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When it comes to specific weaknesses, stubborn muscles, and stalled lifts there are two categories that need to be considered both of which this 1.5 eccentric isometric technique addresses:

1) The neuromuscular component

2) The structural hypertrophy component

When a lifter has a particular movement pattern such as squats or chest presses they struggle with, chances are both their technique and neuromuscular efficiency needs improvement. The eccentric isometric (slow negative followed by a pause in the stretched position) allows the lifter to hone-in on their body position by using precisely executed negatives to fine-tune their mechanics. That’s because muscle spindles (sensory feedback mechanisms embedded within muscles) provide the greatest feedback when the muscles are under stretch. Besides teaching proper mechanics this does wonders for improving neural connections and grooving the appropriate movement patterns into the CNS. The result is substantial increases in strength and force production not to mention a nice bonus of decreased joint pain.

To address hypertrophy particularly in areas of the body that are more resistant to growth, the key lies in taking advantage of the three hypertrophy mechanisms namely, muscle damage, mechanical tension, and metabolic stress. Eccentric isometrics exploit each of these, however, to further increase the growth-inducing benefits and ensure hypertrophic changes in the most stubborn regions, implementing the one-and-a-half (1.5) technique will do the trick.

The 1.5 technique simply involves a bottom half-rep followed by a full repetition. In terms of increased strength, the phase involving the full repetition will allow the lifter to practice lifting with compensatory acceleration/maximal speed (during the concentric phase), while the partial/bottom-half repetition will focus more so on triggering functional hypertrophy.

Additionally, the muscle damage and micro trauma from this 1.5 technique (particularly when combined with eccentric isometrics) is exceptionally potent for triggering size gains as the lifter will be spending significant time in the eccentric or stretched position.

The bottom half of the movement is also key for triggering increased levels of mechanical/intramuscular tension as well as metabolic stress due to the constant tension and reduced momentum.

Regardless of how stubborn your body or muscles may be, if you can summon the mental fortitude to push past the pain associated with this incredibly brutal protocol, you’ll be rewarded with significant boosts in functional size and strength.

I’ve found the one-and-a-half eccentric isometric protocol useful on a number of lifts including squats, bench press, deadlifts, overhead press, lunges, RDL’s, pullups, pullovers, as well as many other exercises. Because of the long duration of time under tension incorporated for each repetition I typically recommend lower rep ranges of 3-6 per set.

Finally, focus on using optimal range of motion with joint segments close to 90 degrees and perpendicular/parallel body segments. Using excessive range of motion (i.e. squatting past parallel) reinforces faulty body mechanics and decreases sensory feedback from muscle spindles not to mention reduced tension on muscles with more stress on the joints.

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Want to improve your jumping & landing mechanics? Try these single leg front curled skater squat jumps with the eccentric isometric protocol as I have 2 NFL athletes & GSP sponsored pros Taylor Heinicke & Julian Williams doing here.

I recently posted an article about the benefits of the front curled squat protocol for enhancing squat form & functional strength. The same benefits apply to jumps. In fact because of the intense full body tension, core activation, & spinal rigidity produced from the front curled protocol this has a tremendous benefit for both jumping & landing mechanics. Essentially it reinforces the idea of staying tight, eliminating energy leaks, & optimizing motor control all of which are critical for knowing how to control power production & force absorption.

The single leg squat protocol as shown here also helps address imbalances & asymmetries between sides while simultaneously working on foot & ankle mechanics (one of the most neglected components of training). You’ll also notice how few if any of my athletes ever wear normal athletic shoes. That’s because barefoot conditions help optimize foot & ankle mechanics thereby improving activation up the kinetic chain. Discussed more HERE.

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OPTION #1

Here’s one of my awesome collegiate athletes and Dartmouth soccer player Bonnie Shea performing an advanced core stabilization exercise. Essentially it’s a long lever quadruped bird dog pushup plank. Simply perform an ab walkout, hold the extended position, then perform quadruped bird dogs by lifting your opposite arm and leg while maintaining a neutral spine and body alignment. Hold each position 5-10 sec then switch.

