Chad, what about charging (for example) a standing calf raise machine with the max load possible…and trying to do a calf raise at 100% isometric contraction for 10 seconds? Thanks!
CW: I'm not a fan of that big compression load through the spine on a frequent basis. You're better off holding the peak contraction with BW, and/or a DB in your hand.
What are your thoughts on Jay Schroeder's system of extreme iso's? Different protocol for sure and I don't know if how much hypertrophy is stimulated, but there are definitely correlations in the coordination of the neural network and firing of various muscles.
CW: Sorry, not familiar with his system.
Great that you are striving to improve an already great book in HFT. Those push up iso's are awesome. I figured these would work with chins too and they do.
CW: Thanks, Matt. Yes, a similar protocol can work for any exercise.
Chad, would you say this is a good warm-up to a bench press session?
CW: No, this creates way too much fatigue before a bench press.
I used to do a lot of isometrics but pushing myself to the isometric max so often fried my nervous system in a few weeks. How often can someone do this?
CW: Of course! That's the biggest problem when people try HFT on their own – they do too much too soon. Start with just a few of these sets per week and slowly build from there.
To specify my previous question, for how many weeks can someone push to the max without deleterious effects?
CW: The key is to keep the intensity in check so you don't need to deload often. But usually the 4-week mark is a good time to back off for a few workouts.