Well with the internet You can find just about anything You want. All the people selling their secrets for routines and exercises. There is no secrets or anything new under the sun. With a little bit of imagination and research You never know what's possible. I'm sure I'm not the first to find stuff but this could save some money and time for whoever likes this kind of exercise. If Your a fan of self resistance or isometrics use Your imagination. You can use a towel, belt or make Your own isometric belt if You don't have the money. I know at one time I didn't. And to be honest with You I like isometrics with a belt better than using limb against limb. Also I enjoy self resistance with a belt also. Anyhow You can look up the Iso-Bow or Bullworker videos on Youtube that can give You many ideas. Plus I'll post one video for a visual.
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Health, Fitness, Non-Apparatus Exercise, Unarmed Self-Defense, Firearms Self Defense
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In addition to a stick, I use this DIY simple belt staff for isos. The short loop can be used for dynamic tension exercises posted above. The long loop may be used for legs training.
Thanks Michael I am 2 years into my journey with a layover for surgery and illness, but still did isometrics laying in bed so....Also the guy in the first video is from Bullworker His name is Chrisman He;s a great guy and the iso bow is awesome I have a use one.
Hi Steve, good to see You posting again. How has Your fitness journey been? If I remember right You were a couple of years into Your journey. Congrats on sticking with it.
In response to stick exercises...when kick back got a bit much for some injuries with the bullworker I emulated most bullworker exercises with a 4 foot dowel. One of the stick videos posted above is basically a bullworker move. Some other good sticks videos which are different are from the primal punch page on youtube.
I am a big fan of straps. In the video posted that the iso bow I use that along with the iso extensions. The extension come is varying lengths and are supposed to be used with the bullworker but I use them to emulate Alexander Zass stuff and some iso videos from Jango Black on the primal punch youtube page.
Some examples of stick tension exercises:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXjckP1X3yE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27GVHnN8rTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flZun6z_hNg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4V7te6pUHw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO3j4p5XKHw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbRgnFYdQvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVlKXNGvrIA
Simple Elbow Pain Solution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R8sAbrirn0
In the Harry Wong video example I think you can see how you could use a stick much like the Iso-bow. Going through the tension curls you could be also applying tension outwardly or inwardly.
I'm pretty sure I understand what Bob is referring to and I have used a stick / dowel in the past. Here's a video clip of Harry Wong exercising. At approximately the 5:45 mark he uses a stick to augment the exercise.
As I said before nothing wrong with what You do with a stick. You're about the only person I've heard of over the years on all the forums that uses a stick. I have to say if to stay in shape I had to use a stick I wouldn't be in shape at all because I don't find it's for me. I goolged stick exercises and all I found was limbering exercises. I google self resistance with a stick and nothing. Not saying You couldn't do self resistance with a stick but I couldn't find it on the internet.
But I do think it's unfair for anyone to say their tool is the most versatile for everybody. It's the same as saying their way is the best and only way for everyone. You see people all over the internet do this. People with bodyweight, self resistance, isometrics, weights, kettlebells,ect.... All think their way is the most versatile, the and the only way for everyone. That is just not true for any of them. It depends on the person's own personal experience and what they like. It depends on the practioner.
Michael,
As I wrote several times, many exercises with a stick, which we can find on internet, may be performed with dynamic tension, co-contraction, or ISO. Using a stick, we can use both eccentric and concentric movements/tension (as with Bullworkers), as well rotations and 8-like movements (just little fantasy and experience). Some SR exercises with a stick, I have described for arms and upper body muscles earlier. The efficiency of these exercises is sufficient to keep a good shape and even to gain some muscles and strength.
Exactly Gary. My opinion is versatility is in the eye of the practioner. I can make anything work if I like doing it. But if I don't like doing it I will not stick with it.
Honestly a person doesn't need anything to get a workout in. We can do all this stuff with our own body. Again depends what a person likes.
That Strangler Lewis book sounds interesting.
The list of things, household items that we could come up with that could be used to assist and augment tension and isometric exercises.
I believe somewhere in by library I have a book by an old time wrestler, Strangler Lewis I think, that has dozens of isometric exercises using a rope or rubber loop.
Stick
Chair
Stool
Towel
Base ball
Doorway
Bob, I'm not trying to disagree with You. I know You like using a stick for exercise and there is nothing wrong with that. Most of the videos I seen You post were not self resistance exercises. I would say they were more on the line of mobility and stretches for limbering up, nothing wrong with that.
Can You Do self resistance with a stick? Most definetly, look at the video above. Example, You can do a side lateral. Put one hand high and the other below it to provide the resistance for a side lateral. You said a stick is more versatile. That is the opinion of the practioner.
Can You give me an example of how a stick is more versatile?
Agree, it is a good stuff . But I believe that a stick is a more versatile tool that allows us to perform more different exercises.
Good insights guys. I like the isometric straps but yeah they are not needed. But I believe exactlly as Gary, You have to like what You're doing. If not You will not stick to it. But all in all, I think these videos would give someone who wants to try it without putting up the money a decent amount of ideas.
Equipment, apparatuses, are not always a bad thing. I agree that you can get in amazing shape with no equipment. For the most part you need to like what you are doing if you're going to do it for any length of time. If playing golf was what I needed to stay in shape and healthy it would be very hard for me to stay in shape. I really enjoy the Bronze Bow Isometric Belt but as I've said before I prefer using it with 2 wooden dowels for most of the exercises that I use it for. One dowel to stand on and one to grab on to. That's me, not everyone will feel the same.
That said I tried the iso-bow, I like it. It makes some FMT / Dynamic Tension type movements easier, for me. Is it useful - Yes. Is it necessary - no. If it gets someone exercising or to like exercising on any level - great.
Having been interested in isometrics going back to the early 60s I bought a Bullworker in 74. I combined the Bullworker isometrics with pushups and other calisthenics. It was very useful and it fit my, at the time, not so main stream life or schedule.
GB
Good stuff. I think we are going to see this style of exercise become more and more popular. As I look back, and I look at limitation of what I can and cannot do any more, I have to say that the tension/resistance style of exercise I should have been doing since the time I was young. But that is okay. If you never do something you never know. The foolishness is continuing with something that is detrimental.