We all know that strength training is a great way to build muscle and improve the way we move. However, it does come with great risk if you move poorly or exceed your body’s ability to withstand the resistance. These risks are much greater with beginners and people recovering from injury as there is a high chance that they do not have great technique to begin or a good understanding of how much their muscles and joints can tolerate. This is where the value of using isometric and eccentric training can be of great benefit to this population for the loads are much lighter and easier to control allowing for incredible strength gains without the risk of injury or loss of form. It also is one of the best ways to rebuild load tolerance into injured tendons and connective tissue to ensure full recovery from injury. In this article, we take a close look at several ways you can use these training methods to improve your overall strength and joint stability.
I would say without a doubt the most under-rated and under-used strength training method is tempo change. By either speeding up or slowing an exercise tempo you can significantly change the way the muscles, tendons, and ligaments work together to produce force.
The first thing most people think about when trying to get stronger is to increase loads on various exercises. The bigger the load the stronger you will become is the thinking. While this is definitely one way to increase strength and something we all should aspire to, it does pose serious risks to the joints if the exercise is not controlled correctly. Secondly, this type of thinking does not consider the role our connective tissue plays in providing structural integrity to protect our joints from injury.
In one of my recent articles about chronic pain and joint inflammation I discussed the importance of using various exercises to improve your collagen levels. Our joints and muscles are bound together by connective tissue and this tissue consists of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, intramuscular, and fascia.
When we apply muscular force we tend to think it is all due to the muscle fibres contracting, when in reality a lot of this has to do with the ability of connective tissue to transfer the force. Research indicates it is as much as 80% of muscular force transfers to the connective tissue. Connective tissue acts like a shock absorber to the joints, and the more you have the better. All of these connective tissues are all primarily made of type 1 collagen.
If you lift weights with deliberate slow movements you can improve the strength of individual collagen fibres and allow your body to rebuild much stronger and resilient connective tissue structures. This is extremely important for those suffering with chronic joint pain and osteoarthritis for it can be very tough trying to restore stability to the joint improving mobility and function.
If you are someone who is constantly getting injured it is often due to the fact that your collagen fibres are not correctly aligned to form a basket weave pattern in the connective tissue that provides a strong and healthy structure for movement. The collagen that is impaired by scar tissue tends to heal in a parallel pattern as opposed to the cross weaving pattern that is significantly stronger.
The reasons for the poor healing could be due to several factors ranging from poor movement patterns, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, poor recovery after the injury, or introducing loads too soon. Anyone of these factors will not allow for the fibres to heal correctly leaving the connective tissue weak and prone to re-injury.
This is where you can use various strength training methods such as isometric and eccentric training to not only deliver massive strength gains with little risk of more damage, but also improve the collagen fibre alignment that may be leaving your joint exposed to further injury.
Let’s take a closer look at both of these training methods to see how it works and what exercises you could use.
What Is Isometric Training?
Isometric training is when force is applied to a muscle/s but the muscle length is not changed. For example a wall squat or holding a push-up is an example of an isometric contraction. One of the best examples of this in action is where I use the decline squat with people suffering knee pain as shown in the picture above.
Several studies show that isometric training can provide the following benefits.
- Reduce joint pain levels quickly with low injury risk
- Reduce cortical inhibition which enables greater muscle gains
- Recruits more motor units to increase force production
- Prevents reduction in bone density with aging and increase the mineral content of inured bones.
This type of training is fantastic for the person in the early stages of rehabilitation as it allows you to build strength and load tolerance to the tendon without overly stressing or compressing it. The lighter loads also allow you to work in limited range of motion to avoid painful positions or even improve mobility depending on the exercises used.
This is also an excellent method to use with older adults who need to add muscle to improve bone density. Peak bone mass is reached at around 25 years of age and normally remains relatively stable until around the age of 50. After the age of 50, progressive losses of bone mineral density begins to occur.
As bones lose their density they become weaker and the risk of fracture during regular activities increases. If this person were to fall they would likely break a hip, wrist or vertebrae in their spine! If bones become brittle enough (severe osteoporosis) they can break during even normal weight-bearing activities. In older populations broken bones are potentially lethal. The seriousness of this cannot be underestimated. Hip fractures are the number one cause of nursing home admission and approximately 50% of those who suffer a hip fracture never fully regain their mobility and independence and 50% of those die within the first year!
