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IsoTension Training

Iso-Tension Training Principle

Isotension or flexing otherwise known as posing for bodybuilders is a vitally important part of any workout for a competitive bodybuilder. Arnold himself says that if you do not start flexing/posing between sets you will never achieve the separation and the individual muscle group control it requires to be a successful bodybuilder.

You will see for yourself when you start to flex your muscles and pose in front of the mirror as if you were on stage. It pumps the muscles up and keeps them full of blood keeping them ready for action. The increased "pump" or rush of blood will feed all the required nutrients required directly into the muscles when they need it most.

Each muscle has a certain number of muscle fibers and these contain myofibrils that then make contact with each other while a muscle is being contracted. The strength of this contraction will depend on the number of muscle fibers and the tension generated within each fiber.

What this means is that an isometric tension like flexing or posing will increase the amount of muscle fibers recruited and help to speed up the growth of that muscle. When flexing it is recommended that you do reps of 8 to 12 seconds with each flex or posing position.

Doing this on a regular basis while you are training a specific body-part will help to achieve muscle separation in that body-part and encourage the recruitment of more muscle fibers. This in turn will help you get better results from your high intensity workouts that you do on a regular basis.

Doing a double bicep pose between sets when working biceps will help your achieve separation of your medial and lateral biceps. The same can be said for shoulders when doing behind the neck press as you can isometrically contract your deltoids by holding this movement at the bottom.

Doing a most-muscular pose will isolate the upper and lower pecs just as effectively and should be done between movements while training chest. Pushing your hands close together or holding them far apart will put more or less stress on either the outer pecs or the inner pecs.

When isolating your upper back the same can be done by iso-tensing a lat spread or mimicking the movement when doing a pull-down or rows. By holding your elbows back you will be able to isolate your rhomboids more. Tensing or flexing your lats between sets will improve the growth of your back muscles.

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