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The Benefits of Isotonic Exercise

You may have heard of isotonic exercise in passing, but when it comes to the specific benefits of this type of power workout, many of us might be stumped. Looking at how isotonic exercise helps athletes is part of an overall survey of the best and most useful fitness practices that are common in gyms and health clubs.

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What Is Isotonic Exercise?

Many athletes who work out regularly are not familiar with the technical term, but most of them are familiar with the actual practice of isotonic exercise. Isotonic exercise is when the muscle carries a static weight limit over a specific range of motion. In common terms, this means moving a free weight or fixed weight as part of common weight training. A bicep curl is a classic example of isotonic exercise, where the muscle has to work against a set resistance through the entire curl, which is the range of motion.

Benefits of Isotonic Exercise

Isotonic exercise is very useful, not only in helping participants bulk up, but in providing specific muscle responses that will be useful in a range of athletic and recreational activities.

One of the main benefits of isotonic exercise is that it doesn't require extensive equipment. Portable items like dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and other similar tools are all ways to fit isotonic exercise into any space or environment.

How Resistance Helps in Training

More of the benefits of isotonic exercise are related to the use of resistance. The weight of the above fitness tools provides resistance that the body has to work against. This helps strengthen muscles in several ways.

Those who have access to a range of free weights or fixed weights can pursue progressive resistance. This can provide assistance with a range of fitness goals. Working out with lighter weights through more isotonic repetitions will make muscles stronger and more able to handle challenges across their entire range of motion (such as an arm or leg extension). When users work out with much heavier weights, it causes a specific increase in muscle size, because the high weight load leads to tiny tears in the muscle tissue. This causes enlarging of the muscle when they're repaired by the body.

More about the Science of Isotonic Exercise

Fitness experts point out that isotonic exercise often includes two specific kinds of training. In scientific terms, these are called concentric and eccentric muscle contraction. Concentric contraction is when the muscle is moving weights upward and actively manipulating the resistance. Eccentric contraction is when the muscles are working passively, for example, when lowering weight along with gravity, or simply holding onto a resistance load and managing it, rather than pushing it or pulling it through a range of motion.

Scientists have found that a combination of concentric and eccentric contractions, found in most popular forms of isotonic exercise like weight lifting, stair climbing and elliptical training, are able to provide diverse beneficial results for the body. Good isotonic exercise will prepare the muscles for different kinds of activities that they may encounter in a normal day.

Think about all of the above when crafting your perfect power workout routine that will be likely to include some isotonic exercise activities.

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