What You Should Know About Isokinetic Exercise

Isokinetic exercise uses specialized workout equipment to maintain a constant speed during movements, regardless of the amount of force applied. Its purposes include rehabilitation, recovery, and testing muscle function.What is isokinetic exerIsokinetic exercise is a type of strength training often used for testing and rehabilitation. It uses specialized exercise machines that allowTrusted Source the muscle to work at maximum strength while maintaining a constant speed.

These machines help isolate and control the movement of the targeted muscle while regulating the pace of an exercise by fluctuating resistance throughout your range of motioYou can adjust the speed and range of motion to suit your needs. Different attachments on the machines can also isolate and target specific muscle groYou can use isokinetic exercise to test and improve your muscular strength and endurance, typically under the guidance of a qualified professional.

Using a machine to control the speed also allows the muscles to contract at a steady rate, causing isokinetic contractionsIsokinetic exercise vs. isotonic exerciIsokinetic exercise and isotonic exercise are two techniques that can be used to strengthen the muscleIsokinetic — or “same speed” — exercise refers to movement at a constant speed regardless of the amount of resistance applied. Muscles contract at a constant speed in isokinetic contraction. This consistency allows muscles to gain strength uniformly all through the range of movement.

With isotonic — or “same tension” — exercise, you apply a consistent amountTrusted Source of tension to the muscles as they move through a full range of motioMost traditional strength training exercises are isotonic. For example, exercises such as dumbbell curls and squats isolate and place a consistent amount of tension on specific muscle groups to strengthen them throughout the range of movement.

Compared to isotonic exercise, isokinetic exercise is often considered less practical, as it requires special equipment. Plus, most isokinetic machines are designed to isolate movement to a single joint, which might not be ideal for those hoping to increase overall strength or muscle masFor this reason, it is usually only done in controlled environments to evaluateTrusted Source muscle function in athletes or strengthen muscles during rehabilitation.