Gym Lingo: Iso Hold

“Iso hold” is short for isometric hold.
And isometric is short for isometric contraction.

An isometric contraction is when a muscle contracts but the muscle length doesn’t change. In other words, your muscles are working without any joints moving. Instead, the contraction keeps everything in place.

Think of it like this:

• Sitting tall in a chair with perfect posture means you’re isometrically contracting lots of muscles at once.

• Holding a plank (when done well) is a classic isometric contraction.

• Even during a pause squat or a bench press with a pause, your muscles are firing isometrically while you hold that position.

At GAIN, some of our most common iso holds are:

• Split squat iso holds

• Anti-rotation press iso holds

• Bottom of push-up holds

• Wall sits

• And if you were around for our Zoom workouts… bat wings

Why do we use them?

• Iso holds make you stronger in specific ranges of motion.

• They help build strength and rigidity.

• They’re also a fantastic way to train around an injury when big ranges of motion aren’t possible.

Iso holds are simple, brutally effective, and one of those training tools that never really go out of style.

—Justin Miner