

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Isotonic Exercises Hence, a bicep curl is an example of an “isotonic” or “equal tension” exercise. Throughout the process, both muscles are under a consistent amount of tension until you put the weight on the ground. So, during a bicep curl, your bicep shortens, and your tricep lengthens as you raise a weight to your shoulders. Meanwhile, in an eccentric movement, the muscle lengthens. In a concentric movement, your muscle shortens. What’s unique about isotonic exercises is that they involve two types of muscle movements: concentric and eccentric.


In this situation, your biceps and triceps are under tension as you lift a weight from your hip to your shoulder. In fact, you’ve probably done a lot of isotonic exercises before in your life without even knowing what they were called.ĭuring an isotonic exercise, like a bicep curl, your muscles stay at the same level of tension throughout the rep. While the above may sound a bit confusing, the concept itself is relatively simple. Interestingly, “iso-” comes from the Greek meaning “same,” while “-tonic” comes from the Greek tono s, which means “tone” or “tension.”
