How Not Moving Can Help You Move Better And More Pain-Free!

Isometric exercises, often called the forgotten and least “sexy” muscle contraction, are a powerful but frequently overlooked tool that every clinician or trainer should include in their toolbox. I get it—exercises involving non-moving joints might feel counterintuitive. After all, our bodies are designed to move through space. However, research demonstrates that isometrics positively influence dynamic strength, jump performance, running, cycling, sports-specific soccer skills, Muay Thai striking, climbers’ finger flexor grip strength (yes, this is a measurable thing), tendon properties, and even pain relief!

With a pretty extensive list of positives it would be neglectful of all of us in medicine and fitness to not have a better understanding of how we can specifically use isometrics for our everyday clients.

Isometrics- The Basics

Isometric exercise is a type of resistance training that produces force without external movement. It’s also a valuable tool for training muscles and joint angles that might be problematic—painful or poorly controlled—when moving dynamically. This makes isometrics especially useful for individuals who lack the strength or motor control for dynamic movements.

Isometric exercises have been shown to demand less energy while improving joint angle-specific force production. Some might argue, “Of course, doing an isometric makes you stronger at isometric movements” (cue facepalm emoji), but evidence also shows a correlation between isometric strength and improved dynamic movement capabilities. This includes maximum force development during sports and dynamic exercises.

 Meaning that yes, not “moving” can actually make you better and stronger at moving.

 Isometrics can even surpass dynamic strength training in increasing angle-specific strength, particularly at joint angles where individuals face the largest biomechanical disadvantages. While the applications of isometrics are vast, I like to keep it simple by categorizing them into two primary uses.

Isos for PAIN and Isos for POWER.

Isos For Pain

 Research consistently supports using longer (30–45 second) isometric holds during warm-ups to significantly decrease pain (often by more than 50%) in individuals with tendinopathies.

The key here is to focus on lengthened muscle positions, typically at joint angles of 60–100 degrees. These isometric holds help reduce cortical inhibition and increase maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). In simpler terms, they improve a muscle’s ability to activate, even in the presence of pain.

The total time under tension is more critical than the specific exercise, with evidence supporting 5 sets of 30–45 seconds. A good rule to follow is to match rest time to work time (e.g., 30-second hold, 30-second rest).

The Heel Elevated Spanish Squat Iso

 This is my favorite exercise for managing chronic and acute knee pain. The banding forces anterior knee deceleration (knee bending) while the heel wedge encourages an upright trunk position. Together, they create a quad-dominant setup that’s nearly impossible to cheat.

Slant Board Split Squat Iso

 Similar to the Spanish squat in application, this exercise introduces a unilateral bias. The slant board promotes a “knee-over-toe” position, pre-lengthening the quads and demanding higher muscle activation. I recommend starting from the bottom position to maintain better control.

Seated Leg Extension ISO

 I really like machines as one of the best ways to have high levels of mechanical tension with minimal to no stability requirement (i.e. we are not needing to control gravity).  What this does is essentially allow you to work HARDER without having to manage your technique.  This is especially useful for people who have knee pain during any squatting or lunging and we have an added benefit of being able to target SPECIFIC joint angles as well as the amount of muscle contraction based on pain.

For this, put the weight stack all the way up and essentially “kick” into the leg pad. You can then simply alter the knee angle and the effort level based on the presence (or absence) of knee pain

Hamstring Foam Roll ISO

 The hardest ISO you’ve never done, the hamstring foal roll iso is an extremely challenging exercise for the calf and hamstring musculature. Set the ball of the foot on the foam roll to mimic more “athletic” positioning and then drive through the foot to maintain a high hip and calf raise position.  If it’s too hard, bend the knee more to get the hamstring in a less lengthened position and vice-versa- get the knee straighter to make it harder. I have had more than once instance where this exact set up results in a near-immediate hamstring cramp so trust me when I say- start slowly!

Isos For Priming 

 Isometrics are also effective for priming the central nervous system (CNS) by leveraging post-activation potentiation (PAP). In simple terms, performing a high-effort isometric primes your brain to recruit more muscle fibers for subsequent dynamic exercises. This priming effect lasts about 5–9 minutes, so your hardest lifts should immediately follow.

