Isometric Pwer Flexes as a 'Stand Alnone"

[PatCNJ]

I have a copy of the Isometric Power Revolution at home. Had it for quite some time. I have been using the isometric Power Flexes (the second part of the book) as a mainstay of my workouts. I usually start with a sets of bodyweight squats and Atlas Pushups or one to two sets of the "pushing ourself to Power 'vitality routine'. I have also done a 'bodyweight type' routine at my gym on days I do not perform the isometrics

I then do a PowerFlex workout. Power Flexes are held for 10 seconds. Larger muscle groups like back, legs and chest get 2-4 flexes. Smaller groups like biceps, triceps and the muscle groups of the forearms get 1-2 flexes.

I have used the Power Flexes to drop bodyfat. It is notcieable to myself and those around me. There is also the usual evidence of clothes fitting looser and being able to pull the belt a couple of notches tighter. Can the Power Flexes be used to build muscle mass or are they only for definitiion?

I have spent a number of years as a competitive lifter. I have developed a bit of muscle mass but want to develop a more aestheically please appearance. ( I make no bones about that.)

Could use some direction.

Thanks,

Pat

[gruntbrain]

Although Steve Justa is short on aesthetics, he's "long" on ways to apply ISOMETRICS, Get his book & use a sensible diet to help achieve your goals

[mts]

I wasn't really able to tell what your specific goal was: (i) more muscle mass; or (ii) an improved appearance and if it's a better appearance you're after then it would also depend upon how you personally define "better".

I lifted for about 15 years straight (never "fell of the wagon") and I was able to put decent mass on over those years. Just like in the gym, different people respond differently to different types of routines. Some do better with high intensity while others do well with high volume. I've always been more of an intensity advocate, however this year I've dabbled in volume and I can tell you that nothing has ever done more for me in the mass category than a high volume push up routine. I'm presently doing 100 Atlas pushups in the morning and then 100 again in the evening. I've been doing this for 7 weeks (along with other DSRs a few DVRs and a ton of ab work) and have put on somewhere near 12 pounds. My pants fit the same as they did so it's not belly fat. I know for many, 200 isn't "high volume", but for me it is and maybe I'll move up the volume ladder some day. For now the cost benefit between time and results is working well for me.

Coming from a weight training background I would recommend that you try Royce's HIT program which is in the "Important Articles" section of the forum. HIT works great for most and I think you'll enjoy it. It's taken me quite a while to tolerate high volume PCs so I wouldn't necessarily recommend them out of the gates.

[xenonomicon]

If you concentrate on the iso-flex's you will have a more well shaped build. As for mass I'm not sure, for me I developed a more feline physique. My strength level is constantly improving. Just my 3 cents, my 2 cents are free.

[John Peterson]

Hey Guys,

Great responses. And MTS, there is one point that I would like to make and that is that 200 Atlas style Push-Ups is indeed high volume training. That was the number that Mr. Atlas himself had specified in his course for those that wanted added muscle size and definition. I believe that he was right and your experience verifies it as a fact in your personal case. I think this is mainly because the Atlas Push-Up greatly extends the range of motion while stretching the muscles and expanding the lungs a great deal more than any other variation. this is especially true when performed with focused tension throughout the range of motion. . At least in my case this is true. So don't put down the 200 Atlas Push-Ups. To me that qualifies as high volume more than 1,000 partial range standard push-ups.

---John Peterson

P.S. Xenonomicon, has the most "V" shaped back of any feline I've ever seen. So much so that Inspector Javeart would have probably picked him out in a crowd and singled him out as Jean Valjean. But that's no big surprise since in "Les Miserables" Victor Hugo clearly stated that Valjean practiced a daily set of "Statics" to create his exceptional strength and physique just exactly as Xenonomicon does.

[Royce]

I have come to really appreciate the art of power flexing. And I’m doing a lot of experimenting with it as a supplemental form of exercise.

As an advocate of HIT, my goal is to always keep my workouts very brief, intense and infrequent. However, I have to acknowledge that many people who are into exercise want to train more than twice a week. Twice a week training is the norm for most HIT aficionados, and some train but once per week. And yes, you can gain great size and strength working out only once a week, if you can really crank up the intensity.

Such training can build great size and raw power, but we all need to do more than just train for maximum size and strength.

HIT is designed to maximizing size and strength. Experience suggests to me that size can be acquired in two basic ways—by increasing the thickness of a muscle’s fibers or by increasing the muscle’s vascularity. High repetition exercise seems to increase muscle size by increasing vascularity.

Certainly, I have seen people gain muscle size with both volume and high intensity approaches. At various times, people have done well switching back and forth.

Low energy types generally find volume exercise to be very challenging since they don’t easily or quickly recover from a hard workout.

Most people, as might be expected, fall somewhere in between low and high energy levels.

So where does power flexing fit into the equation? Well……………..wherever you it want to. It’s a most versatile form of exercise.

Power flexing at low intensity is one important part of hard style Qi Gong, and power flexing at low intensity can nicely vascularity. And as one increases the amount of tension flexing can also thicken the muscle fibers.

