This same heading appeared on another article under the Question Department heading some time back. We really didn't expect to be writing another similar article so soon on the same topic, but we have recently received so many letters concerning isometrics that we felt another article was overdue.
Yes. Isometrics are certainly still being used, and very satisfactorily, as our mail would indicate. At one time isometric exercise was the big thing in training, and then, because too many people expected too much in too short a time, isometrics gradually slipped in popularity. Also, many trainers became disillusioned with isometrics because of improper application.
Now our mail asks for more about isometric exercise and also sends in reports of good results with isometric exercise and we feel our readers will again be interested in what is happening and perhaps again make a correct application of isometric to their own training routines.
Let us start out by saying that in the past we have often discouraged older fellows and especially those with high blood pressure from working on isometrics, for we had felt that such straining effort as is put forth in isometric training, and especially with fellows who hold their breath, was rather dangerous for a man with high blood pressure. We also felt that there might be some possibility of elevating the blood pressure through the use of isometrics.
We recall one reader who was in his 60's and month after month wrote us asking our advice on training (always including some payment for an answer) and at the same time outlining a program of isometrics and asking if he could not follow this program. Each time we discouraged him from using isometrics and recommended that he use barbell exercises and some running. This situation went on for several years until finally he decided to ignore our advice and he sold his barbell and ordered some isometric equipment. This gave us a bit of a shock and we were apprehensive for his safety.
Some time back, we received a copy of the Jan. 25, 1972 Health Bulletin, and the first item on page one was titled, "Isometrics Dramatically Successful in Lowering High Blood Pressure." Full paper available here:
Only 18 seconds of isometric exercise a day is astonishingly effective in controlling high blood pressure, two New York researchers claim.
The exercise which may easily be done at home consists of assuming a relaxed standing position with the knees and elbows just slightly flexed. Every muscle in the body is then simultaneously contracted for a period of six seconds, while normal breathing is maintained. The exercise is repeated three times daily.
Fifteen subjects with high blood pressure put on this exercise regimen for a period of 5 to 8 weeks all showed a marked decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure, according to Kiveloff and Huber.
No side effects were noted, they added, except that most subjects reported a "feeling of fitness, better posture, and a decrease in pendulous flesh in the older group."
No significant changes were noted in subjects with normal blood pressure.
Numerous other studies have indicated the benefit of such mild exercises as walking, light jogging and yoga in lowering high blood pressure. More strenuous exercises, however, can be dangerous. Drs. Kiveloff and Huber suspect that the therapeutic effect of isometrics may have something to do with the fact that the arterial blood supply to the capillaries is being increased without the return of venous blood being blocked by undue strain or mechanical resistance. Reflex action of the sympathetic nervous system may also be involved, they theorize.
Now, the above report, I'm sure, is a pleasant surprise to everyone who has contemplated isometric exercise. As a matter of record other medical men had previously warned people not to do isometric exercise if they had high blood pressure, and, in fact, had warned people that isometrics could be bad for anyone.
I don't recall that any research had been done at any time on this, but I believe that their advice was more a matter of personal opinion and prejudice than from any facts at their command.
It is very interesting to hear this encouraging report and especially so since it would appear that there is an exercise system that offers help to sufferers of high blood pressure as well as giving strength to the muscles and a "feeling of improved fitness."
It is so easy to generalize and because we might be biased we condemn some exercise without adequate reason. If you will [find and] read the above report, I believe you will find the good doctors doing this when they stated in one line, "More strenuous exercise, however, can be dangerous," when talking about jogging, etc., in the last paragraph. We doubt that they have proven that more strenuous exercises can be dangerous, but have just made a general statement just like the doctors did when they condemned isometrics as being dangerous without any real proof that they were.
You will notice that the isometrics they used were not the type requiring any special equipment, but they were simply tensing exercises -- you fellows might call it muscle control or posing. A physique man does it every workout as he poses in front of a mirror. In other words, you stand in a slightly crouched position as they recommend, and tense all the muscles for six seconds. They recommend tensing all the muscles at once, though it is inconceivable that these older men would be able to tense all their muscles at once, because this is an art that takes physique men some time to perfect. These men would be able to tense quite a number of their muscles at one time, tho. It is also a good bet that they would not be able to tense their muscles very strongly, especially at first. This could lead us to several conclusions. We will consider those later.
