Overcoming Isometrics Intermediate Workout
Intro
Warm-Up
OCI Posture Library
Video
Wrap Up
Safety Note: Like any activity involving speed, equipment, balance, and environmental factors poses some inherent risk. The author advises readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before applying the stances in this post(or previous) do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.
Intro
Answers, tools, and perspectives from history I believe can be more beneficial than most things that are advocated currently. What’s the point in reinventing the wheel if the old design already works?
I use this perspective when I approach fitness. Can I eventually save up money to buy something like this for myself or my future gym that costs over $40,000? Sure.
However, the human body has always been able to become immensely strong without all this stuff. For example, your average bow whether it was the English Longbow or the Mongol Recurve bow had a draw weight far above 100 pounds.
To put this in perspective there’s a friend of mine who likes taking a few buddies and myself to the archery range. He was one of those special compound bows you would see from a show like, “Arrow.” These bows are designed to assist you in the draw for part of the range of motion. As you pull you’ll feel a great amount of tension but then the reals kick in and it gets easier the further you draw the cable back.
Well, my friend had a bow with a draw weight of 60 pounds… and it wasn’t easy. I show yall what I can do in terms of my pulling strength and despite this, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to draw a bow with a draw weight of 100 or even 150 pounds in some cases.
Did those who trained on a bow train from early adulthood, sure. With practice would I acquire the muscle memory to draw the cable with more efficiency, absolutely.
But humans in the past were strong. Therefore, why do we need fancy gadgets to build up our bodies?
This is why I look to the past and most importantly to what’s called, “Physical Culture.” In the early 20th century you’ll find a collection of dudes and women who were very strong for their body weight and they wrote down what they did too.
Too bad the 300 spartans didn’t write down their step-by-step 12 week program to getting shredded and strong.
But Overcoming Isometrics(OCIs) is one of those things I pulled out of this time known as, “Physical Culture.”
So with that, let’s get into the workout.
Warm-Up
This time I threw in some light holds and movements(burpees) along with the Wall Press to show you a different way. But keep in mind that with whatever you do, as long as you include OCIs, your time will be diminished.
What would have been a 30-minute warm-up is now a 10-minute warm-up.
What would have been 150 minutes a week devoted to exercise/training is now 75.
These aren’t exact but will provide you with some idea of the time-saving effect of such a method of training.
OCI Posture Library
Lunge Press
Straight Leg Pull
I like to focus on my hamstrings more specifically from time to time. This I accomplished by creating a loop with the yoga strap and putting the buckle on the other side of the door stopping it from sliding through.
Push-Up Press
With any straight body pushing/pulling movement or posture the more parallel you are with the ground the more difficult it will be.
One Arm Pull
This is a new one I thought on the fly. See, I told you that your imagination can aid you in a better workout. I placed the strap on the top of the door/closed it and looped the towel through it. This posture is grip-intensive so unlike bodyweight rows or pull-ups your grip will undergo a high degree of challenge.
Making this one arm will keep you on the ground because if it was two you might pull yourself up hence it will stop being an OCI. If you somehow can yank yourself off of the ground with this posture then you are not intermediate lol.
Keep in mind that both your elbow and shoulder joints need to be trying to move. If it’s just your elbow then that will turn this posture into something more for the tricep.
Knee Tuck Pull
This is similar to a knee tuck. Where having your butt and hands in contact with the ground raising your feet slightly off the ground and you bring your knees to your chest. Only this time it is an OCI.
Wall Neck Press
I've explained these before in other posts but for this workout, I just did forward and back.
Video
Wrap Up
Next week we’ll try something different and I’ll show you a workout with what I call, “Burst Reps.”
Thank you for making it to the end and let me know your thoughts below.
Until next time…