To maximize priming, use “overcoming” isometrics, which focus on maintaining near-maximal effort (90–100%) for 5–7 seconds. Perform 3–5 sets to strike a balance between activation and avoiding fatigue.’

That’s it.

Simple and effective.

Push Up Medball Iso

 For this set up, grab any med ball (preferably, one that is not too squishy) and start activating the pecs by pushing the ball together FIRST. Once you achieve this, slowly lower your body down until the elbows are around 90 degrees and then just squeeze the ball as hard as possible for 5-7 seconds.

Squat Rack Push ISO

 This iso does not need to be a squat rack. It can be ANY immoveable object (like a wall). The key is to achieve a 90 degree shoulder and elbow angle which is where you will be the strongest and best able to give a high output.  Get in position and PUSH!

Squat Rack Single Arm Pull ISO

 Same as above, you can use any immoveable object here.  Get into position, elbow around 90 degrees and now PULL as hard as you humanly can for 5-7 seconds.

Banded Pull Iso

 For this set up you will need the heaviest band you have (i.e. one that you cannot do a single arm row with).  Pull it to your chest with 2 arms, keep it there as you step back to get max tension then let go with one arm. Now you are in a single arm pull position that you COULDN’T get into just with one arm. Keep that elbow right at 90 for a max back burn!

Split Squat MB ISO

 A great single leg priming pattern OR even a single leg exercise for someone who is unable to jump/move dynamically due to pain. Grab a light med ball (6-8lbs) and give it a HUGE squeeze. Then slowly lower down to 90 of the knee and hip while using the tension from the upper body squeeze to “turn on” the lower body. A nice cue here is to think about pulling the back knee and front heel closer together as a way to kick on even more tension.

ISO To Dynamic

 Although technically not just an isolated ISO here, using a pre-set iso is an excellent option to prime the brain directly before moving into the dynamic component of the movement. For example (as see in the video) using a 10 second pre-priming iso to increase motor unit recruitment and then immediately move right into the dynamic pattern under load. This can apply to literally ANY exercise in the gym we just want to make sure the loads and set ups make sense.  

Strap ISO squat/deadlift

 The set up here is the perfect “tweener” between a pure squat and a pure hinge that really allows it to be applied across the spectrum to BOTH movement patterns.  The key here is to make sure the strap you are standing on DOES NOT STRETCH. So think, a yoga stretch out strap, a towel or even the straps on a suspension trainer.  Grip it and rip it!

Pro-Tip: the only people I NEVER use this with are those with a recent low back posterior disc herniation as this set up mimics almost exactly how those injuries occur- flexed spine with a heavy Valsalva.

Isometrics: The Power Of Stillness

Isometrics might be the “forgotten muscle contraction,” but their impact is anything but forgettable. From reducing pain to enhancing power, these static holds are a dynamic addition to any fitness or rehab toolbox. By embracing the power of stillness, you can unlock new levels of control, strength, and performance—whether you’re managing pain or priming for peak output.

Oh no, Not ANOTHER Stretching Article. 

            Stretching.  I know you cringed when you saw that in the title. However, this is still such a high debated, hot button topic in both the rehabilitation and strength and conditioning world.  On the spectrum of stretching you will hear everything from “well, a cheetah never stretches and neither should you if you want to squat heavy” to the other end of the spectrum where stretching and mobility are looked at as cure-all interventions and the only thing required for health and longevity.

We can all agree, increasing tissue extensibility and improving controllable range of motion are important. The question is, do we really need to stretch before activity and if so, for how long?

Types of stretching

            The overall goal of stretching is to improve range of motion for an activity.  This is accomplished via decreased stiffness of the muscle-tendon unit (via alterations in passive visco-elastic properties) and also by increased tolerance to the stretch itself.  Theoretically, these both result in less energy requirements to move a limb though space with a simultaneous improvement in force and speed of contraction.^1,2

One of the biggest issues in the stretching literature is the inconsistency in naming specific stretching types. For example, there are multiple articles that discuss static stretching when in actuality the stretching performed was more dynamic.

For our purposes, we will define 3 main types of stretching that are used in stretching literature.

