The hardest workouts don’t always need to be the longest they just need to be the most challenging. As long as your muscles are working against a resistance you’re not used to then they’re going to grow and they’re going to get stronger.
However, there are lots of different training methodologies that can create this stimulus. There are three main types of contractions you can use to make progress:
1. Concentric: concentric contractions are where the muscle shortens under tension. In the case of the bicep curl, a concentric contraction is the curling part where you engage the bicep to bring the weight up towards your shoulders.
2. Eccentric: eccentric contractions are where the muscle lengthens under tension. If you were to do an eccentric bicep curl then you would start with the weight against your shoulders and then slowly lower it down. This is the type of contraction that tears the most muscle fibres. A lot of people believe this to be the key to building muscle but this is untrue. The best way to build muscle is through progressive overload i.e. increasing the amount of weight you can lift over time. You will get a lot of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from eccentric training which gives the belief that you’ve worked harder but it’s simply because a lot of fibres have been torn.
3. Isometric: isometric training is where the muscle neither shortens or lengthens but remains under tension. This would be a bicep curl held in a static position about midway through the curl. All you do is hold the position for as long as possible. It’s long been thought to be a great addition to training alongside concentric contractions to build and increase strength.
When you’re incline pressing using isometric contractions, it’s suggested that you do a high-incline chest flex where you bring your hands together above your chest. Push them together to create maximum tension. When using a machine for the bench press, hold your arms directly out in front of you. This really targets the middle of the pecs. Then with decline presses, bring them your hands together close to your belly button. If you’re a competing bodybuilder then this is very similar to the ‘most-muscular’ pose.
When lifting, remember to really connect your mind and your muscles. Focus on the contraction and really squeeze to get the most out of the exercise. Arnold Schwarzenneger said that the reason for his success was that he built up a real connection between his mind and his muscles which allowed for him to make more gains.
Isometrics should be used supplementally to your normal concentric sets. You may want to use it as a staple for some exercises but think of it more as an assistance methodology opposed to your regular go to. Use them in the sets immediately after your working ones to place further stimulus on the muscles.
Now, after you’ve gone through a few concentric and isometric sets, it’s time to finish off your muscles with some tough love. This means drop sets, negatives and more static holds.
Let’s take a look at what would happen in the case of an incline dumbbell press. You would complete your first 3 sets aiming for 6-10 reps without going to failure and only until your form starts to break down. Then when these three sets are over you start to introduce the extras. This means that you will immediately drop the weight by about 50% for some drop sets and keep going until you can’t drop the weight anymore. Combining concentric, isometric and drop sets is a great way to really shock your muscles into growing. You’ll feel a pump like never before across your entire chest.
However, if you really want to challenge your muscles then you should add in some negative reps to finish off with. Negative or eccentric reps are a great way to train your mind into the movement of the muscle. You should take roughly four seconds to lower the bar and then use a slight swing or help from a partner to lift the bar up again. For any advanced lifters, this is a great way to stimulate growth. The further you get on in your training life the harder it is to give your body enough reason to grow. Yet, combining this variety of techniques will leave your muscles in agony and they’ll have to no choice but to adapt.
Obviously, progress isn’t just made in the gym. If you’re not thinking about what you’re eating around your workout then you won’t have enough energy to workout properly or to grow. Pre and post workout nutrition is absolutely vital if you want to make any type of progress. A pre-workout supplement will give you a good boost of energy and will keep fatigue away. Post workout supplement with BCAAs will help you recover faster.
Isometric Chest Workout
Here is an example workout for you to complete that combines all of the strategies we’ve spoken about so far:
Incline Dumbbell Press
The incline bench is a great way to focus on the upper chest which gives that powerful square aesthetic whilst the dumbbells mean that you have to work harder in order to stabilise the individual weights.
Warm up:
– 1 set of 10 at 50% of your working weight
– 1 set of 8 at 75% of your working weight
– 1 set of 6 at 85% of your working weight
Next, do 1 set of 6-10 reps stopping just before you fail or when your form breaks down. Immediately follow these with isometric holds on the upper pecs by bringing your hands together above your chest. Aim for 8 reps at 75% effort and a single rep for 10 full seconds.
Follow this up with another 6-10 reps before dropping the weight immediately by 50% for your drop sets.
Machine Bench Press
Warm up:
– 1 set of 10 at 50% of your working weight
– 1 set of 8 at 75% of your working weight
– 1 set of 6 at 85% of your working weight
Now, do 1 set of 6-10 reps stopping just before you fail or when your form breaks down. follow these straight away with isometric holds on the middle pecs by bringing your hands right in front of you. Aim for 8 reps at 75% effort and a single rep for 10 full seconds.
Follow this up with another 6-10 reps before dropping the weight immediately by 50% for your drop sets.
It’s ideal to use a machine bench press that has a neutral grip or a wide, overhand grip to target the chest best. You can also do this with dumbbells on a flat bench but just follow the same instructions.
Decline Bench Press
Warm up:
– 1 set of 10 at 50% of your working weight
– 1 set of 8 at 75% of your working weight
– 1 set of 6 at 85% of your working weight
Start with 1 set of 6-10 reps stopping just before you fail or when your form breaks down. Immediately follow these with isometric holds on the lower pecs by bringing your hands together close to your naval. Aim for 8 reps at 75% effort and a single rep for 10 full seconds.
Follow this up with another 6-10 reps and finish off with 3 negative reps using a spotter. Afterwards, finish the same as the others with a drop set.
Incline Bench Cable Fly
Warm up:
– 1 set of 10 at 50% of your working weight
– 1 set of 8 at 75% of your working weight
– 1 set of 6 at 85% of your working weight
Now, do 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure and then hold isometrically halfway through the last rep for as long as you can.
Follow this up with another 6-10 reps before dropping the weight immediately by 50% for your drop sets.
Dip And Push Up Superset
Do as many reps as possible (AMRAP) on bodyweight dips making sure to lean forward in order to target the pecs best. Then follow this up with as many push ups as possible. Wait 30 seconds before holding a push up halfway through the rep for as long as possible.
Final Thoughts
Isometric training is a great tool that has been used for many years. The technique is most prevalent in calisthenic routines. Front levers, l-sits, and other gymnastic holds all require isometric contractions in order to complete. This is one of the main reasons why gymnasts are so proportionately strong. A lot of gymnasts join the gym and can already bench twice their bodyweight or more just from their bodyweight training alone. It takes a lot of strength to hold your body in various positions for extended periods of time.
Remember, isometric training should not be the focus of your workout regime. It’s a great tool to use in order to overload the muscles when you hit a plateau but increasing the volume of your concentric contractions is the way forward. If you use this as you would drop sets, negatives or forced reps then you’ll see a dramatic change in your strength and power.
Jarrett