The level of full body stability, balance, and motor control needed to dial this exercise in is through the roof. It’s also incredibly brutal on the entire musculature of the core and abdominal musculature as you’re not only resisting rotation and lateral flexion forces but also extreme extension forces due to the long lever stretched plank position that’s attempting to extend the spine.

The ability to transmit force and coordinate neuromuscular recruitment between the hips, core, and upper torso is vital for athletic performance as well as heavy strength training. The quadruped bird dog plank is one of the few exercises that requires the upper torso, core, and hip muscles to work together synergistically in one controlled high-tension isometric fashion. This drill quickly exposes and addresses energy leaks that may exist between various segments of the body, like the hips and core.

If you're looking for an intense and effective exercise that targets rotary stability, anti-extension, shoulder stability, postural alignment, motor control, symmetry, balance, and overall core strength, look no further than this movement. It's also a great way to warmup the body before crushing heavy loads as it's quite joint friendly yet very effective at firing up nearly ever muscle in the body while reinforcing rigid posture and spinal alignment.

OPTION #2

This next exercise is a Side Windmill Plank with Abduction & Dumbbell Loading: Get to outside of foot of bottom leg and dorsiflex both ankles. Make sure elevated hip & leg & foot is internally rotated not rotated out externally.

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OVERVIEW

The method I have my athletes use to perform eccentric isometric hip thrusters and glute bridges involves two unique components.

1. The eccentric phase is performed in a slow and controlled fashion taking approximately 4-5 seconds to complete.

2. Once the athlete reaches the full stretched position they’ll hold the eccentric isometric for an additional 4-5 seconds.

ADDITIONAL EXECUTION CUES

Besides the above components related to rep cadence and eccentric isometric duration, there are 5 other unique cues I use for all of my athletes regardless of whether or not they’re performing traditional glute bridges or eccentric isometric variations.

1. The concentric phase should be completed with as much force and power as possible while still maintaining optimal body alignment. This should all be done while attempting to contract the posterior chain as aggressively as possible.

2. During the eccentric phase of the glute bridge the athlete is instructed to actively pull themselves into the stretched position by contracting the hip flexors and core musculature rather than simply allowing gravity to pull them into the bottom position. This helps optimize eccentric co-contraction among reciprocal muscle groups, which is a critical component for maximizing reciprocal inhibition during the concentric phase of the movement. In other words, co-activation of agonist (glutes) and antagonist (hip flexors) muscles during the eccentric phase creates a slingshot effect. Once the hip flexors release, this produces maximal activation and contractile force of the glutes on the subsequent concentric phase. This is actually a critical component of all proper movement, and is simply what the process should look like during any properly performed glute bridge or hip thruster.

3. During the eccentric phase, the athlete is told to pull their stomach in and brace their core as a means of eliminating lumbar extension. This also helps to ensure that the athlete is pulling into the eccentric phase with their hip flexors, as the abdominals and hip flexors work together when performing voluntary hip flexion.

4. Throughout the duration of the set the athlete is told to maintain a neutral spine particularly at the cervical spine. One of the most common errors I see individuals make during posterior chain movements is moving into excessive forward head tilt and kyphotic posture. This should never occur, and simply degrades optimal spinal alignment while reinforcing dysfunctional postural mechanics that negatively transfer to other movements. Instead, the head should remain tall on the torso throughout and never tilt forward or back. Read more about proper spinal alignment HERE. In other words, when moving into the eccentric stretched position, as the torso is positioned at 45 degrees, the head should match it. Simply put, there should be a straight line from the hips to the shoulders, neck, and head. Similarly, in the top concentric position, the head should be perfectly parallel to the floor and inline with the rest of the body, as the natural eye gaze will be looking straight up towards the ceiling. Again this optimizes the posterior chain activation without compromising natural spinal alignment and postural mechanics.

