What is Isotonic Exercise?
Isotonic exercise is a form of exercise which involves controlled contraction and extension of muscles and mobilization of the joints around those muscles. For exercise to be isotonic, the tension involved must remain constant throughout the exercise, rather than fluctuating. One of the most classic forms of isotonic exercise is weight lifting. This type of exercise tends to be inexpensive to perform, and it can be used to develop strength in both the muscles and the joints. People sometimes confuse isotonic and isometric exercise, because the two terms sound very similar. The key difference is the presence of movement. In isotonic exercise, the joints move through a range of positions controlled by the user, while in isometric exercise, the joints remain stationary. Pressing one’s palms against a wall and leaning into them to elongate muscles is an isometric exercise, while doing a pushup is an isotonic exercise. Classically, isotonic exercise is used to support an overall fitness pla
Isotonic exercise is a very popular form of muscle-strengthening. Isotonic exercise can be carried out either with: • Free weights — dumbbells • Barbells; or fixed equipment — e.g., the Nautilus In both forms exercises are carried out against a fixed resistance. As each muscle moves through its complete range, isotonic contraction creates tension with maximum effort at the beginning and end of each exercise.
