TIMED STATIC CONTRACTIONS, OVERCOMING ISOMETRICS, AND YIELDING HOLDS

...the very best cardio is strength training -- Steve Maxwell

Right away, isometrics strip away the fluff and get down to the essential. This is Steve's most minimal program yet. Do not confuse minimalism with a lack of effectiveness. Like plutonium, more is rarely better -- better is better.

Watch the Functional Isometrics video for $29.95. The video runs approximately 31 minutes.

With this program, Steve has stripped strength training down to its essential elements:

1) Intensity of effort
2) Time under load (TUL)
3) Form

With isometrics, the form is no-brainer: because there's no movement, it's that much harder to do wrong. While you might still slack on the effort, it's hard to screw up the technique!

This isometric video is very freeing -- you no longer need rely upon ANY equipment, other than a simple belt or cord. Never again be without your workout!

There are 2 types of isometrics demonstrated:

The yielding isometric, wherein you hold a measurable weight (in this case, your body weight) for time. Ex. holding the top position of a chin-up.

The other type of isometric shown is the overcoming isometric, wherein you push against an immoveable object, for time. In this type, the resistance is self-generated, that is, other than your own
muscular fatigue, there's no way to measure the amount of work done -- but that does not reduce the effectiveness for either strength or hypertrophy!

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Quoth Steve:

Don't be fooled by the brevity of the program -- it's very potent. I recommend following this routine no more than two times per week. Like any strong medicine, increasing the dose is a bad idea.

Some may be skeptical about the results, i.e., the carryover of isometric training to full-range exercise, and in fact when I began my own experiments with it, I was also dubious. Yet, after having done almost exactly the same sequence as shown in this video for 8 weeks, at the age of 63, I matched my former PR on pull-ups -- a number I hadn't attained since my 30's.
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How to use this video:

Steve recommends a constructive workout of no more than 12 exercises.

Steve likes to break down workouts according to his own 5-Pillars of human movement:

1) vertical pull & push
2) horizontal pull & push
3) hinge
4) squat
5) rotation & anti-rotation

* plus some curated ancillary movements made up of isolation exercises for neck, hands, forearms, feet, calves, abs

Pick a movement for each body part. Be sure to balance a push with a pull, both horizontal and vertical. Feel free to add isolation movements to body parts you are particularly interested in developing. Steve likes to mix mult-joint exercises with isolation movements, sometimes using the pre-exhaustion method.

You can also follow the demonstration workouts at the end.

Steve thanks Precision Athlete for the location and strong talent: Antonio Cordova, Ed Napper, Jaclynn Pearse

Questions & Answers

As always with your products, this is great information. Would you recommend a day of one-arm pushup practice with some pull-ups during the week with 1-2 days of the isometrics?
It's not so simple to reply because it sounds like you might have some confusion about goals. The breadth of your question requires a phone consultation (scroll down). There is no pat answer but I'm happy to assist you with an individualized program for your potentially conflicting goals.
I am interested in your isometric video. Is this a follow-along or an instructional video? I do love the support and encouragement that a follow-along provides.
It's not strictly a follow-along workout, but the instructional parts are pretty well-laid out.

After the instructional portion, you are invited to follow-along at the end of the video while the trainers perform their formidable exemplar workouts. or Take the opportunity to put together your own Maxwell-style sequence(s) following my own parameters as described on the here:

Steve recommends a constructive workout of no more than 12 exercises.

Steve likes to break down workouts according to his own 5-Pillars of human movement:

1. vertical pull & push
2. horizontal pull & push
3. hinge
4. squat
5. rotation & anti-rotation

* plus some curated ancillary movements made up of isolation exercises for neck, hands, forearms, feet, calves, abs

Pick a movement for each body part. Be sure to balance a push with a pull, both horizontal and vertical. Feel free to add isolation movements to body parts you are particularly interested in developing. Steve likes to mix mult-joint exercises with isolation movements, sometimes using the pre-exhaustion method.

You can also follow the demonstration workouts at the end.

Steve thanks Precision Athlete for the location and strong talent: Antonio Cordova, Ed Napper, Jaclynn Pearse

Questions & Answers

Q: As always with your products, this is great information. Would you recommend a day of one-arm pushup practice with some pull-ups during the week with 1-2 days of the isometrics?

A: It's not so simple to reply because it sounds like you might have some confusion about goals. The breadth of your question requires a phone consultation (scroll down). There is no pat answer but I'm happy to assist you with an individualized program for your potentially conflicting goals.

q: I am interested in your isometric video. Is this a follow-along or an instructional video? I do love the support and encouragement that a follow-along provides.