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1.    Static Stretching (SS)- involves lengthening a muscle until either a stretch sensation is reached or a point of discomfort is reached and then holding in that lengthening position for a set period of time.³

2.    Dynamic Stretching (DS)- involves performance of a controlled movement through the range of motion (ROM) of the active joints.⁴We could also fit ballistic stretching in here but that type of stretching is no longer recommended  due to inherent injury risks.⁵

3.    Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching- involves SS components as well as isometric contractions in a cyclical pattern with the goal of enhancing joint ROM.  PNF includes 2 common techniques which are contract-relax (CR) and contract relax agonist contract (CRAC).⁶

A fourth type that is rarely discussed in the stretching literature is loaded stretching.  Although not extremely popular in gyms, this type of stretching may be the best for carry over to lifting because it involves loading tissues through their controllable range of motion while allowing an individual to work on what I like to call “mostability” (mobility + stability at the same time).  An example of this would be a top down RDL in order to increase hamstring motion. Or an elevated loaded calf raise in order to increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion.  The key to loaded stretching is working only through a controllable, not compensatory, range of motion.

Static vs Dynamic 

A major reason that the pendulum keeps swingingly endlessly on stretching is due to inconsistencies with type of stretching (static vs dynamic) recommendations. For example, significant reductions in maximal voluntary strength, muscle power and contractile properties have been recorded after a single bout of static stretching.^2,7,8  It is theorized that this happens due to neural and peripheral reasons, most specifically from musculotendinous stiffness reductions.^2,7  Therefore, most literature will suggest that static stretching be used carefully or not at all during warm ups in order to avoid any decreases in muscle performance or “stretch induced strength loss”.⁹ Multiple studies will suggest that acute bouts of dynamic stretching as part of a pre-performance routine will result in greater flexibility and power output than static stretching. ^2,10,11 Now this is where it gets a little confusing because there are also numerous studies that report impaired performance after dynamic stretching.^12-16  However, a deeper dive into these specific studies by Opplert, et al 2017 identified multiple research design flaws (such as confusing static and dynamic terms).

There are other challenges in interpretation of stretching literature specifically as it applies to dynamic stretching.  Authors will use the word dynamic to describe what is really ballistic stretching and these same authors very poorly define their stretching parameters.

Studies also have multiple different designs (stretching on single joint vs multiple joints, moving vs staying stationary) that are challenging to interpret due to inconsistency in wording.  Authors will also combine data from ballistic and dynamic stretching protocols in order to make a recommendation. This is an obvious flaw as ballistic stretching has been shown to have negative effects on muscle performance ^17,18 while dynamic stretching has demonstrated either no effect or positive effects.

                        As one can see, truly diving into the literature for an answer on stretching is extremely challenging as there are many studies with inconsistencies, design flaws and contradictory conclusions between studies.  However, when examining the evidence in its entirety two main themes start to emerge.

1.    Warming up/mobility work (that can include stretching) is superior to non-warm up and non-stretching for increased performance.^2,3

2.    Dynamic stretching may be a better choice over static stretching however the effect size (the difference between two variables) is small. ^2,3

Duration of Stretch Matters

            Now that we have established the role of stretching in a warm up, one of the biggest questions becomes, how long should I stretch?

             One of the largest factors that is presented as a reason for reduced performance with stretching is the duration of the stretch.  On the surface, this seems to make sense. If you hold a muscle in an elongated position for a few minutes, that muscle will have a hard time contracting quickly to perform an activity.   A recent metanalysis from the Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine looked at 106 different studies to help determine the optimal stretch duration. The magic number is 60 seconds.  Decreased muscle performance occurred consistently (61% of the studies included) with stretching duration >60 seconds. On the opposite side, stretching time <60 seconds did not inhibit performance or reduce muscle strength or force production.¹⁹ There are also some interesting findings that suggest that if static stretching is performed at least 10 minutes prior to the activity then performance is not affected whereas dynamic stretching can be performed as close as 2 min prior to activity with a muscle performance improvement.²  This is consistent with prior research that demonstrates decreased muscle strength, decreased running and jumping performance when these activities were executed immediately after static stretching.^20-25 As you can see, both the timing and duration of stretching can have either a positive or negative influence on your performance.

What you do immediately after stretching matters

            If we think about an entire warm up routine and where stretching “fits” then we also need to appreciate that what we do directly after stretching also matters. For optimal performance, we should not be stretching and then jumping right into the squat rack with 405 on the bar.