5. The last and final form of cueing I use with all of my athletes on any type of glute bridge or hip thruster involves the utilization of proper foot and ankle alignment. While this may not seem like an important element, proper foot and ankle alignment/activation is perhaps the single most critical yet neglected component of properly executed glute exercises. More specifically, this involves keeping the foot completely straight or even slightly inwardly rotated (2-5 degrees inward) similar to proper foot strike when running. I also instruct athletes to screw their feet into the floor by pushing more weight to the outside of the feet while pressing the base of their big toes into the floor. Read more about foot & ankle training HERE.

   However, this concept is not unique to glute bridges and hip thrusters as it’s something I preach and teach on any and every exercise including chest presses. And yes, all exercises including glute bridges and hip thrusters are performed in barefoot conditions, socks, or minimalist shoes. That’s because traditional shoes tend to blunt foot and ankle activation, as they act like a crutch taking on the stabilization and structural support roles that the muscles in the feet and ankles are supposed to be performing.

   Now, I’ve not yet performed an EMG comparison examining hip thrusters and glute bridges with or without foot and ankle activation, or without proper postural alignment for that matter. However, from practical experience I’ve observed some phenomenal and almost unbelievable occurrences when implementing proper foot and ankle mechanics on posterior chain movements. In fact, I would go as far as saying that proper foot and ankle mechanics/activation during glute bridges is equally, if not more important, than the implementation of the eccentric isometric protocol when it comes to posterior chain activation. However, when combined, the results of performing eccentric isometric glute bridges and hip thrusters with high levels of foot and ankle activation are noteworthy to say the least.

   I’ve literally seen dozens of scenarios where athletes who report little if any activation in their posterior chain, suddenly feel as though their glutes or hamstrings are about to explode simply from correcting their foot and ankle alignment. In addition, they commonly report that the level of “burn” and lactic acid/hydrogen ion buildup is almost unbearable with eccentric isometric reps. These phenomena likely occur largely because activation begins with the feet and ankles. When the feet and ankles are doing their job this enhances signaling up the kinetic chain particularly throughout the hips. In fact, I would go as far as saying that its impossible to maximize posterior chain activation without addressing foot and ankle alignment. Additionally, even the slightest bit of external rotation (toe flare) can minimize the effectiveness of the exercise on the glutes and hamstrings. When in doubt, it’s always better for the toes to be too inwardly rotated than too externally rotated, as more inward rotation helps create additional torque into the floor. Read more HERE.

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This exercise will crush your glutes and hips unilaterally with a safe and effective hip hinge that also has phenomenal transfer to athletic performance. The elevated back leg also acts as a counterweight helping reduce anterior shearing forces and torque on the spine. In fact, once you master your stability and balance you may find you end up using similar weights with the unilateral version as you would the bilateral due to the counterbalancing effect of the back leg. As a result the glutes and hamstrings get absolutely torched. Read more HERE.

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When it comes to producing significant intramuscular tension, motor unit recruitment, constant tension, and post activation potentiation (PAP), few protocols are as effective as overcoming isometrics. Whether you’re a bodybuilder looking to gain size or an athlete looking to improve sprint speed and power, overcoming isometrics are a highly effective technique to implement in your training. Overcoming isometrics involve pressing/pulling against an immovable object which allows temporal summation (gradual ramping up of motor unit recruitment and firing frequency) to occur over time. As previously mentioned this not only produces incredibly high levels of motor unit recruitment and intramuscular tension, it also elicits a significant post activation potentiation response. In other words you’ll be able to run faster, jump higher and move more explosively.

Although this technique is typically applied to squats and deadlifts, incorporating overcoming isometrics into other movements such as lunges, split squats, and Bulgarian squats provides additional benefits. That’s because lunges and split squats simulate stride mechanics thereby transferring even more so to running and sprinting performance. Here’s one of my awesome figure athletes Leslie Petch demonstrating it with exemplary form.

