Alpha Performance Coaching

I S O M E T R I C S //

With limited equipment, isometric holds are a great way to make strength gains as well as movement pattern 🤸🏻‍♀️, tendon health 💪 and mental toughness 🧠 gains too.

There are three types of training - ‘concentric’ which is the shortening of the muscles (the curl upwards in the bicep curl for example), ‘eccentric’ which is the lengthening portion of the movement (the negative part or controlling downwards) and ‘isometric’ where the muscle fibre stays at the same length (a plank hold).

Anyone who’s incorporated isometric holds into their training knows that they are usually always easier than they look and getting the shakes is not uncommon 🤣

A few reasons why isometric training is beneficial:

Even though you’re not actually moving the muscles or the joints, the muscles experience a high amount of tension from you holding that position. This tension will transfer to other elements of your training, especially speed and power work ⚡️... isometrics do not make you slow.

Isometrics can activate more muscle fibres than any other kind of lifting and for longer. For example, in training an explosive movement you’d hold muscular tension through that pattern for around 0.25s ⏰ With isometric training, we can hold that position for 10,20,30 seconds potentially 😅 More time to recruit all of the muscle fibres needed for that position.

They can also help with sports specific positioning by strengthening muscles in the required movement patterns for your sport 📈 Since there is no joint movement, there is no opportunity to develop any bad habits that will have a detrimental effect on your positions 💩 and you can target your weak positions very efficiently to help you overcome any element in your movement that has been holding you back 🤩

Lastly, isometric holds rarely give you any muscle soreness or pain the next day meaning they are a super efficient way to train as you can rock up and give tomorrow’s session full focus 🥳 and not have anything lingering from the day before. Less DOMS = more quality training. More quality training = greater results 👍

Home WODs being posted by CrossFitness Paphos. Keeping us all fit while we can't get into the gym 🙏

💪Let’s do it again people🇨🇾
Today’s Home workout
A. Warm up
3 rounds
Front plank 30-45 sec
Side plank 30 sec each side
Arch ups 30 sec
Isometric wall sit 30-45 sec
B. Conditioning
Every minute on the minute for 18 min
1st min : Alternate lunges
2nd min : High knees
3rd min : Chair Dips 🪑
4th min : Mountain climber
5th min : Burpees to tuck jump
6th min : Rest
*Work for about 50-55sec then transmit to the next movement

I’m pleased to announce that I am now taking on personal training clients at 💪🤩 If you are looking to work with a professional coach to reach your fitness goals then drop me a message! I specialise in sports performance training, CrossFit training, Olympic weightlifting as well as body composition and weight loss (I am a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach). If you are ready to take your training to the next level or just make a change and find an exercise program tailored specifically to you then what’s stopping you? DM me to chat about your training goals and together we will create a plan🤩