Due to the length-tension relationship in the muscle, your biceps will be strongest when the elbow is bent around 90 degrees. Need a visual? Imagine doing a biceps curl. The farther the fiber is stretched or shortened past this optimal point, the less tension you’ll see in the muscle and the less force it will be able to produce. Each muscle fiber has an optimal length-a degree at which it can produce the most amount of force-which is often dictated by the ability of the two major contractile components of a muscle fiber (the protein filaments actin and myosin) to interact with one another. This is a description of how much force a muscle fiber can produce at different lengths. One of these factors, according to Jo, is the relationship between a muscle fiber’s length and the amount of force it can produce, called the “length-tension relationship” by exercise scientists.

“In real-life situations, your typical resistance exercise is not truly isotonic because of a variety of interwoven factors.” “The term isotonic in resistance training has evolved away from its technical definition,” says Eddie Jo, PhD, CSCS*D, Director of the Human Performance Research Lab at Cal Poly, Pomona. There is some nuance to this concept, though.

Most of the exercises you’re no doubt already familiar with do this: pushups, squats, running, etc. The idea is that you’re keeping the same amount of tension on the muscle throughout the full range of motion. The term isotonic means “same tension,” which refers to the tension that’s placed on the muscles you’re contracting while they’re moving the joint(s) they act on. With that said, it’s helpful to understand how and why they work to build muscle and strength (as well as aid your fat-loss goals), so prepare for a crash course on the topic-streamlined in layman’s terms so there’s no heavy lifting. While the technical-sounding name makes for a good buzzword-hence the reason you see it showing up in articles and videos online from time to time and getting attention-isotonic exercise is an umbrella term for most of the movements you’ll do in a typical gym workout. You don’t have to scrap your current workout to do isotonic exercises, because, chances are, you’re doing them already. Just when you think you’re up to date on the latest fitness trends, and you’re sure you’re doing everything possible to get in peak shape, you see a new term popping up on the Internet: “isotonic.” What is this strange, exotic, and no doubt highly sophisticated kind of training? And how soon must you incorporate it to get the body of your dreams?

Isometric exercises vs isotonic