Stumbled on this book in college as I started looking into the whole, “Street Workout” emergence on youtube. This book opened up my eyes to the possibilities of training without equipment.

The second installment focuses on muscles that normally get less attention like the neck, forearms, fingers, and calves. This book also covers flexibility and mobility in a way I hadn’t heard of before. Train a movement in its full range of motion and not only will one improve their flexibility in a safe way their connective tissue will become stronger as well.

An encyclopedia of overcoming isometric exercises but most beneficial is the mindset that this author uses which is noticing patterns and seeking opportunities where ever they are. Isometrics for him supplements these two aspects. Training in a minimalist way I believe will improve one’s creativity because it’ll force you to make the most out of a less than an advantageous situation. This will translate to other areas of life.

A book that combines self-generated tension in the muscles with martial arts strikes. The idea is that as you’re slowly throwing a strike one would flex the muscle involved in the movement. Great for improving one’s mind-muscle connection as well as their efficiency of movement with punches and kicks.

A book that focuses on the use of an isometric power rack which is a weight rack used for isometrics but plenty of good training principles can be drawn from this book. This book also references a decent amount of scientific studies on isometrics. This book I read while I was in Japan as a Marine applied some of these training principles and improved some of my fitness evaluations dramatically.

A book that opened my mind to the different ways over-coming isometrics can be trained. From short one-second bursts to long 2 and 3 min force generations phases as well as multi-limb over-coming isometrics. It also covers the effects isometrics have on the speed of movement which one of my posts covers here.

Read this book in college but didn’t put it to use until later. It is a history-heavy book that covers mind-muscle-based training like muscle control and various forms of Isometrics as well as the strongmen performers back in the day that put it to good use. Near the back will be a list of yielding(Limb on limb) isometrics and self-generating tension poses.

A book by an old-school strongman who pulled himself out of sickness from a young age using self-generating/relaxing muscle techniques. He later applied these principles of tension and relaxation in the muscles to weight lifting with great success. This book also talks about the concept of energy as it pertains to getting stronger.

A strong man from the early 20th Century covering how best to build strength. From training frequency to how to develop the best quality of muscle, you’ll find this book full of interesting concepts to add to your training toolbox.

Strongmen weren’t always big, back in the day they just looked like normal dudes. The Mighty Atom was a performer in the 20th century who would break out of steel chains, drive nails through wooden boards with his hands, and perform other feats of strength. This book doesn’t have a workout program but it is inspiring and a very good read.

Paul Wade’s work on Isometrics is heavy on research studies and science as it relates to this form of training. The book has good programming templates for isometrics either by themselves or with other training modalities.

Paul Wade’s book on how to use progressive calisthenics to put on muscle. Some of the principles in this book I once used to get to a weight of 170Ibs from 155 with just bodyweight exercise.