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Honest Effort

I popped in here to see how your iso training was going, and now I have to second the notion that you would make a great PT. You are very knowledgable and have demonstrated results. Looking forward to reading through more of the iso training!
 
I popped in here to see how your iso training was going, and now I have to second the notion that you would make a great PT. You are very knowledgable and have demonstrated results. Looking forward to reading through more of the iso training!

Heck, come on in and have a look around!
I don't post all my updates on the thread, but its going well. In fact am now contemplating ways to screw it up in the near future, but for now just about every entry looks the same.

I have a separate savings account with more than enough $ in it to take one sample test and the real thing for NSCA cert. Have been looking at what it pays and concluded I couldn't make it work at a club, bringing work to me sounds really difficult. But...that money is still there if/when I decide to make a move on it.

I am considering some form of Ebook or pamphlet laying out my isometric (Millermetrics!) approach. Esp for the older athlete could be a game changer for some.
 
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Dig your pioneering attitude brother, putting your body where your brain is.. and going further than most.
There's a culture of professionalism on the site that encourages honest assessment. When I was very serious about PT I realized there was a lot I didn't know, or at least a lot I didn't know from experience that a quality PT should have in their toolbox - "I need to understand this better".

At the end of every training block I start sampling stuff I'm interested in but haven't really applied, or variations of stuff I already use. I'm in OK shape for strength, body comp, base level of endurance, so a good bread board for testing GPP effects, which is what a good PT for non-athletes should specialize in.

Last 5 years or so began to really dig into principles I could articulate but not talk about from experience:
- Cluster Set (very close to Q&D)
- Isometrics
- HIIT
- explosive sandbag

I'm just having fun over here :)
 
- Cluster Set (very close to Q&D)
- Isometrics
- HIIT
- explosive sandbag

I'm just having fun over here :)
I like clusters very much.. I think my training in karate for decades has been HIIT more than less, it's hard to duplicate kicking and punching across the floor until LA builds up enough to slow you down, then repeating it over and over after brief rests.
In the 80's I played with Iso work while bodybuilding, I was addicted to the pump so it didn't last long. Muscle occlusion training kinda leaves with an unnatural feeling so I dropped it quick.

You are taking Iso for a good run, it's something i will play with again, now that my 'addiction' is better haha
Thanks for doing what you do (y)
 
... now that my 'addiction' is better haha

That is def something I still miss, pretty sure its an association addiction. Am slowly getting the point where that's starting to fade.

I've done a lot of informal HIIT in the past, more like "fartlek" training with instinctive on/off.
It occured to me that I couldn't very well use that approach training someone else, so out comes the timer and HR monitor...

That was def a turning point, a thought experiment in becoming my PT, be able to explain the why and give 100% detailed instructions instead of guidelines. Guidelines work with people who have a history of fitness, not so well with dedicated sedentary folk.

My thanks to you and everyone else who contributes and/or maintains a log, incredibly helpful and supporting community.
 
Starting to spitball ideas for the next phase combining dynamic and isometric. The least complicated would just use alternating isometric (I) and dynamic (D) versions per session. Trained 3x per week this would create a 4 week rotating cycle where every variant is trained 3 times, with Isometric versions always placed first. This sounds like a long time between repeats, but since every exercise or hold is a variation on a theme it should work.

This is a timely proposition with the running thread on varying exercises daily, which in practice is exactly what this would do. Training days named by deadlift or squat exercise and its variant I or D. The plan would simply be using the menus below in sequence, with a Cluster Set approach for dynamic training. Looks clunky on paper, but is using the same basic approach I've been using for years in terms of exercise selection, with a little shuffling to keep isometric versions in the lead-off slots. The other possibility would be to pair Iso and dynamic primary/assistance lifts/holds on the same day, creating a true push/pull, upper/lower "split". This actually makes more sense to me from an "explain your reasoning" POV (does it really make sense to use an isometric leg extension and follow it with a loaded Good Morning?).

The one approach assumes a solid stand-alone response for each lift and hold, and you just need to fit it in with the least accumulated fatigue. The other kicks it in the butt.

Incomprehensible string of charts to follow.

Traditional sequence -

Squat I:
Squat..........................I
overhead press......I
Mule kick.................D
One arm row..........D
Crunch......................I
Tricep extension....D

Deadlift I:
Deadlift.....................I
High pull...................I
Sissy Squat..............D
Loaded pushup......D
Leg raise...................I
Curl............................D

Squat D:
Hamstring curl.......I
Crossover row.......I
Skatersquat............D
overhead press......D
Crunch......................D
Tricep extension...I

Deadlift D:
Leg extension.........I
Bench Press............I
Good Morning.......D
High pull..................D
Leg extension.........D
Curl............................I
======================================
Push/pull, upper/lower -

Squat I:
Squat..........................I
High pull...................I
Sissy Squat..............D
One arm row..........D
Crunch......................I
Tricep extension....D

Deadlift I:
Deadlift.....................I
overhead press......I
Mule kick.................D
Loaded pushup......D
Leg raise...................I
Curl............................D