In addition, these specific overcoming isometrics involve a combination of tension and stretching of all the larger muscles in the lower body including the hip flexors which is something squats, and deadlifts don’t provide. For athletes that means complete and maximal post activation potentiation of all of the larger muscles in the lower body. For bodybuilding athletes, powerlifters, and figure competitors that means significant strength and muscle growth throughout every muscle in the thighs. It’s also a great method for taxing each side individually as a means of improving symmetrical loading patterns.

In terms of execution it’s quite simple. Set the safety pins at a height that allows you to complete the bottom half of the movement approximately. Once you set the safety pins, set yourself under them with a lightly loaded barbell on your back then perform lunges by pushing against the pins. As you push against the pins you should feel the entire lower body musculature activate to a greater and greater extent each passing second until it finally peaks at 2-5 seconds. In addition, the amount of mechanical tension and overload placed on the core, upper back, traps, and lats will also be extremely high as these muscles must work overtime to lock the spine in under inordinately high levels of tension and force.

Besides the high levels of intramuscular tension throughout the body, there is also significant constant tension and metabolic stress as there’s no resting point throughout the movement. Instead the lifter is performing the most difficult portion of the lift, namely the bottom half or stretched position, with no letup. Be prepared to feel every muscle in your lower body fire including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves.

If you’re a bodybuilder looking to increase strength and size I typically recommend 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps per side with each rep lasting approximately 3-5 seconds. If you’re an athlete looking to improve power output, speed, and vertical jump height I recommend keeping the fatigue to a minimum while maximizing the potentiation response. Several sets of 2-3 reps per side with a 2-4 second pause against the pins will do the job.

I also recommend using a light load (less than 50% of your 1RM) and eccentric isometrics on the negative phase rather than an empty bar or no eccentric loading. This helps to ensure that there’s a degree of eccentric overload, pre-stretch, and muscle spindle activation that normally wouldn't occur if you simply used a fixed unmovable load such as a pre-set smith machine (without negative resistance).

Applying light eccentric isometric loading into the overcoming isometrics allows the lifter to maintain a higher quality of movement and achieve higher power output on subsequent reps without deterioration of form or excessive fatigue. That’s because eccentric isometrics maximize proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. For lunges, this is critical as locking in form and technique is paramount when it comes to improving gait mechanics and sprinting form. The last thing we want is to hold high intensity isometric lunges with aberrant mechanics and dysfunctional positions.

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The double barbell bent over row is one of my favorite horizontal pulling exercises as the intensity of stimulation to the entire upper back and lats is exceptionally high. The double barbell row also teaches the lifter quite a bit about their rowing mechanics as even the slightest bit of over-rowing at the top position (allowing the tricep to move significantly past the plane of the torso) or over-stretching in the bottom position (allowing the shoulders to round) will cause the shoulders to destabilize and move out of optimal alignment thereby causing the barbells to tilt.

To keep the bars completely parallel to the floor as well as parallel to each other throughout the set, the lifter will be required to maintain optimal spinal alignment and shoulder positioning throughout by performing rowing motions that involve smooth 90 degree joint angles. And yes the forearms and grip get absolutely pummeled not to mention the biceps, rear delts, glutes, and hamstrings.

If you really want to increase the intensity of this movement and master full body motor control, try performing this double barbell row in a single leg RDL position. Besides annihilating the entire posterior chain, this represents the epitome of mastering your body mechanics and horizontal pulling technique as there is literally no room for error. And yes if you over-row at the top, over-stretch at the bottom, abandon optimal hip hinge mechanics, or simply lose your form for even a split second you’ll create double instability resulting in loss of balance. Simply put you’ll not only destabilize your body but you’ll also destabilize the bars.