It is a great way to introduce them to resistance training knowing they may not be very stable or strong enough to tolerate big loads. Using slow speeds allows them to remain stable enough to tolerate the stress on their muscles and joints with little risk of losing control, falling, or placing too much stress on their joints.
What are the best exercises for this method?
Well, you could use almost any type of exercise with a holding tempo, but it does work best with certain exercises that allow for maximal control. For example, here is a list of the exercises I prefer to use for various joints.
- Ankle – Calf raise
- Knee – Decline Squat and TRX single leg squats
- Hip – Hip extension
- Lumbar Spine & Core – Horse-stance & side plank
- Shoulders – TRX Push-ups
- Elbows and grip strength – Farmers walk or pull-up bar hanging.
Below is a video showing you how to use isometric training with some of these exercises.
What Is Eccentric Training?
Eccentric training is very similar in that it is another form of “slow tempo resistance training”. The main difference is that instead of holding the muscles in a static contraction you will see the muscles slowly lengthen under load or tension. This is where you are often in the lowering or descending phase of an exercise.
For example, if you slowly lower a dumbbell during a bicep curl the bicep is under load while it is being forced to lengthen.
A workout consisting eccentric exercises will often bring on the dreaded muscle soreness known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) over the following days.
This type of training creates more muscular force than any type of training and most people are about 30% stronger during an eccentric phase of movement. It also produces the largest increase in muscle fibre length making it a great way to increase flexibility and strength at the same time. There is also a greater numbers of fast-twitch, strength and power-increasing motor units and fibres recruited when lifting eccentrically. These type of fibres are often very hard to develop with standard training methods so this makes eccentric training an invaluable tool to have in your toolkit.
When it is used correctly eccentric training is a vital part of injury and rehabilitation training and is used a lot in sports for injury prevention. I often use eccentric exercises a lot with elbow, hamstring, and Achilles tendon injuries a lot for I know it works really well with these type of injuries.
Research shows that eccentric training has been able to reduce hamstring injuries in soccer players by as much as 70%!
Nearly all injuries in sports occur during the eccentric phase of movement such as landing from a jump, or the hamstring muscles lengthening at high speeds during sprinting, so it makes perfect sense for people to spend a lot of time with this method if they play sports.
You can read more about this in the article – Strength training for sports is all about learning to brake
However, it is not only the sporting athlete that benefits from eccentric training. Once again this type of training is perfect for beginners, those coming back from injury, and older adults for it forces their body to become much more stable and stronger at controlling movements.
What are the best exercises for eccentric training?
This is much easier to apply to wider range of exercises than isometric training and I tend to choose the specific movement a person finds difficult to master.
- Ankle – Single leg calf raise
- Knee – Squats and single leg squats
- Hips - Romanian deadlifts, lateral lunges, and Nordic curls for hamstrings
- Core – Palloff press and ab rollouts
- Shoulders – Cable push, dumbbell row, chin-ups, kettle bell press
Watch the videos of the Romanian Deadlift and the single leg step-up using the eccentric training method that you can try.
The tempo I would use with this is 5 seconds to lower and 3-5 seconds to lift or stand.
Don’t Forget to Progress and Lift Heavier Loads
While there are great benefits to using isometric and eccentric training techniques it is very important you continue to progress to heavier loads using maximal strength training techniques. Due to the slow tempos used with isometric and eccentric training you often will use much lighter loads in order to complete the various exercises. It is very tempting to continue using these slow tempos and light loads all the time for you can make great progress with muscle strength using these methods, but it is does not work well for certain movements.
For example, rotation exercises like the wood-chop require fast timing in order to complete the movement most efficiently. Moving too slowly with this type of exercise will place abnormal amount of pressure into muscles that are not designed to handle the stress, leading to injury risks with the lumbar spine.
Plyometric and agility training exercises are another perfect example of where the speed of the movement must be at a high speed in order to complete the movement efficiently. Slow training tempos will make these movements clunky and expose joints and muscles to injury. This is vitally important to people of all ages and not just those who play sports.
In a study completed by Maki and McIlroy in 2006 on the importance of rapid limb movement to balance recovery, they noted - "Every time we move volitionally we throw off our balance."
Every movement we make is a change in body position that we must control, in other words, every movement is an adventure in agility. The older we get the greater the adventure.
Another study by Zhen-Bo Cao on evaluating the success of a falls prevention program found whole-body reaction time improved by nearly 7% with older adults who completed agility training exercises.
People often assume it is mainly due to a lack of balance that leads to a fall. While balance is a factor by training in slow speeds that are very controlled does very little to change the skill needed to correct a slip or a trip.