Squat D:
Leg extension.........I
Crossover row.......I
Skatersquat............D
High pull..................D
Crunch......................D
Tricep extension...I

Deadlift D:
Hamstring curl.......I
Bench Press............I
Good Morning.......D
overhead press......D
Leg extension.........D
Curl............................I
 
The other possibility would be to pair Iso and dynamic primary/assistance lifts/holds on the same day, creating a true push/pull, upper/lower "split". This actually makes more sense to me from an "explain your reasoning" POV (does it really make sense to use an isometric leg extension and follow it with a loaded Good Morning?).
Hey Martin, just so I'm clear on this. If you were doing a push/pull, for example, using isometric on the pull and dynamic on the push would be the plan? I wonder if you were to start with isometric for a short time and then switch to Dynamic using the same movement what the effect would be. The muscle stimulus would be completely different than using one or the other?

Interesting stuff here
 
Hey Martin, just so I'm clear on this. If you were doing a push/pull, for example, using isometric on the pull and dynamic on the push would be the plan? I wonder if you were to start with isometric for a short time and then switch to Dynamic using the same movement what the effect would be. The muscle stimulus would be completely different than using one or the other?

Interesting stuff here
For the push pull I'd be using an isometric primary or assistance hold followed by the dynamic compliment. Example would be isometric squat (primary) followed by dynamic sissy squat or hack squat (assistance). The flip of that day would be an isometric leg extension (assistance) followed by a dynamic skater squat (primary).

My usual is to alternate primary and assistance AND push pull. Training dynamically I'd pair a squat with a hamstring curl/loaded mule kick, or a deadlift with a leg extension. This gives consistent volume to everything in a whole body approach while giving the prime moving muscles a good bit of rest. It works great when using all dynamic, I'm just not sure if it makes sense with a combined iso/dynamic approach.

If you use a lot of iso with dynamic of the same exercise or a primary/assistance version of the same exercise, you're now changing a bunch of stuff fatigue wise that you didn't have to worry about before. Upside, the response is proven to be be formidable - Thib uses this approach. You'd have to create a whole spread sheet of weekly if not daily intensity variation to avoid burning out- there's nothing intuitive about it.
 
If you use a lot of iso with dynamic of the same exercise or a primary/assistance version of the same exercise, you're now changing a bunch of stuff fatigue wise that you didn't have to worry about before. Upside, the response is proven to be be formidable - Thib uses this approach. You'd have to create a whole spread sheet of weekly if not daily intensity variation to avoid burning out- there's nothing intuitive about it.
That was the X-Factor I was thinking of, plotting out anything like this is way above my pay grade. Moving many miles these days has affected my recovery rate, it's going to take a while to reach some real homeostasis as far as recovery goes.
So far it seems like things are trending in the right direction anyway. I'm finding that keeping it simple is the safest and surest bet for me at the moment. I'm interested to see how this pans out for you.
 
That was the X-Factor I was thinking of, plotting out anything like this is way above my pay grade... I'm interested to see how this pans out for you.
Its way above my interest level unfortunately. I've been all about moving to a more autoregulated, no fuss format for a few years now, this is in the entirely opposite direction. Back to the "my PT" mode, I wouldn't dream of afflicting someone with a program this confounding, and the more I look at it the less I'm inclined to try even if it is a solid strategy on paper.

Part of what I'd like to do is re-introduce dynamic at a lower weekly volume, continue with mostly iso. A totally different approach would be to just sub out a pseudo metcon/circuit day for one of my HIIT sessions - sandbag cleans and get-ups, squat press, or something similar that won't cripple me with DOMS. For now am staying the course - not going to do anything crazier than monkey with some of the hold times.
 
Its way above my interest level unfortunately. I've been all about moving to a more autoregulated, no fuss format for a few years now, this is in the entirely opposite direction. Back to the "my PT" mode, I wouldn't dream of afflicting someone with a program this confounding, and the more I look at it the less I'm inclined to try even if it is a solid strategy on paper.

Part of what I'd like to do is re-introduce dynamic at a lower weekly volume, continue with mostly iso. A totally different approach would be to just sub out a pseudo metcon/circuit day for one of my HIIT sessions - sandbag cleans and get-ups, squat press, or something similar that won't cripple me with DOMS. For now am staying the course - not going to do anything crazier than monkey with some of the hold times.
Personally I rarely do well with 'complicated'.. Always been that way, I tend to overthink a difficult construction build before it happens, then the answers come quickly through experience once I start the work. KISS is king!
 
This is a timely proposition with the running thread on varying exercises daily, which in practice is exactly what this would do.
This made me think of that thread a while back about “extreme isometrics.” My thought is that it’s interesting to think that you could train the muscles/nerves in a way that translates to movement….without actually moving, really. Instead of training a movement pattern you’re training the muscle itself, and the neurological pathways to activate it at high intensities. That’s all purely theory on my part, without doing a bunch of research. However it seems like you’re seeing carryover to dynamic work which kind of supports it. If it works then it could be a great “minimalist” approach to see great gains without too much complication.

It’s also interesting in that isometrics are used a lot for rehab and prevention, because they train the body to “know” a posture better. Cool experiment.
 
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