Fit Tip - What Are Isometric Exercises?

Learn the what, when and why behind isometric exercises in this Fit Tip.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Fitness Disrupted, a production of I Heart Radio.
I am Tom Holland and this is fit is Disrupted.
Fit Tip. What are isometric exercises? You might not know
the term, but chances are you doing Chances are strong

(00:24):
you're doing them, especially if you've listened to the show.
So in exercise science to basic type of exercises as
a tonic and isometric. The main difference between the two
movement versus no movement. Okay, So isometric exercises those are
exercises or positions in which the muscle is under tension,

(00:45):
it's contracting, but it's rigid and still there is no movement.
Isotonic exercises, squats, bench press, push ups isometric exercises. The
one you're probably the most familiar with the plank. Okay,
the plank is one, wall sits is another. The glute

(01:06):
bridge when you get on your back and bend your
legs nrees, bring your hips up to the sky and
hold it. That is another example of an isometric exercise. Okay.
And for those of you who do yoga or teach yoga,
there's generally movement in between poses, but then you hold them.
Depending on what type of yoga you're doing and that

(01:28):
holding do you feel it? Right? When you do a plank,
you feel it. There's a contraction, but there is no movement.
So it is a different type of strength training. So
then the question becomes you're saying, well, Tom, what's the difference?
Why do I do one over the other? And you
always have to ask this question, right, is one better
than the other? Well, I like to go to the

(01:50):
extremes because that's what this show is about, the myths,
the misconceptions. Well, yes, there are fitness programs I found
several online that say this is the only way, this
is the way. ISO tonic is not the way to
do it. It's isometric. One fitness program in particular says
and I quote pulled this right off the fitness program

(02:12):
that was all just about isometric exercises. Personal trainers and
a host of academic and medical journals are reawakening interest
in isometric exercise as not only the safest, but the
most effective form of exercise available. Complete and utter garbage.
Not going into the research during a fit tip, but

(02:32):
complete garbage. Yes, here's the reason. Three main reasons to
do I'm giving four, actually four reasons to do isometric
exercises rehabilitation people who have undergone things like shoulder surgery.
It is a super safe way to start to build strength.

(02:53):
You don't put the joint through a painful range of
motion right at the start. You slowly build up strength
o K So for injuries. For rehabilitative purposes, many pt
s utilize these type of exercises. Stabilization back to the
plank the bridge. They are helpful. There are so many

(03:16):
different aspects of our daily lives where we need stabilization
and when you get strong at things like the plank
and the bridge, that is a great way to build
core stabilization and muscular stabilization. And the plank and the
bridge great for people rehabilitating things like lower back issues. Right.

(03:36):
A third is arthritis, So there is very strong research
that people with arthritis counterintuitively but exercises super helpful. But
to progress those people who are starting from a painful
point once again, these type of exercises, isometric exercises are
a great way to slowly build that strength so that

(03:58):
they can be pain free when they progress too. ISO
tonic exercises okay um again isometric exercises done in one
position no movement. But here's the thing. When you do
go into the studies, the research, it improves strength in
that very angle, at that very position. So that's where,

(04:21):
if I were to go into a long discussion about it,
this person is totally wrong. The most effective form of
of exercise available. We move all day. We need to
move our joints through a range of motion and get
strong through a range of motion. Okay, so what's the takeaway?
Do both? Of course, you're going to do both. It's

(04:43):
not one over the other. That's the problem with so
many fitness programs, so many diet programs. This is the
one way to eat. This is the only way to exercise.
The best way. No, the best way is a combination
of everything. It's excessive moderation, it's doing some ice atime,
it's doing some isometric and then you are going to

(05:05):
get this holistic total body strength. You're gonna be more stable,
have more core stabilization, and you're gonna have strength through
that full range of motion. Okay, And finally, adding these
type of isometric exercises into your workout routine makes it
more interesting. Okay, you're gonna do some movement, you're gonna

(05:27):
do some without movement. And finally you're going to be
as I call it, as strong as possible. You're going
to bulletproof your body. That's what I was trying to say,
because you're using your muscles in ways that you're not
used to. That's what it's all about, to challenge your body,
to change your body. So that's why we do planks
and bridges, but it's also why we do squats and

(05:51):
lunges and push ups. We want a mix of the two.
Then you will be as strong as possible, as healthy
as possible, as well balanced as possible, and I tend
to think it's more fun. So there you have it. Okay,
what are isometric exercises? Planks? Wall sits? Hey, if you

(06:11):
took two white dumbbells and you held them out from
your shoulders and and held you know, there's some workout
routines too. They like to use these super challenging It
starts to burn, but again you are stabilizing in that position,
so there is value to it. But we want to
do both types, isometric and isotonic because we live in
an isotonic world for the most part, but there are

(06:33):
times you just want to stabilize all right, So there
you have it. Fit tip. What are isometric exercises? Thank
you so much for listening. I am Tom Holland, exercise physiologist,
certified sports nutritionists and just lover of fitness. My goal
for you is to give you the best information so

(06:55):
you can have your best life. That's it. Okay, the
new book out, the micro work Plan if you're interested.
Lots of great short workouts you can do at home,
limited equipment. And that's what I do. Everything I talk about,
all the studies, all the clients. This is the world
I live in. I practice what I preach and I
want you to too to do so as well, because

(07:17):
that's where you will live your best life. Thank you
for listening. Again, if you could rate the show, please
do subscribe to the to the podcast, great guests, great
topics coming up, and thank you for listening. Yeah. There
are three things people, that we can control, how much
we move, what we put into our mouths, and our attitudes.

(07:39):
And I say that at the end of every single
show because it is so powerful and it should make
you feel pretty great, because it's all about control what
we can and what we can't. There's so much we
can't and those three things. That's amazing, all right. If
you want to reach out to me, tom h Fit
is my Twitter as well as my Instagram tom h Fit.

(07:59):
You can also go to fitness disrupted dot com. Thank
you for listening, have an awesome day, and believe in yourself.
Fitness Disrupted is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart

(08:20):
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.