Peaking out with isometrics (Coach Sommer, Ido Portal)

[Jason Ingram]

In "Science and Practice of Strength Training" by Vladimir Zatsiorsky, he writes that strength gains peak out in about 6 to 8 weeks with isometric training. I'm just wondering if you found this to be the case, and if you cycle static holds in and out with this sort of time frame, or if it just seems incorrect in your experience (no studies were sited and perhaps people tend to train at too high an intensity and/or volume with statics which causes them to peak quickly).

[braindx]

Sounds about right (anecdotally) from what my friend's tell me about their planche and front lever training. Basically they tend to plateau around that 2 months mark if *most* of what they're doing is isometric work.

Obviously, if you're cycling it in and out your body is not going to adapt as quickly to it so you should be able to do it longer. High intensity, volume, training frequency and whatever else (diet, sleep, etc.) also factor into this so it's not like it's set in stone. Person A might be able to do isometrics near indefinitely because he has great genetics (think ghetto workout youtube vids) whereas person B might peak out in a month with his sucky genetics even if they had the same diet, sleep schedule and training program.

I tend to say try to figure out what works best for you.

[Guest Ido Portal]

Peaking

I'm in the opinion that every training program will peak in a certain amount of time that will vary between 2-8 consecutive similar workouts. (if one certain workout repeats once a week - 2 to 8 weeks)

It depends on various elements:

training age, method involved, volume, intensity.

Of course there are elements of technical efficiency that may change your long term results with a certain program, but with all apsects equal, this period of 2-8 weeks will be a wise starting point for you to change things up. Of course, sometimes due to technical requirements, it will be wise to stretch further a training concept above its phisyological peak, in order to peak the technical proficiency.

Now, when speaking of variety, it doesnt have to be a lot. Rest periods, exercise selection, volume, intensity and rep range, etc... can all be used to create variety and spark up new training stimulus.

Varying your strength and conditioing is of course once more diffrent in many aspects in gymnastics training for gymnastics purposes and general strength training and it may require more creativity in program design, since you are restricted in some aspects to certain movements and techniques that are the goals themselves of the training process. Still, I feel variety is a neglected concept among gymnastics coaches that may allow athletes to surpress personal bests in perfromance.