the two should be the best match since the PB&J sandwich came into being.
Here are some reasons you should add weight to your overcoming isometrics.
One - They Provide Scalability
Pushing against a wall until your eyes bulge out of their sockets is an awesome way to train. After a while, you will start to feel like you're getting lighter and you can move with a quickness like you’re a character out of some shonen jump anime. But, most of us need a way to quantify things. The poorer one’s progress is mapped the less likely they can get through any future plateaus.
Me - “What worked in the past to get me from point F to point G? Because now I’m at point L and I can’t move forward”
Also Me - *Shrugs shoulders* “Don’t know we didn’t write that down.”
The less likely you can help yourself the less likely you will be able to help others. If you’re using just your bodyweight, transitioning from one weighted overcoming isometrics to the next will be the same as your bodyweight movement training.
Push-ups, to close push-ups,
then on to high-elevation one-arm push-ups,
then down to mid-elevation one-arm push-ups
and so on.
With the weights just stack them on the barbell like usual.
Two - Provides More Tension
With whatever type of added weight you choose this will increase the activation of your muscle fibers most likely beyond what you can generate yourself. With zero-weight overcoming isometrics, can one be able to recruit all 100% of their motor units/muscle fibers? With practice, maybe. It's possible that some dudes in the early 20th century could accomplish this and if you’re interested check some of this out.
But for the rest of us who don’t want to bother with the time and focus this gaining of control requires, we can just as easily add weight as we generate force in whatever position we choose.
If you can’t hold and exert for up to six seconds in the isometric position you choose, decrease the weight or the difficulty of the movement you are imitating. Tension is great but too much tension will negatively influence the benefits you wish to receive.
Tension is key for strength and muscle.
The right amounts of tension is the key to endurance.
Three - They’re Harder
Depending on which weight you choose not only will you have to generate force but you’ll have to do it while acting against gravity.
Sure, you could just perform a wall press and try to make it move for the eight to 12 seconds that you are generating force. Or, you could pop into a one-legged squat or heavy squat in a weight rack and try to push against the strap or pins and exert against an immovable object with excess weight. Or, you can try to press out in the handstand or pike handstand position instead of a shoulder press.
This will truly test your focus, grit, and ability to generate as well as maintain tension. Give it a try.
Four - A Feeling of Accomplishment
Zero-weight overcoming isometrics will leave you feeling vibrant after a good session but with the weights, you’ll have that confidence knowing you gave your muscles a high amount of tension.
For multiple sets, you were able to not only stay level but push and pull with all your might. After that, you will feel like you can overcome anything. Possibly build a time machine to go back in time and save Harambe…
Wrap Up
Weighted Overcoming Isometrics is a staple of my training. They’re
Short
Effective
And Challenging
Add some tension and challenge to your workouts.
Thank you for making it to the end and comments are below.
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