Iso Holds

Here’s one that trips up lots people on their program, iso hold. It’s short for isometric. Which is short for isometric contraction.

This is a muscle contraction in which the length of the muscle does not change. The muscles fire but joints don’t move, rather the muscles keep everything in place.

Holding a plank is an isometric contraction (especially if you do it right).

An iso metric contraction is present on any sort of pause squat or bench press as well.

Isometrics can fall into two categories, yielding or overcoming.

For a yielding isometric, you hold a position with resistance trying to get you out of it, all these below are yielding iso metrics.

Split squat iso holds, anti-rotation press iso holds, bottom of push up holds, wall sits, and if you were around for some Zoom workouts, bat wings.

An overcoming iso hold, you put force into an immovable object. Like trying to push a wall over or pull something so heavy that it won’t budge. We typically use yielding isometrics at GAIN.

Iso holds get you stronger in specific ranges of motion, they’re helpful for building strength and rigidity, exposing range of motion and one of those things we could all use a little more of.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain