SCTE mere 31-43 Isometric JOusercademmarsboebbets Part 1c - The birth of run-specific isometrics (RSIST), general and specific IST, and case studies In part Ic, Alex will introduce run specific isometric strength training (RSIST), describe the success that he has had with his athletes and start to explain how the different RSIST exercises can be used. © Sportsmith and Natera Performance SolutionsIna similar knee dominant isometric squat pattern to the Lum study with team sport athletes, albeit in a more extended knee angle and in unilateral stance, I have found significant changes in force generating capacity using a mixture of both maximal and ballistic PIMA with variation of protocols of 3x6x1s and 3x3x3s 2-3 times per week for up to 16 weeks. I found my strongest athletes achieved upwards of 5 x body mass forces and were able to produce 3.75 x body mass forces within 100ms. Depending on what research you read the ground reaction forces in maximal velocity running are somewhere in the region of between 3 to 5 times body weight and these forces our achieved in the contact times as little as 90 milliseconds. With these numbers sharing very similar numbers to what I have captured in the unilateral isometric squat it is clear that we have a gym-based loading. strategy that can come close to replicating some of the loads experienced in running at high speeds. What is also of importance is the mounting evidence of the muscle tendon unit function in the stance phase of running gait, Braking forces occur after initial contact and the stance leg starts to act as a spring compressing to its deepest point at midstance while storing elastic energy. The energy is then released as the spring recoils and the propulsive phase of stance begins through to toe off and flight of the system. It was once thought [and taught] that this stretch shortening cycle action was predominantly an eccentric muscle action as the ankle knee and hip flexed and the muscle tendon unit elongated through to midstance. A growing body of evidence now Sportsmith | oo points to the fact that although the muscle tendon unit lengthens, as the leg spring compresses, the majority of this lengthening is coming from the tendon while the muscle predominantly performs a isometric muscle action. As we have established before, nothing is ever truly isometric and in fact at various parts of the stance phase there may be some minimal muscle shortening and lengthening and that the proportion of this might be very different across the muscles of the ankle, knee and hip, However, what seems very likely is that a large portion of the muscles involved in the lower limb during stance phase and particularly at mid-stance function predominantly in an isometric fashion creating a rigid system and allowing the tendon to perform as a metabolically efficient spring. It is true that less efficient runners are likely to have more lengthening and shortening of the fascicles and more efficient runners better utilisation of tendon. We now have an exercise modality that not only can replicate the ground reaction forces in running, but it also does so with very similar contact times, with very similar muscle actions and it just happens to be a highly effective stimulus in providing morphological adaptation to the tendon (the main driver of energy storage and utilisation in efficient running), The birth of run specific isometrics If he truth be known, the birth of run specific isometrics was more of a hunch, a coach’s intuition and a solution finding mission. In 2009 I was faced with a problem; I had an already successful Olympic medallist in my care and I had veryclear directives from the coach to get the athlete “stiffer” to improve her running performance. The athlete already did plyometrics and a basic general strength training routine involving TST exercises and these were all performed well within the athlete’s capacity. There was a significant reluctance to drive intent and intensity further in TST, particularly after already achieving success on the biggest stage. I got the athlete to agree to come into the gym twice a week, providing I kept my word that they would never lift a weight and they would be in and out of the gym in 20 minutes. The athlete held up their end of the bargain and I was true to my word the athlete never lifted a weight, but boy did they have to exert some serious force. A case study The only strength work we performed for 16 weeks was the single leg isometric mid-thigh pull with weightlifting straps. We varied intensity from 80 to 100% and we performed a 3x3x4 second sequence with 20 seconds of intraset and 120 seconds of inter set rest (3x3x4 80-100% (20°/2’) ‘Total volume of work was 36 seconds each leg and the total IST session took 7 and a half minutes to complete. Every rep we complete was captured on a force plate with feedback for each repetition. What I did know was that IST would provide a very high neuromuscular stimulus and provide higher levels of tension to muscles the athlete would use in running. Although I assumed it, what I didn’t really know was that we would be doing it while training the muscles in a specific way for upright running. I expected the 30-40% change in force output and I was pleased my hunch turned out right with significant changes in. Sportsmith | oo running performance, with contact time reductions and stride length and stride frequency all improving at race pace. What you've heard before is all the great neuromuscular and morphological/architectural adaptations that occur as a result of a general IST approach. You've also heard about the effects on performance, again mostly from a general IST approach. Like all types of training there comes a time when specificity of training in necessary, where aspects more closely associated with performance are drilled or overloaded. Aspects such as the actual type of muscle action used, the magnitude of force experienced in the movement, the speed of muscle action, the joint positions or more specifically the length-tension relationship that muscle performs at for a given task and what has grown in popularity, then more coordinative aspects of movement like what muscles might do immediately prior or immediately after performing a key action - think muscle pre-activity and muscle relaxation rates. Run specific isometrics address the key aspects of running performance This is where run specific isometric strength training comes in. It takes all the great history and evidence on IST and it puts it in to a realm of specificity for running; addressing key aspects of running performance where many other forms of training lack the specificity. v Muscle action specific V Magnitude of force applied to system v Force output in specific time frame V Specific joint angles and muscle lengths ¥ Coordinative demandWith run specific isometrics we address the isometric muscle action specific to upright running, we address the magnitude of ground reaction forces applied to the system, we achieve force outputs in time frames specific to running at all speeds, we do this at specific joint angles and muscle lengths used in upright running and we can adapt these aspects to apply more of a coordinative demand, challenging the pre-tension required for effective ground contact and corresponding rapid muscle relaxation necessary for optimal recovery and efficiency of the running gait, Not only can RSIST achieve the nervous system, muscle architecture and tendon morphological adaptations that general forms of IST can achieve with improvements in maximal force, time specific force, power output and reactive strength commonly found. Most importantly quite exceptional changes havebeen witnessed in run specific qualities like ground contact time, stride length and running performance with substantial changes in time trials, yVO2max, running Sportsmith | efficiency and even maximal velocity. Not only has RSIST been successful in increasing neuromuscular and running performance but additionally it is now used as a viable tool to successfully manage and overcome chronic tendinopathies and it is proving extremely vital in accelerating the return to train and return to perform processes with highly successful outcomes. Many RSIST variants are performed explosively, As we have covered, this is a great stimulus for tendon morphology, high speed neuromuscular adaptations and increases in RFD. This training variable also is a preferred option to avoid hypertrophy which may be a distinct benefit for some sports. High intensity loading, relative to the RSIST variant performed, are used and again this training variable is especially important for tendon morphology and increases in force generating capacity, Short duration repetitions are also used in RSIST and this again avoids undue hypertrophy but more importantly minimises the overall fatigue experiencéd’andvallows for higherintensities to be achieved. Lower volumes of total IST work are also performed, again minimising fatigue and allowing for greater frequency of training, The muscle length trained in RSIST is specific to running and therefore avoids long muscle lengths and hypertrophy, fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness associated with long muscle length IST. These are some of the core principles associated with the application of RSIST but what is great about this system is that the training variable used are also adaptation lead. Therefore, depending on the individual and the training period multiple variables can be manipulated in order to bring about the adaptations sought, More of this will be explained in later sections of the course. Not only is RSIST a training modality that drives specific adaptation for running performance, but it is also a complimentary form of training for running performance, Many strength training formats that are high intensity in nature can conflict with running performance. Either pushing the envelope too much for the athlete or adding potential injury risk especially when athletes are tired or sore. Some forms of strength training might also “overflow the bucket” so to speak causing the athlete to expend unnecessary energy and adding significant load that is difficult to timely recover from. Some forms of strength training can cause high levels of fatigue which can interfere with technical development, skill execution and coordination. There can also be an added cognitive demand when performing other forms of strength training that detract or add unwanted cognitive load to learning and skill execution which can further disturb recovery patterns and interfere with running performance. Sportsmith | oo RSIST offers a specific, high intensity strength training option that drives adaptations with minimal risk, even in tired or sore bodies. In fact, it makes sore bodies feel better, it causes minimal fatigue, and it compliments running performance rather than interfering with it. This complimentary “partnership” may well be one reason alone why RSIST has been so effective at enhancing running performance. RSIST is high stimulus with low fatigue — driving adaptation, improving the connection between gym and field, with low risk, minimal fatigue and no soreness, Single leg isometric mid-thigh pull | v Single leg isometric squat/knee iso-push { | v Knee iso-hold Ankle iso-push and hold { | v Hip iso-push and hold Quasi-isos/iso-switch/iso-catch From the inception of RSIST with the single leg isometric mid-thigh pull, the method has been refined through the years. ‘The single leg IMTP was quickly replaced with a single leg isometric squat pattern. This was done to get a more concentrated load to the lower limbs and avoid the need to strap wrists and hands to barbells. The unilateral execution of what is now known, as the knee iso-push meant that spinal loadswere not as high as they would be in bilateral stance. The carly implementation of the knee iso-push brought about a 2km/hr improvement in vVO2max nearly 20ml/kg/km improvement in Oxygen cost. I began to notice that not every athlete was responding as effectively as others to the knee iso-push, particularly those with already very impressive knee iso-push strength, so I started to implement a HIMA option called the knee iso-hold. The knee iso-hold provided much more flexibility in training bigger groups and along with the implementation of ankle targeted isometric work, the ankle iso-push and ankle iso-hold Twas witnessing impressive changes in reactive strength index with improvements up to 25%. To complete the picture and encompass all the major running muscles of the lower limb, RSIST then started to incorporate a hip dominant exercise, the hip iso-push and the hip iso-hold along with quasi-isometrics the iso-switch and the iso-catch for all 3 joints, all performed at joint positions near enough replicating mid-stance running positions. RSIST now had more flexibility, clear progressions and KPIs (which was certainly more exciting and challenging for the athlete) and it also ‘meant a more targeted approach was available for each athlete based on the joint to be trained and type of isometric muscle action needed, Further impressive results followed even in high level track athletes like for example a significant improvement in maximal velocity by 0.64 m/s in a high-level sprinter. It is important to note, in any good program. multiple factors contribute to performance change. RSIST often formed part of a complimentary role to running and worked alongside the overall program to develop Sportsmith | oo athletes running ability. Outside of a randomised control trial, It is often difficult to know exactly what causes a performance change in a program but what is most important is that the change occurs, and performance is maximised, hopefully proving that all elements of the program were complimentary. In many instances this is how RSIST formed part of a successful program, however, in a number of instances I was fortunate enough to join a program where the only change was the implementation of RSIST. It is in these instances where I was able to really get a grasp of the impact RSIST had on running performance and essentially why I think it’s an important tool to have for any coach or practitioner working with running based athletes.Don’t forget to join the dedicated Slack channel where you can speak with others on the course as well as Alex who can answer your isometric strength training questions. Click Lolo © Sportsmith and Natera Performance Solutions