Many strongmen past and present were very big believers in isometrics for building strength.
Alexander Zass Charles Atlas and The Mighty Atom just to name a few.
Zass was born in 1888. While still a young man, Zass’ strength training included
“bending green branches”
During World War 1 Zass served in the Russian army, fighting against the Austrians. However,
Zass was taken as a prisoner of war four times, but managed to escape each time. As a prisoner,
he pushed and pulled his cell bars as part of strength training, which was cited as an example of
the effectiveness of isometrics. At least one of his escapes involved him ‘breaking chains and
bending bars’. He went on to promote the use of isometric exercises.
Charles Atlas the Icon that sold probably the most recognized training course on
isometrics and dynamic resistance ever!
Isometric Equipment like the classic Bullworker are old school training
tools that actually built strength and probably used by an old timer
probably would have gotten better results then spending hours in the gym!
I have been training for over 35 years and didn’t have the information there is
today. All my info came from buying muscle magazines and books of either
power lifters or bodybuilders. But it wasn’t Arnold or Lou Ferrigno it was
the sections of stories of old time strong men.
I wasn’t exposed to isometrics until I have been training with weights for
years, and was reading about an old time bodybuilder and strongman and
1964 Mr America Val Vasilieff shown below strict one arm curl with a 150lb
dumbbell!
Val Vasilieff trained the Runnemede NJ police departments powerlifting
team and he used isometrics inside the power rack and of course a new
part of my training was born!
The great thing about isometrics is they can be done anywhere using anything
and are great on your joints and are extremely effective healing injuries, but
so called experts don’t like isometrics because it is tough to measure the strength
you are building. People like this are training whores, they are all about validating
themselves with weight and if you do them enough you will find out in real life
they are brutally workable.
Another problem is people abandon them quickly from lack of visual results not
realizing the real underlying strength they are building. I also believe the abs are
trained the best and most effective with isometrics, if you want punch proof
abs try some isometric ab work, I’m not talking building a 6 pack set of abs I’m
talking a tough set of punch proof abs!
Isometrics are versatile, you can use extra weight, like back packs, rocks, sand
bags anything you want to make some exercises tougher.
Then you have to look at Bruce Lee (and if I have to explain to you who he is
you are on the wrong blog) he was big in all types of training but a big beleiver
in isometrics, and pound for pound no one was ever stronger!
Charles Bronson the U.K Prisoner who has been in prison for 30 plus
years of his life is a big believer of bodyweight and isometric training
and has done some impressive feats, like tearing down metal doors,
having world records in situps and pushups a complete maniac!
Today’s strongmen still use isometrics today to build super strength
through their body strongmen like Bud Jeffries and Christopher Logan
are completely different in size and shape Bud Jeffries big and massive
and Logan pretty lean but both incredibly strong!
Check bud out at:
http://anunconventionalife.com/extreme-power-with-isometrics/
Check out Christopher Logan out at:
I don’t want you to think I’m not on board and actually use them every single day
just like a lot of people with manual labor jobs isometrics are just part of everyday
life, but most don’t realize it and don’t capitalize on it.
I will sit in my house doing isometrics, a little here a little there you can use a wall
the floor, a belt, a piece of rope an adjustable strap, a water bottle, a yoga block,
you can use anything or just use your own resistance and isometrics will make you
hard!
There are so many ways to make isometrics work for you and keep you
extremely strong, and its the strength that you will need to thrive in
the real world. Isometrics strengthen the forgotten muscles, the ones
you don’t work in the gym.
Ever know a big strongman in the gym who hurts his back moving a
couch? Or who hurts himself twisting the wrong way? I don’t care
how strong you are in the gym if you can’t move without hurting
yourself your training is missing something!
Isometrics will make you tougher, stronger and harder!
There are many good isometric books this is an encyclopedia of
using a piece of rope and things in your environment!
Toughness Builds Winners
Johnny Grube
www.wildmantraining.com
You did good videos demonstrating “aerobic isometrics” where you held static position for more than the conventional six to ten seconds. I like the way you combine upper and lower body with the wall sit.
They are good as long as you don’t hold your breath which is a mistake many have made.
You did good videos demonstrating “aerobic isometrics” where you held static position for more than the conventional six to ten seconds. I like the way you combine upper and lower body with the wall sit.
They are good as long as you don’t hold your breath which is a mistake many have made.
Isometrics are the real lost secrets of supreme survival strength.
“So called experts don’t like isometrics because it is tough to measure the strength
you are building.” The strength that is being built might be too much because the gains are big, so “experts” demonize isometrics.