Position Specific Isometrics for the Field Sport Athlete

An isometric contraction occurs when a muscle produces force, but does not change length. There are two types of isometric contraction: yielding and overcoming. A yielding isometric involves producing enough force against a load to halt it’s momentum, e.g. pausing at the bottom of a squat. An overcoming isometric involves producing force against an immovable load, e.g. a mid thigh pull into pins.

Position specific isometric holds attempt to increase strength at specific joint angles where the athlete may be compromised, or where increased tendon elasticity would be advantageous. Applying this specifically to the athlete’s sport, if they can increase isometric strength in specific muscle groups and in specific positions, they can utilize the elastic qualities of the tendons more effectively. Training the muscles and increasing strength and stability in the positions that occur in sport, will allow the tendons at that joint, and the stretch reflex to have a greater effect. We can replicate specific joint positions such as the release of a throw or swing, or the point of ground contact in sprinting.

• A volleyball outside hitter training an isometric hold in a position specific to the ball contact point in the swing.

• A team sport athlete training an isometric hold in a position specific to ground contact in sprinting.

Expanding on the second example, sprint specific isometric holds would typically involve the three joints primarily involved in ground contact during sprinting: the ankle, knee, and hip. The key positions of each joint are:

• The ankle is in a position of slight plantar flexion, meaning the heel is off the ground with the foot pointing slightly down.

• The knee is in near full extension but is slightly flexed with the foot flat on the ground.

• The hip is near full extension but is slightly flexed.

When training in the gym setting, it is easy to imagine how these positions could be trained under load.

The ankle joint can be trained in this position by loading the athlete with a bar or machine based equipment, and the athlete assuming this position by performing something like a “calf raise” against the opposing load (in the case of a yielding isometric) or against an immovable load (in the case of an overcoming isometric).

The knee joint can be trained in a similar way, the major difference being the full foot being in contact with the ground.

The hip joint can be trained by having the athlete lie on their back with the barbell (or loaded object) in their hip crease, similar to the set-up of a barbell glute bridge. The athlete would then extend the knee almost fully, and drive their heel into the ground to push against the opposing load (in the case of a yielding isometric), or an immovable load (in the case of an overcoming isometric).

But what if we are training outside of the gym setting and don’t have access to a barbell or a rack? Consider a team sport athlete who wants to incorporate position specific isometric training at the field.

We can train the ankle joint and surrounding musculature using a single leg calf raise with the body at a 45 degree forward lean. We can train the knee and surrounding musculature performing a single leg split hold. By driving the back foot against a sturdy object, we can load the knee of the front leg. We can train the hip and surrounding musculature by performing a single leg hip bridge with the foot elevated on an object such as a foam roller. Again, when performing these exercises, the following positions are key…

· Ankle: slight plantar flexion, heel off the ground, knee joint slightly flexed, hip joint slightly flexed.

· Knee: foot is flat on the ground, knee joint slightly flexed, hip joint slightly flexed.

· Hip: Hip in near full extension, knee joint slightly flexed.

Finally, if we are talking about team sport athletes, we should consider the ability to change direction and apply force in the frontal plane. We can train this using the isometric lateral push. By driving the outside foot into the ground, and pushing against the immovable object using the flexed leg and upper body as points of contact, we can apply force in the frontal plane.

Depending on the exercise and the experience of the athlete, holds from 5-15 seconds are effective, and performing the exercises as part of a larger circuit works well.

These exercises are not perfect, and maybe not the most efficient way to build strength using position specific isometrics. However, they offer an easy alternative for field sport athletes who do not have access to a gym, and can also be used as a lower intensity introduction to more intense isometric training.