Now there is nothing wrong with this type of exercise except that it does nothing for muscular coordination -- that is tensing one muscle against the other or as an example, the biceps against the triceps.
Also, since the triceps is much stronger than the biceps, there is the chance that you will work the biceps more than the triceps unless you assume an arm position where the biceps has a great advantage.
Years ago, I would say about 50 years ago, a famous lifter by the name of Maxick . . .
sold a course on muscle control, and in effect this was an isometric course.
Walter Stocker, 1925.
Maxick claimed that one could become very strong from this work alone, and he stated that much of his great strength was due to his work on this course. He was one of the strongest men of his time.
Height: 5'3"
Weight: no more than 147 pounds.
Two hands clean & jerk - 272 pounds
Two hands military press - 230
Two hands continental jerk - 340
Two hands continental press - 254
One hand snatch - 165
One hand press - 112
One hand jerk - 240
He lived to an advanced age so it was apparent that such work did not cause him to have high blood pressure or that it was anything but beneficial to his physical well being. His two hands jerk at 147 pounds was an almost unbelievable feat of strength at that time. He was also the leading muscle control artist of his time or, in fact, any time. Even in his own time he was a legendary superman.
Now if we are to assume that muscle tensing is isometrics (and we can't assume anything else, since isometric exercise is tensing the muscle without movement, or pulling against an immovable object), then perhaps we must reevaluate our ideas about isometric exercise. I have often predicted that when sufficient research and experimentation has been done on this type of exercise, we will find that it is the answer to many of our training problems. I can't predict when this will be, however. In the meanwhile we must recognize that isometric exercise has a great deal of value that we have not recognized before.
As you can see, isometric exercise can be any type of tensing exercise where movement is not present. Most men will prefer to use a piece of equipment for their isometric exercise, as it allows for greater concentration. There are a number of pieces of such equipment available. There is the power rack, which lifters usually use. Then there are the chain or rope type devices. All of them have value. Some men like the chain type while others will prefer the rope type and especially the nylon rope which allows some "give" and thus some movement against resistance, however slight.
I just received a phone call from Rev. Orin Hardenbrook, who was a former author for Iron Man and who is now 69 years of age, still in excellent health, and in fact is busy part time as a competitor in quarter horse shows and this takes a lot of athletic ability. About 18 years ago we sent him a nylon rope isometric bar and he has been training on it ever since, and he told me that he feels it is the greatest exercise, for him at least, and that it keeps him feeling great and keeps his strength high. He too, sold his weights some years ago, and relies on this isometric bar to keep him in shape. He says he prefers the rope type to the chain type.
Note: below are instructions for an isometric device that can be used for several exercises,
thanks BIG to Ross Enamait.
I would like to make one or two more observations about isometric exercise. One is that when we first started on this type of exercise it was recommended that you pull about 2/3 or 3/4 of your maximum. Things went great and we decided that we could pull 100% on every effort. Then some fellows decided that if a little was good, a lot would be better. It wasn't long until fellows told about being dissatisfied with isometrics. They were getting stale and not progressing. Instead of feeling good they were feeling tired.
We warned many times that it was easy to overtrain on isometrics. Some taught that you should pull for 12 seconds while holding the breath. We taught that you should pull for six seconds and not hold the breath but try to breathe while pulling. You can see that the accumulated wrongs added up to some failures.
We would like to suggest to those wanting to do isometric exercise that they proceed as follows:
- Use the squat, dead lift, bench press, curl, and upright row as exercises.
- Pull for six seconds and breathe while pulling.
- Do not try to pull 100% maximum, but pull only about 3/4 of maximum.
- Do only one pull per exercise.
- Work out only three times pre week (some will do better on two)
Remember, it is easy to go stale on isometric exercise.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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