Learn to lock your body and the barbells into position throughout the duration of the set and I can just about guarantee you’ll notice improved muscle function throughout your entire body on every movement pattern. On a side note you’ll notice I’m using two 5-pound plates on each end of the barbell rather than 10 pound plates. The reason for this is that the back foot/leg will run into the plates unless you’re using smaller weights.

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OPTION #1

Want to crush your chest and glutes while taking stress of your neck and shoulders? Try these unique variations of the glute bridge chest press performed in a head-off fashion as demonstrated by my awesome clients Ben Lai and Leslie Petch, and moi.

The glute bridge chest press is an excellent exercise for engaging the hips and pectorals while simultaneously performing one powerful pressing movement. In fact I originally tried the traditional glute bridge chest press (standard floor variation) several years ago after reading a few articles by world-renown strength coaches Bret Contreras and Ben Bruno.

Unfortunately for many individuals these can be quite aggravating to my upper neck and shoulders due to cervical compression. The head-off glute bridge chest press variations on the other hand eliminates this issue and actually feels very therapeutic on the shoulders and neck while still deriving the same glute and hip benefits as the traditional variations. That’s because the neck and cervical spine can elongate rather than being compressed into the floor. In addition there are numerous benefits of this. Read more HERE.

OPTION #2

This next exercise is a 90 Degree Eccentric Isometrics on Bench Press with Bent Leg Knee Raise which not only blasts the upper body and chest but eliminates low back pain and excessive low back arch so common on bench press

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OPTION #1

Crushing heavy overhead presses is one of the most effective ways to build monster shoulders and traps while building Viking-like upper body strength. When performed with proper mechanics they’re also incredibly therapeutic on the shoulder joints and excellent for ingraining proper postural alignment. Unfortunately, most individuals fail to perform overhead presses with proper technique thereby placing undue stress on the glenohumeral joint not to mention taking tension off the surrounding musculature.

While reducing the total load can help resolve this issue to a degree, implementing overhead movements that force the lifter to incorporate proper mechanics is one of the best ways to teach optimal vertical pressing technique. With that said, one unique overhead press that I’ve found to be very effective not only for blasting the entire shoulder musculature, upper traps, triceps, and upper chest but also for instilling proper overhead pressing technique into the CNS is the overhead barbell strap press.

These can be performed either by attaching traditional wrist straps to a bar as I demonstrate in the video or by attaching bands to the bar (the more difficult variation) as shown by my awesome client Ben Lai. Then simply hold the straps or bands in a vertical fashion and perform overhead military presses. Yes, they look a bit odd but here are 5 reasons why you may want to consider incorporating these into your shoulder workouts.

1. Finding ways to perform intense overhead pressing variations that minimize stress and tension to the joints can be tricky. The overhead barbell strap press requires the lifter to reduce the weight by approximately 50% to perform the movement however the stimulus to the upper body musculature is inordinately intense. In fact, I’ve found that my athletes have to reduce their weight more on this overhead pressing variation than any other vertical pressing movement including bottoms-up exercises. Because of the combination of significantly reduced loading yet high levels of tension on the shoulders and upper body this represents an excellent overhead pressing variation for minimizing stress to the joints while maximizing the functional strength and hypertrophy stimulus. Simply put, if you have sensitive shoulders but still enjoy periodically performing overhead presses, this may be the perfect version to implement in your routine.

2. If you’re looking for an overhead press that teaches proper elbow tuck, shoulder packing, and centration of the glenohumeral joint, look no further than this press. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to perform with excessive elbow flare or lack of t-spine extension as the lifter will simply be unable to lock the bar into position.

3. The overhead barbell strap press is unusually unstable and requires the lifter to use very strict, tight, and controlled mechanics. Excessive momentum or lack of control will cause the weight and the arms to shake and waver.