When you are in your 30's or 40's and you slip or trip there is a very rapid response from the brain and nervous system so can adjust your centre of gravity, step forward, grab a stationary object, turn or tuck your body into a safer position for impact with the ground. This all happens in the blink of an eye.
This is a skill that can be trained and needs constant exposure to maintain its fast response. A very slow response is what you see with an older person who has not spent time developing skills of balance, agility, and power. The chance of an injury from a fall is very likely.
You can read more about the value of agility training in this article – Why agility training is critical to people of all ages
Lastly, the use of slow tempos with light loads does not expose the tendons to high strain they need to ensure full collagen and connective tissue adaptation. The best way to achieve this is via maximal strength training using loads you can only lift 4-6 times. This heavy loading combined with slow tempos deliver the best results when it comes to connective tissue and tendon repair.
A study from the journal of Experimental Biology measured Achilles tendon adaptations in two different training groups. Group one followed an isometric training program working with exercises at a 55% maximum contraction whereas group 2 worked with high loads and a 90% maximum contraction. At the end of the 14 weeks only the heavy tendon loading group using maximal strength training techniques showed significant tendon strength.
The big problem with heavy loads and maximal strength training methods is it is very difficult to do and very risky if there is pain present, which is why isometric and eccentric training is the preferred option in the beginning. However, once pain has subsided and your technique is correct it is the next step in the process to complete the job fully.
Many people are tempted to continue using light loads for it feels safer, when in fact it could be setting them up for further injury. You can read more about maximal strength training in this article where I discuss all the things you need to do to ensure your training is safe and effective - Everything you need to know about maximal strength training
Do You Need More Help?
If you currently suffer with knee, back or shoulder injuries you will find our online programs shown below a great resource that take you through all of the assessments and corrective exercises to get you back to full strength and out of pain. You will find a lot of the exercises in the first phases of the rehab programs feature several of the relief exercises discussed in this article.
Summary
Many people underestimate the value in changing tempos when it comes to strength training. They are constantly working with the same tempo and always using 3 sets of 10 reps with every workout. As you can see from this article you can make significant changes to your body by manipulating the tempo of your exercises to enhance connective tissue as well as muscles. The choice of your exercise must be kept simple in order for you to use these tempos, and you may also need to keep your ego in check so you can work with lighter loads.
If you are someone who is constantly getting injured this could be a game-changer for you to improve your joint stability and progress to the next phase.
Don't forget you must not get stuck in this stage and evolve to using high speed exercises and maximal training to finish the job. By constantly going back and forth with various tempos you can have the best of both worlds and maintain incredible strength and fitness.
For more ideas and information on specific topics I may not have covered in detail be sure to check out our INDEX PAGE on the website that has over 300 of our best articles. These are all sorted into categories for quick reference so you can find what you are after more easily. You can also subscribe to our FREE fortnightly newsletter by clicking here.
If you do need specific help with your exercise program please feel free to reach out to me for help and we can set you up with your individualised program.
About The Author
Nick Jack is owner of No Regrets Personal Training and has over 16 years’ experience as a qualified Personal Trainer, Level 2 Rehabilitation trainer, CHEK practitioner, and Level 2 Sports conditioning Coach. Based in Melbourne Australia he specialises in providing solutions to injury and health problems for people of all ages using the latest methods of assessing movement and corrective exercise.
References:
- Built From Broken - Scott Hogan CPT, COES
- Movement - By Gray Cook
- Corrective Exercise Solutions - by Evan Osar
- Back Pain Mechanic - by Dr Stuart McGill
- Diagnosis & Treatment Of Movement Impairment Syndromes - By Shirley Sahrman
- Low Back Disorders - by Dr Stuart McGill
- Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance - by Dr Stuart McGill
- Core Stability - by Peak Performance
- Athletic Body in Balance - by Gray Cook
- Anatomy Trains - by Thomas Meyers
- Motor Learning and Performance - By Richard A Schmidt and Timothy D Lee
- Assessment & Treatment Of Muscle Imbalance - By Vladimir Janda
- How To Eat, Move & Be Healthy by Paul Chek
- Scientific Core Conditioning Correspondence Course - By Paul Chek
- Advanced Program Design - By Paul Chek
- Twist Conditioning Sports Strength - By Peter Twist
- Twist Conditioning Sports Movement - By Peter Twist
- Functional Training For Sports - By Mike Boyle