What Is Isokinetic Training?

Unlike conventional strength training equipment, there are no weights with isokinetic training. Instead, you set a certain movement speed.

Resistance is then created from trying to train faster than the machine’s speed setting allows. Isokinetic exercise equipment thus has a lot in common with exercising in water. The faster you try to push or pull, the greater the resistance.

This means that you can control the intensity level yourself throughout the entire exercise and follow your performance on the exercise machine’s screen.

All of this is only possible with special strength equipment which only sports performance centers and rehabilitation centers previously had available. The innovative technology of EGYM strength training machines now makes it possible to equip every machine with the option of isokinetic training.

The Benefits of Isokinetic Training

Better result compared to traditional strength training
With isokinetic training, fewer sets need to be completed than with classic strength training – as demonstrated in a 2011 study. Strength increased by +27 percent after just four weeks of isokinetic strength training. The increase was only +13 percent with conventional strength training. Isokinetic training also allowed for muscle imbalances to be better corrected (Golik-Peric at. Al. 2011).

Very gentle form of working out with low risk of injury and overstraining
Isokinetic training is a very gentle form of strength training and is therefore ideally suited for active recovery workouts. The reason for this is that the resistance is variable and adapts to personal performance at all times. Overall higher strength and greater mass can thus be achieved than with classic methods (Hollmann & Strüder, 2009), while preventing undesired compensations that accompany exercising weak joints with excessively heavy weight (Weineck, 2004). Moving at a constant velocity also means that there is no uncontrolled acceleration. All these appealing features make isokinetic training really the only option for serious strength training when joints are damaged.

Isokinetic is the only method available for working out with injured or painful joints
Isokinetic training is easy on the joints and ideally suited for physiotherapy, machine-supported physiotherapy, and rehab therapy. For instance, if you have pain in a specific area, such as your knee, all you need to do is simply reduce the power applied. In pain-free ranges of movement, you can still go full force (Wilcke 2004; Hohmann & Hamacher 1998).

Isokinetic enables every joint to become equally strong
Muscles cannot always exert the same force. Instead, muscle strength depends on the position of a muscle at any given time. Let’s look at push-ups to illustrate this: The further you reach the tip of your nose towards the ground, the harder the push-up becomes. It is exactly this position (i.e. in the weakest area of a movement) where the exercise is the most effective in the classic workout method. This is different for isokinetic: here the effectiveness is the same no matter how the joint is positioned.

The EGYM Smart Strength machines provide you with direct feedback on the screen to push you on even further and train coordination.

Conclusion

Isokinetic is hands-down one of the most efficient and gentle methods for working out available. This method is highly recommended for health- and performance-oriented strength training.