 For the past 15-20 years, stretching research has typically focused on the effects on performance based only on a stretch intervention rather than fitting stretching into an entire warm up sequence that includes more sports specific activities. There are a few studies who have included actual exercises (such as weighted vests, squats with 20% of body weight and resisted leg press) into a warm up in an attempt to supplement the warm up sequence. ^26-28There are others that used explosive movements (like jumping) and have demonstrated that an improvement in muscle performance when dynamic activities were performed post-stretching but pre-activity/sport.^29-30  Interestingly, when a movement-specific warm-up was implement after stretching, muscle performance improved.³¹ This is true for BOTH static and dynamic stretching. So it seems that it may be MORE important to perform sports/movement-specific movements post-stretching/pre-activity then choosing the “correct” stretching modality (static vs dynamic).  Generally, the warm-ups that use static stretching demonstrate the worst performance scores whereas specific warm ups produce the highest explosive force scores.³¹However, activity-specific warm ups even negated the adverse muscle performance effects of static stretching.³¹  This goes to show, how you stack and program you warm up sequence matters.

Practical Applications of Stretching

When it comes down to how to apply evidence and stretching protocols, we all need to first appreciate the large disconnect between research and every day clients.  As you can see, the stretching research is widely inconsistent on good, solid recommendations which makes it extremely frustrating when trying to apply these concepts to the person in front of you.  After 13 years of working as a clinician and going on 20+ in the strength and conditioning world, here are a few things I have found that can help you make real time decisions.

First off, stretching in and of itself is not a cure all intervention.  Just because “it hurts” does not mean stretch it and it will all of a sudden not hurt.   I have seen this countless times and made this mistake early in my career.  Now, acute stretching does have an immediate impact on pain due to the neuro-bio-physiological effect on the brain from stimulation of mechanoreceptors.  This stimulation of mechanoreceptors can immediately have a positive influence on what someone may perceive as “tightness” or “tone”.  That’s cool, but the problem is not with the stretching itself, it has to do with the complete lack of reinforcement of the purpose you stretched in the first place.

To put it more simply, stretching without strength is dead. 

If I perform a stretch motion to improve a specific range of motion but I neglect to do something meaningful to support why I stretched in the first place, then guess what?  I will be right back to doing the same stretch again thinking “maybe if I just stretch it one more time it will finally work”.  I have never stretched anyone back to health and neither will you.

Second, mobility is only as important as the range of motion you can control.  Think about this, if we open up a new range of motion by taking the internal parking break off the brain but we neglect to provide strength through this new range of motion we are essentially creating an unstable pattern.

As an example, one of the most common areas I see this in is in the low back pain population who also complain about their hamstrings being tight.  We have all seen this person. They have straight leg raise to 35 degrees, they cannot even come anywhere near touching their toes. It is pretty obvious there is a posterior chain mobility issue happening. The question becomes, is the movement limited due to muscle shortness or is the muscle short due to weakness. 95%+ of the time, the answer is the latter and stretching will actually make this person WORSE!  Why?  Due to a lack of glute strength and the hamstrings holding on for dear life!  IF we only stretch and give them a new found range of motion without improving their hamstrings/glutes ability to control this new ROM then they will end up worse then when we started.

 Mobility without control is instability.

 If you are going to stretch, you have to strengthen. 

Finally, If stretching is a large part of your routine, then you are missing the point and leaving strength on the table.  For our clients (and ourselves) time is of the essence. People do not have the time to perform 45 min warm ups followed by 60 min workout sessions. This is why it is important to structure a warm up and mobility routine that matches that individuals problem area that is the main limiter to the workout for that day.  For example, if you have heavy squats planned you are most likely not going to do pec mobility work pre-squat. It just does not make sense. Rather, most people’s squats are limited due mobility at the ankle or hip complex.  These would be the area(s) we would want to focus on to improve that pattern for that day.  Taking it one step further, being able to identify that one thing that is the MOST important to improve mobility in for that session will not only increase your clients performance and longevity but it will also save you valuable warm up time that can be dedicated elsewhere.

Stretching- The Verdict. 

