Re: High rep Isotonic with 100% effort Isometric finish?

[Guest guest]

Many of the problems mentioned in these posts would appear rendered moot by the

Steel Bow, whose lower strength spring allows a high rep isotonic regimen that's

more tendon-friendly, and an iso-motion routine with less risk. There's an

increasing trade-off between benefit and wear-and-tear as one ages, and I've

found the Steel Bow preferable in middle age.

> > > >

> > > > All this talk about 70% effort and tendon safety got me thinking a

little bit. (Always a dangerous proposition, I know…)

> > > >

> > > > What about pre-exhausting the muscle group with a lengthy/high rep set

of isotonic motion before a 100% effort 7-10 second isometric hold? Wouldn't

that mean the muscles you were using to exert a perceived 100% effort would be

incapable of firing at max power due to the previous high rep isotonic routine

you used to pre-exhaust the muscle group? Would this not translate into a 100%

effort isometric that had an increased margin of safety for the tendons?

> > > >

> > > > I've seen numerous bullworker routines advocating 7-10 reps of isotonic

followed by a 7-10 second 70% effort isometric. I have further read

cautions/warnings about using 100% effort isometric holds.

> > > >

> > > > I, unfortunately, seem to be a 100% kind of guy. I haven't had any

problems with that so far, but I limit the frequency of my 100% effort workouts.

Maybe one a week, and I kind of go on an instinctual basis. Meaning, if I feel a

little beat up, I won't go at 100% and when I do, I give myself a couple of days

to recover post-workout.

> > > >

> > > > Anyway, some of the things I have read fed my curiosity about the

possible results of high rep isotonic followed by 100% effort isometric holds. I

have started to dabble with it here and there, so now I am curious as to what

the bullworker think tank/brain trust will conclude. Am I playing with fire or

will I soon be leaping tall buildings in single bounds?

> > > >

> > > > The number of reps is going to vary from exercise to exercise and

physique to physique. In practice I'm doing reps to the point of serious

difficulty with continuation and THEN going for my 100% effort isometric hold.

> > > >

> > > > I remember reading some stuff from Nautilus guru (A. ?) a long time

ago. He advocated 6 to 12 reps to absolute failure on his machines. Failure

defined as about 7 seconds of struggle with no movement possible as I recall.

(An isometric?) People were concerned about injury potential going to absolute

failure. contended that your muscles are weakest on those last few reps

and thus the opportunity for injury is lower the closer you get to failure. In

some ways this seemed counter intuitive to me at first, but it makes sense and

indeed, the vast majority of the time I have hurt myself on a set it has been

early in the set.

> > > >

> > > > But I digress somewhat.

> > > >

> > > > What do YOU think?

> > > >

> > >

> >True,Shenandoah,when I read my response back I started to wonder who the

illiterate was.I shall have to be more careful in future.Thanks.Ed

>