The "squeeze"

[GenetiKing]

Squeezing at the apex (midpoint between concentric and eccentric portions of an exercise) is not necessarily an isometric contraction. An isometric contraction can take place at any point in any given movement so long as muscle fibers are neither shortening (concentric/ postive...muscle is moving force) or lengthening (eccentric/negative...gravity is moving force) but resistance must be present regardless.

For instance, when doing lateral raises with dumbells you may stop at the apex of the lift and hold for a few seconds. You can also stop at any point in the lift and hold (going either way). This is also isomteric.

However, a static contraction is not necessarily an isometric contraction. I can sit here and sqeeze my traps at my desk (as MonStar mentioned) but that's not an isometric because those muscle fibers are not contracting against a resistance.

Hope that wasn't too confusing. LOL!

 

[Jeremy21]

Well actually squeezing your traps as hard as you can at your desk is an isometric contraction Genetiking ^_^

Kind Regards,
jeremy

 

[GenetiKing]

Well actually squeezing your traps as hard as you can at your desk is an isometric contraction Genetiking ^_^

Kind Regards,
jeremy

There isn't any resistance present.

If I held that contraction at the top of a shoulder shrug holding 100lb dumbells, then it would be isometric. Concentric, eccentric, isometric---->all involve resistance, the only difference is the role the muscle fibers are playing....shortening, lengthening, or neither.

A static contraction requires no resistance.

 

[Belial]

I remember watching the Lee Hainey workouts on ESPN years ago, hearing him say on every rep "SQUEEEEZE. SQUEEEZE"

Yeah, except he was talking to the guy trying to cram 1500 mg of test into his ass with a syringe that was too small.

 

[Jeremy21]

No.. an isometric contraction requires no weight (as in barbells or dumbbells )resistance. That is why in the 50's & 60's isometrics were popular because they could be done without the aid of weight lifting. Static HOLDS require added resistance, not isometrics. An isometric exercise to work the chest is as follows: take your palms out in front of your body, arms chest level, press your palms together and contract your chest muscles as hard as possible. People would perform isometrics in that fashion and also against immovable resistance such as a door handle or door frame.

Taken from Meriam Webster collegiate dictionary:

Main Entry: iso·met·rics
Pronunciation: "I-s&-'me-triks
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Date: 1962
: exercise or a system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted that there is little shortening but great increase in tone of muscle fibers involved

 

[Cackerot69]

Well, if you were going to use them then you would want to perform the static contraction on an exercise that places the majority of stress in the "relaxed" position, or midrange. for instance, the pectorals major can contract with the most force just about where your elbows are parellel to the floor during benching. So, holding a weight in this position would allow for the strongest possible isometric contraction of the pectorals major. Same goes for all other parts....standing curls for biceps, skull crushers for triceps, chins for lats, squats for quads, and so on....

 

[GenetiKing]

No.. an isometric contraction requires no weight (as in barbells or dumbbells )resistance.

I never said dumbbells or barbells were required. I said an isometric contraction simply requires resistance, period. All resistance isn't generated by a weight or gravity...resistance can stem from other sources. Take these example you provided:

An isometric exercise to work the chest is as follows: take your palms out in front of your body, arms chest level, press your palms together and contract your chest muscles as hard as possible. People would perform isometrics in that fashion and also against immovable resistance such as a door handle or door frame..

Here, the resistance is the force of your two hands against each other---->muscle contracting against muscle. In the door frame example, the immovability of the door frame, handle, or whatever is offering the resistance.

Taken from Meriam Webster collegiate dictionary:

Main Entry: iso·met·rics
Pronunciation: "I-s&-'me-triks
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Date: 1962
: exercise or a system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted that there is little shortening but great increase in tone of muscle fibers involved

Yup.

Consider a bodybuilder on stage at a show going through the mandatories. These are static contractions. When posing a muscle, there is no resistance. The muscle is being stimulated to contract but against no resistance.

 

[bignate73]

one note:
when posing a muscle or "squeezing" it at a certain point in a range of motion...there is always a form of resistance. its called the antagonist muscle or the process that locks out the joint. generally there is an opposing muscle involved or something for the muscle to contract against.

double biceps pose: triceps keep you from smacking yourself in the ears with your fists.

hehe.