            Stretching is still one of the most debated topics in the health and wellness field. When deep diving into the research, concrete answers are extremely hard to find due to multiple inconsistencies in the research.  However, the themes that are consistent for improving muscle performance are:

1.    Stretching is superior to non-stretching

2.    Dynamic stretching is superior to static stretching (but not by much)

3.    Stretching >60s per muscle group decreases muscle performance

4.    Sports/activity-specific movements post-stretching are better for performance than none at all.

When it comes down to it, stretching should really be a small percentage of an entire warm-up sequence.  There is absolutely no need to roll around on the ground stretching every muscle prior to exercise. Get in, stretch with a dynamic/static component for <60 seconds, hit some activity-specific movements  and move on. Remember, the goal of training is to TRAIN and get stronger, not to become the next Cirque du Soleil performer.

References

1.     Does Stretching Improve Performance? A Systematic and Critical Review of the Literature Ian Shrier, MD, PhD. Clin J Sport Med • Volume 14, Number 5, September 2004

2.     Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Muscle Flexibility and Performance: An Analysis of the Current Literature Article in Sports Medicine · October 2017. DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9

3.     Behm, DG, Blazevich JB, et al Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review  Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 41: 1–11 (2016) dx.doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235

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13.   Paradisis GP, Theodorou ASA, Pappas PT, Zacharogiannis EG, Skordilis EK, Smirniotou AS. Effects of static and dynamic stretching on sprint and jump performance in boys and girls. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28:154–60.

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15.   Turki O, Chaouachi A, Behm DG, Chtara H, Chtara M, Bishop D, et al. The effect of warm-ups incorporating different volumes of dynamic stretching on 10- and 20-m sprint performance in highly trained male athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2012;26:63–72.

16.   Sa ́MA,NetoGR,CostaPB,GomesTM,BentesCM,Brown AF, et al. Acute effects of different stretching techniques on the number of repetitions in a single lower body resistance training session. J Hum Kinet. 2015;45:177–85.

17.   Alemdarog ̆ lu U, Ko ̈ klu ̈ Y, Koz M. The acute effect of different stretching methods on sprint performance in taekwondo practi- tioners. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2017;57:1104–10.

18.   Unick J, Kieffer HS, Cheesman W, Feeney A. The acute effects of static and ballistic stretching on vertical jump performance in trained women. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19:206–12.

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20.   Herda TJ, Cramer JT, Ryan ED, McHugh MP, Stout JR. Acute effects of static versus dynamic stretching on isometric peak torque, electromyography, and mechanomyography of the biceps femoris muscle. J Strength Cond Res. May 2008;22(3):809-817.

21.   Nelson AG, Guillory IK, Cornwell C, Kokkonen J. Inhibition of maximal voluntary isokinetic torque production following stretching is velocity-specific. J Strength Cond Res. May 2001;15(2):241-246.

22.   Fowles JR, Sale DG, MacDougall JD. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors. J Appl Physiol. Sep 2000;89(3):1179- 1188.

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24.   Hough PA, Ross EZ, Howatson G. Effects of dynamic and static stretching on vertical jump performance and electromyographic activity. J Strength Cond Res. Mar 2009;23(2):507-512.

25.   Kistler BM, Walsh MS, Horn TS, Cox RH. The acute effects of static stretching on the sprint performance of collegiate men in the 60- and 100-m dash after a dynamic warm-up. J Strength Cond Res. Sep 2010;24(9):2280-2284.

26.   Faigenbaum, A.D., McFarland, J.E., Schwerdtman, J.A., Ratamess, N.A., Kang, J. and Hoffman, J.R. (2006) Dynamic warm-up protocols, with and without a weighted vest, and fitness performance in high school female athletes. Journal of Athletic Training 41, 357-363.

27.   Needham, R.A., Morse, C.I. and Degens, H. (2009) The acute effect of different warm-up protocols on anaerobic performance in elite youth soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23, 2614-2620.

28.   Abad, C.C., Prado, M.L., Ugrinowitsch, C., Tricoli, V. and Barroso, R. (2011) Combination of general and specific warm-ups improves leg-press one repetition maximum compared with specific warm-up in trained individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25, 2242-2245.

29.    Vetter, R.E. (2007) Effects of six warm-up protocols on sprint and jump performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21, 819-823.

30.    Young, W. and Behm, D. (2002) Should static stretching be used during a warm-up for strength and power activities? Strength and Conditioning Journal 24, 33-37.

31.   Samson, M., Button DC, et al Effects of dynamic and static stretching within general and activity specific warm-up protocols Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2012) 11, 279