I might add that I use power flexing in my Qi Gong workouts with low to medium tension. The duration of the flexing varies a lot. Some people hold around five minutes at very low tension; others use more tension and hold anywhere from thirty to sixty seconds. I’m more likely to hold for around a minute. But keep in mind that when I’m doing Qi Gong, I’m working for general conditioning to better my control of Qi. My style of Qi Gong training is not designed for greatly increasing the strength or size of my muscles.

We have often said that DVRs can be done anywhere, and that’s true. But if you are sitting at your office cubical doing overhead DVR presses and someone walks in and sees you, well………………….you might look a bit odd. But you can be a lot more discreet with power flexing. You can even get a pretty good workout while sitting on a bus.

And we should remember that power flexing with INTENT at high intensity levels can be a very severe program that will, largely, replicate the results of CIC.


Here’s a side note: frequent, low intensity power flexing appears to be an effective protocol for reducing high blood pressure. Since I’m not an MD, I’m not here to start proscribing cures for anything. But if you do suffer from elevated blood pressure, you might want to explore the idea of using power flexing.

If you are a HIT participant but have a hard time finding the time or inclination to do other things on off days, such as taking half hour walks or participating in activities such as Qi Gong, Yoga or some recreational sport, then power flexing at low intensity might be just the ticket for you on your “off days.” To the power flexing, you might want to add some “high stepping” with DVR like resistance. That, in addition to the power flexing, would be a powerfully effective program.


Now let’s address a final question. Can power flexing be a good stand alone program?
The short answer is yes. But I think a high percentage of us will also want to include, DVRs and, possibly, some power cals.


Power flexing by itself, as we have noted, will do the following:

Increase strength.
Increase muscle fiber thickness.
Increase muscle vascularity.
Provide a light to heavy workout.
Possibly help to bring hypertension under control.

All told, that says a lot on behalf of power flexing. And there are other important aspects that I haven’t touched upon in this brief missive.


By all means check out the old time material on power flexing that was written by Luther Gulick.

http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Spalding/Muscle%20Building/mb-1-1-a.htm

Scroll down the page of the site to find the exercises. Gulick was quite a remarkable fellow and provides some very interesting comments about progressive resistance exercise.

[Hank_Z]

...
By all means check out the old time material on power flexing that was written by Luther Gulick.

http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Spalding/Muscle%20Building/mb-1-1-a.htm

Scroll down the page of the site to find the exercises. Gulick was quite a remarkable fellow and provides some very interesting comments about progressive resistance exercise.

Two things in Gulick's comments and exercises especially grabbed my attention.
1. Almost 100 years after the book was published, most of the advice and comments seem totally current.

2. Gulick would have advised me NOT to do these exercises. On page 39, "I should never encourage a man of over fifty to expect to profit from such exercises..."

Hank

[Royce]

Two things in Gulick's comments and exercises especially grabbed my attention.
1. Almost 100 years after the book was published, most of the advice and comments seem totally current.

2. Gulick would have advised me NOT to do these exercises. On page 39, "I should never encourage a man of over fifty to expect to profit from such exercises..."

Hank

Well..........................all I can say is that I do the exercises, and I'm feeling better every day!:soldier:

[mts]

John, thank your comments on my present volume levels, I do appreciate it. I am humbled however when I hear of some of the tremendous accomplishments that many members on the forum achieve on a regular basis. For me, PCs are brutal and it's taken me quite some time to build up to my present daily numbers.

[JoeJustice]

mts, don't sweat it! I'm still working hard on getting my numbers up too, so you're not alone :soldier:

As to Isometrics Power Flexes, starting this week I am training with IPFs on Tues/Thurs of each week and using Power Cals on the other days; Yoga on Saturday. Today was my first IPF day and WOW! What a workout.

I've been doing Classic Isometrics Contractions ever since I got IPR last year but never really "got" them until a few months ago. Similarly, when I first tried IPF a year ago I thought they were totally useless and have not really tied to use them at all. Since then I have practices the CICs and it finally clicked when I was able to get a true isometrics contraction. So I applied that same focus to IPF and THAT, my friends, makes all the difference.

The "mind/muscle" connection and "laser like focus" John and others go on about isn't just marketing BS. Once you really learn how to contract and control those muscles, then you're doing some work, before you get that focus under control you're just moving a little, you're not actually working.

I say all of this for people who are new to this kind of training. There is a learning curve, my thick head might have made my curve a bit higher than it needed to be. But when you're trying this, follow the instructions and really put your thoughts into it, don't move mindlessly. When you feel that deep isometric contraction, you'll know you got it! If it feels like you're not working hard, then you haven't gotten it yet, but don't get discouraged by that, just keep trying. It will come.

-Joe

[gruntbrain]

One way to gauge your isometric efforts is to bend stuff like Bennyb. There are other ways but all of 'em involve ome PAIN. If your efforts are not somewhat painful then take a dep breath & exert more.