Tips for Isos NOW UPDATED

[aaronb41]

EJ brought up isos in another thread and that got me thinking. He recommended using 30-40% power and holding each hit for 5-10 seconds, which brings me to a few questions:

1- is there an upper limit for the time each hit is held? For example, has anyone had success holding isos for longer than 20 seconds?

2- is there an upper limit for power used? Would it ever be wise to do isos with 80%? 90% power?

3- how many positions/angles are generally worked? For example, 1 straight bar, 1 bar ~90degrees, 1 bar in crush position? Would that be too many positions, or not enough?

4- finally, how does one typically add isos to training? Should full bends be dropped entirely, or just limited, or kept the same?

I know there aren't difinitive answers for these questions. I am just hoping to get some ideas and ranges to determine some starting points.

Thanks so much for any thoughts and ideas!

 

Aaron

Edited June 7, 2016 by EJ Livesey

[EJ Livesey]

answered below

Edited June 7, 2016 by EJ Livesey

[KapMan]

bump.. @EJ Livesey Very much interested in your write up on this.

Edited May 17, 2016 by KapMan

[EJ Livesey]

On 5/9/2016 at 10:48 PM, aaronb41 said:

EJ brought up isos in another thread and that got me thinking. He recommended using 30-40% power and holding each hit for 5-10 seconds, which brings me to a few questions:

1- is there an upper limit for the time each hit is held? For example, has anyone had success holding isos for longer than 20 seconds?

2- is there an upper limit for power used? Would it ever be wise to do isos with 80%? 90% power?

3- how many positions/angles are generally worked? For example, 1 straight bar, 1 bar ~90degrees, 1 bar in crush position? Would that be too many positions, or not enough?

4- finally, how does one typically add isos to training? Should full bends be dropped entirely, or just limited, or kept the same?

I know there aren't difinitive answers for these questions. I am just hoping to get some ideas and ranges to determine some starting points.

Thanks so much for any thoughts and ideas!

 

Aaron

Guys I would like to apologize for taking so long.  Honestly I kept forgetting about this thread, then remembered and forgot, you know how it is.  so now I will give the best info I have found as it pertains to ME.  Please keep in mind this worked for me, it may not work for you.  There is no exact science to this technique, but it will work.  

 

WARNING>>> You have to keep in mind you are exerting mass amounts of force onto an object that will not move or give.  If you put too much power behind it, something in your hands, wrists or arms will give first.  These types of injuries include bruises (skin, deep tissue and bone) in extreme cases mild fractures and hyper-extension of tendons.  These types of injures will set you back weeks to months.  They are generally very painful during normal everyday activities.

 

My first big piece of advice is to already have a strong base before attempting these.  By that, i mean at least six good months of bending and good progression under your belt.  The key here is to be strong enough physically to deal with the extreme localized pressure this technique causes.  Having a good base allows your hands, wrists and arms to endure it.  In my honest opinion these should be used as a last ditch effort to take your bending to the next level.  Before i tell anyone to try these i will always say more volume work is needed.  SS, DR and graded bolts are perfect for volume work to get you over a plateau. 

 

Lets get to the good stuff. 

1.  when first starting to try these out I would take pre-bend KOABs wrapped them in IMPs.  I would have 20 degrees, 90 degrees and 2.5"  I would start by holding the hits at 25-30% power for 3-5 seconds.  I would then do 3-5 sets with each bar i had.  During this time I would not bend.  I would do 1 week on 1 week off.  The off week of Isos i would bend.  I was rather aggressive and did get bruised.  Every new iso week i would up the power by a little and the time by a couple seconds.  I never went over 10 seconds.  anything longer than 10 seconds and i would run out of steam and lose the strength, so it was worthless.  Also holding longer than 10 seconds you will run out of steam and your form will get sloppy, which open you up to injury.

2.  the upper limit is up to you and how you feel, BUT it must be a slow progression.  Remember the 2.5" koab i spoke of earlier?  I was at my upper limit and moving that bar in IMPs.  Eventually i crushed it down to less than 2".  This took a lot of time but i did it.

3.   I have found that a straight bar did nothing at all for me, just stressed my upper back and neck.  My kink was never an issue so i never did isos on a straight bar.  I would not recommend that.  I would recommend a bar that was already wobbled or almost kinked.  Remember a true kink is around 40 degrees.

4.   As stated earlier, i would do 1 week of isos next week of bending, maybe rest for a few days and start over.  But do not do isos and bending during the same time until you know how much your body can take, you will get injured.  Time is the key here.  trying to rush the progression will only get you injured.  After a couple weeks of this you will notice a difference in strength, physical toughness and most important mental toughness.

Extra Info:  It would be wise to train all aspects of the bending cycle; kink, sweep and crush.  this will help keep the muscle balance in check.  The last thing you want is an amazing crush but a horrible kink.  you cant bend anything that way. You also want to use as little pad as possible.  I would recommend IMPs on iso bars.  you will be able to deliver more power into the bar and get better feedback as well.  Little pads will force you to go slow and build strength in a slow healthy way.  They will also allow you to EVENTUALLY endure much more pain for future bends.  Remember a good bend in IMPs will equal a great bend in doubles.

 

I will be checking this more often, any questions please ask here and i will do my best to answer them.  Dont be afraid to ask, this is a dangerous technique and i dont want anyone getting injured using it. 

[David_wigren]

Great post EJ! My isos training was less structured than yours. But similar in effect. I would work all angles  (including the kink). If I felt fresh and strong I'd do hard isos with 80-100 % effort. If I felt sore I'd back it down to 60-80 % effort. Like you I would not hold the hits much longer than 3-5 seconds. Some praise the longer hits of holding it for up to 10 seconds but I personally never got any benefits from doing that.

[aaronb41]

Thank you EJ! That was an awesome reply, thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed response.

 

I do have one question unique to my situation-

 

1) I have been bending for ~10 months and have certed the red. When attempting max bars I can get the slightest of wobbles. I usually can't  tell if the bar moved until I roll it on the ground and see the wobble. If I ever get past the slight wobble, the rest always goes down eventually. So- do you think working isos with just a tiny wobble would be a good idea? Or should I work with a bar closer to 40 degrees?

 

Aaron

[EJ Livesey]

On June 7, 2016 at 3:09 PM, aaronb41 said:

Thank you EJ! That was an awesome reply, thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed response.

 

I do have one question unique to my situation-

 

1) I have been bending for ~10 months and have certed the red. When attempting max bars I can get the slightest of wobbles. I usually can't  tell if the bar moved until I roll it on the ground and see the wobble. If I ever get past the slight wobble, the rest always goes down eventually. So- do you think working isos with just a tiny wobble would be a good idea? Or should I work with a bar closer to 40 degrees?

 

Aaron

Work with the wobbled bar. Be sure to mark the top of the wobble, that way you aren't fighting too hard against yourself. And use small pads, at a maximum IPMs. 

 

You our also might want to consider strengthening your neck and upper back as well. My neck and back are pretty thick that's why kinking has never been an issue with me. Some bent over rows, t-bar rows and lat work will really push your kink strength fast. 

Edited June 8, 2016 by EJ Livesey

[robertmiller67]

Great info EJ & thanks for posting sir!  

[aaronb41]

Thanks so much for the help EJ. I plan to start working some more rows along with the isos.

 

And thanks to David too, for weighing in with his iso experience.