4. Creating lateral tension against the bar is very important during overhead pressing particularly at the top of the overhead press (aka the slot position). To successfully lock this movement in particularly at the top, the lifter will be forced to spread the arms and pull laterally against the straps. Besides stressing the lateral and rear deltoids to a greater extent than most overhead presses, this also does wonders for teaching optimal overhead lockout mechanics and technical efficiency in the overhead slot position. The impact this has on Olympic lifts as well as overhead mechanics in general is noteworthy.

5. Collapsing in the bottom position is one of the most common mistakes on strict overhead presses. Yes, racking the bar to your body for push presses is part of the lift but when performing strict overhead military presses, bringing the bar to the shoulders every rep not only takes tension off the deltoids and involved musculature but also places undue stress on the shoulder joint and rotator cuff. It’s for this reason I usually have individuals terminate the bottom eccentric position somewhere around mid face or chin level similar to where it would be for a proper bottoms-up press. Because of the specific gripping mechanics involved with this particular barbell press, going excessively low at the bottom feels very unnatural on the grip, hands, wrists, and shoulders necessitating the use of optimal stopping mechanics at the appropriate eccentric bottom position. Simply put, you’ll be unable to collapse at the bottom. Read more HERE.

OPTION #2

This is one of the best variations of the overhead press that forces the lifter to produce proper mechanics or else he or she will literally fall off the bench. Get good T-spine extension at the bottom by tucking your elbows and flexing your lats.

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If you’re looking for a unique but very effective vertical pulling exercise try this rotational lat pulldown using wrist straps attached to the barbell as demonstrated by one of my awesome clients Matt Jordan. Although this isn’t one that you’ll load up incredibly heavy loads there are several unique benefits.

1. The straps create a more unstable and vulnerable bar attachment. Because you’ll be gripping the hanging straps several inches or more below the height of the anchor point on the bar, this causes the bar to be more susceptible to tilting, swaying, shifting or rotating. If you begin to pull more from one arm or allow one shoulder to elevate higher than the other, or you use excessive momentum, these deviations will be magnified as you’ll begin to loose control of the bar attachment. In essence you’ll be forced to use smooth, crisp, symmetrical, and precise vertical pulling mechanics to keep this locked in.

2. This rotating strap lat pulldown variation absolutely crushes the grip as you’ll have to pinch the daylights out of the wrist straps to keep the handles from slipping out of your hands. If you’re in need of a lat pulldown variation to crush your hands, grip, and forearms, this one’s tough to beat. You can also use towels to crush the grip even further but unfortunately it can take away slightly form the rotational movement which leads me to my next point.

3. This specific set up allows a very natural rotational pulling motion to occur rather than the overly rigid grip attachment you would typically find with a standard lat bar setup. In essence you’ll be using a fully pronated grip at the top position and gradually rotating to a fully supinated grip as you reach the fully contracted bottom position. Besides being very conducive for reinforcing proper and smooth scapulohumeral rhythm and centrated glenohumeral joint mechanics (locked in shoulder joint), the rotational movement is also very effective for stimulating significant lat activation and growth

   The reason for this is that the overhand or pronated position allows a greater lat stretch while the underhand or supinated position produces a more forceful contraction in the lats at the end of the concentric pull. This produces both mechanical tension and muscle damage (to a moderate degree) as well as a degree of metabolic stress and local occlusion. As a result the stimulation and muscle mind connection you’ll receive to the lat muscles will be significant to say the least even though the load will be relatively light. However, for those suffering with joint issues and overuse injuries, having access to a lat exercise that allows you to use lighter therapeutic loads while simultaneously crushing the lats is always a welcome bonus

   If you feel like grip strength is more of a limiting factor during these, try pre-exhausting your lats immediately prior to the pulldown using some form of kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell pullover. You can also use straight arm pulldowns with bands or a cable system for more constant tension on the lats. In fact this is exactly what I had Matt do during this workout and his lats were pummeled for several days. Typically 2-3 sets of 5-8 repetitions will more than suffice for this pulldown.

Read more HERE.