A: It's not strictly a follow-along workout, but the instructional parts are pretty well-laid out.

After the instructional portion, you are invited to follow-along at the end of the video while the trainers perform their formidable exemplar workouts. or Take the opportunity to put together your own Maxwell-style sequence(s) following my own parameters as described on the here:

Steve recommends a constructive workout of no more than 12 exercises.

Steve likes to break down workouts according to his own 5-Pillars of human movement:

1. vertical pull & push
2. horizontal pull & push
3. hinge
4. squat
5. rotation & anti-rotation

* plus some curated ancillary movements made up of isolation exercises for neck, hands, forearms, feet, calves, abs

Pick a movement for each body part. Be sure to balance a push with a pull, both horizontal and vertical. Feel free to add isolation movements to body parts you are particularly interested in developing. Steve likes to mix mult-joint exercises with isolation movements, sometimes using the pre-exhaustion method.

Q: This might be an odd question but what brand of trousers are you wearing in your new isometrics video?

A: Kuhl brand Renegade jean. Other pants I'm into: any of the Kuhl Renegade jeans or Renegade regular pants also Prana brand stretch Zion shorts and stretch Zion pants are right on, right now.

Q: Do you breathe or hold your breath when performing Functional Isometrics.

A: Many, many small breaths. If you hold the breath you could risk heart attack or stroke. Isometrics training offers an excellent lesson in breathing through tension.

Q: I'm doing "your future workout". Are there rest periods during the workout or is it back to back all the way through? I assume all intervals are 1 minute except Hindu push-up. Is that correct ? How many times a week do I do this workout?

A: I like to go back-to-back. I really enjoy the cardio-respiratory benefits of low-rest workouts. It increases the intensity in a way that's pleasing to me. It's HARD but I like to work out hard, you know?

1-minute intervals are about the time it takes to get the results, but I like to go to fatigue instead of arbitrary time or reps. The true goal of exercise it to produce deep-level fatigue. Instead of increasing time or reps ad infinitum strive for increasing intensity -- that is making the exercise harder -- and perfecting the form.

Reviews

...it's amazing how strong I've been feeling since doing [the isometric protocols] and I've even been getting noticeable quad hypertrophy from the [timed static contraction] squats, even more than when I was doing heavy back squats, and in addition, no back tightness. -- Edward Bergerson, personal trainer, Geneva Switzerland

...I tried a modified version of the [Functional Isometrics] workout the other day. I had about 25-30 minutes to do it in my apartment, but had no pull up bar or suspension device handy so I used my bjj belt to try some of the basics and others based on your list. Two days later, and my glutes are still on fire! The squats also revved up my hips pretty good. I felt a tremendous pump that day and was near trembling at the end of each exercise/set. I also noticed extreme fatigue the day of. I slept well that night! So far so good, I'm eager to see the progress. I like the way it can pair with a quick mobility workout before or after as well. Very efficient. -- Mark DiSalvo, blogger, personal trainer, NYC

Excellent work by Steve Maxwell again! I tried it. As the strength and conditioning subject is growing in age, it's becoming more and more complex and cluttered with equipment and machines. While everyone is busily making it more complex, only few leaders like Steve are focused on simplifying it and paying attention to the technique, rather than tools. Work-life balance is what everyone is struggling with and people get very little time to focus on health. This creates an opportunity for workouts which are time-efficient and not equipment-dependent. The opportunity to do strength training wherever and whenever can be grasped through this video and I can do this workout within 15 minutes, saving a lot of time for me to face other challenges of life strengthfully. -- Agha Khurram Shah., business analyst, Saudi Arabia

I just viewed Steve's video download. This is a cleanly shot, clearly taught and concise piece of work. Basically Steve takes all those isometric courses we collected on our bookshelf over the years.. pulled ideas from his lifelong study of grappling, then added Maxwell ingenuity.

It's enjoyable to watch and doesn't waste a second on hype. All meat, no fat. I can tell you that I'll be adding some of these drills to my workout. It's not magical techniques or stupid variations made up for novelty sake. It's a group of drills that you forgot and Steve simply organized and made clear in his own unique style.

This download is a great investment for the road warrior who wants something during his travels to keep his strength at a high level. It's also a great idea for any athlete with weak areas or compromised movement during mild injury.

I first started using isometrics based on Bruce Lee's training. Later Gung Fu Champion Eric Lee added some unique variations. Finally Jerry Smith and Cliff Stewart included isometrics in their unique kickboxing training in the 70's. It took Steve Maxwell to remind me of the great connection between isometrics and martial strength in 2016. I highly recommend you add some of this great material to your training. -- Tom Furman, Fort Lauderdale, Florida