Isometrics & Isokinetics
When speaking about isometric and isokinetic training, several responses come up again and again. Things like "That stuff is just a fad", or "You can't get strong without lifting". However, the most unintentionally weird by far is "I'm old school. I only lift." Weird because isometrics and isokinetics are anything but new school...as a matter of fact, modern weight training is the new kid on the block, while isometrics have been around for generations.
The father of isometrics is Alexander Zass (1888-1962), a Russian strongman who lived in Britain for much of his life. He claimed his ability to break chains, carry horses and catch cannonballs were all a result of his isometric exercises. Zass developed isometrics through study and application of techniques that he developed using green wood, and unlike many strongmen of his day was never considered "clever"...shorthand for using props in an act. Every feat of strength Zass performed was done without weightlifting. "Big biceps do not equal great strength," Zass was quoted as saying, "just as big stomachs do not indicate great digestion."
Mike Mattox is an inventor, decathlete, and innovator in the world of training equipment. He's no fan of heavy weight lifting, and advocates for old school isometrics. According to Mattox, “Isometrics is the fastest and one of the best ways to build strength.” Mattox also points out that modern weight training, using heavy weights moved slowly, is a relatively recent development, popularized by college football training and movie musclemen like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Isokinetic exercises are not a new phenomenon either. The simplest definition of isokinetics is isometrics in motion. Isokinetic exercises are performed with a specialized apparatus that provides variable resistance to a movement, so that no matter how much effort is exerted, the movement takes place at a constant speed. Such exercise is used to test and improve rate of force production, muscular strength and endurance, especially after injury. This gives the user an opportunity that weight training cannot...and it does so with no risk of injury. While it can be motivating to be holding hundreds of pounds of metal over your chest, it does seem an unnecessary risk.
While many people rightly claim that conventional weight training claims a lineage dating back to the earliest days of recorded history, isometric and isokinetic training claims a place next to some of the most incredible athletes the world has seen. Practitioners of the martial arts have for centuries utilized isometric exercise, as have yoga and other ancient forms.
Despite the recent popularity of conventional weight training, research and development of isometrics and isokinetics has continued, through scientific and pragmatic observation. Whether strength training or rehabilitating, the benefits of these forms of exercise have been seen again and again in top-level athletes and fitness seekers alike. When you look back across the eras of man, there is a line of isometric and isokinetic practitioners that reaches to the present, with improvements and innovations by figures like Alexander Zass, Mike Mattox, and others leading to a modern, evolving system. Going "old school" doesn't mean you have to lose the benefits of thousands of years of knowledge and practice.
Sources:
http://www.isometricsexercises.com/2008/12/26/history-of-isometrics.html
http://www.isokinetics.net/isokinetic.htm
SSL Mike Mattox interview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Zass
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Zass/zassintro.htm
