How to Pullup #08 – Beginner 5

It sounds like a name for a mathematical shape, but isometrics simply means to train without moving your body.

Remaining still in a physically hard position can also be used to work your muscles. In this episode, we will use this idea on the negative pull-up.

Easy to Hard

We can make this exercise as easy or hard as we like by changing a few different things.

First, the number of positions we repeat the hold. We can start with a single hold and increase it as much as we like.

Second, the length of time we spend in a hold. The longer the hold, the harder the exercise will be.

ROM But not Pulling

With isometric training, we are not actually doing any pulling or working any mechanics again. We are using our stabilising muscles to hold onto the bar only.

However, we can really work the Range of Motion a lot. We can spend more time in those positions we ourselves weakest in.

Endurance over Strength

Without going into the details yet (we'll cover it in the programming episodes), we are not really doing much strength training with isometrics. We are doing more endurance work instead.

This is what you would call more of a conditioning exercise. Conditioning is a way of repeating the actual thing you want to get better at.