What is isotonic exercise? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

What is isotonic exercise?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

Full Bio →

Written by

UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about your brand. Let us do the heavy lifting.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident fitness software decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. Our partners do not influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: The Editorial Team at Exercise.com is dedicated to providing fair, unbiased information about the fitness industry. We update our site regularly and all content is reviewed by credentialed fitness experts.

Get the Basics...

  • Isotonic exercises involve lifting a weighted object for the conditioning of a muscle group.
  • Oftentimes, isotonic exercises get confused with isometric exercises.
  • The simplest way to describe the difference between the two is that isotonic exercises are meant primarily for overall fitness.

Isotonic exercises involve lifting a weighted object for the conditioning of a muscle group.

With so many people either looking to lose weight or get into shape, it is little wonder why people are becoming more interested in many forms of fitness.

Many people go for strictly cardiovascular workouts like walking, biking, swimming or running.

However, recent studies have shown that one of the best ways to get into shape is through weight training.

With isotonic exercise, you can get a great workout that is effective for staying in shape and losing weight as well.

Sign up for a PRO plan today for access to isotonic workouts that will help you reach your goals.

What Is the Big Deal With Isotonic Exercise?

If you are looking to lose some weight and get into better shape, you are going to want to get a healthy dose of isotonic exercise.

Oftentimes, isotonic exercises get confused with isometric exercises. This happens for two reasons. Number one is the fact that they sound similar and number two is because they both involve weightlifting. However, the two are very different and they both have very different applications.

The simplest way to describe the difference between the two is that isotonic exercises are meant primarily for overall fitness. It is a very popular type of exercise for those who are in need of losing weight and improving their fitness. Isometric is strength training and is solely focused on bulking up a specific group of muscles (i.e. arms, legs, chest, shoulder, abs, etc.).

What Are the Benefits of Isotonic Exercise?

If you are looking to bulk up in much the same fashion as a bodybuilder, then isotonic exercises are not going to be of much help, at least in the short term. Isotonic exercise is perfect for people who want to get into shape and perfect for those that are in shape and want to maintain that level of fitness.

Another terrific benefit to isotonic exercise has little to do with the health of your body and more to do with your wallet. Isotonic exercise is really cheap to do because it requires very little in terms of workout equipment to do properly.

You can effectively complete a very beneficial isotonic workout with things like a dumbbell set, a kettlebell, or even a medicine ball.

While isotonic exercises are not the best way for a person to bulk up, over time it is possible to gain some mass from constant isotonic exercise. Primarily, this sort of exercise is used to maintain a certain level of fitness and muscular definition; but, over long periods of time, you will notice a certain amount of mass building up as well.

Don’t worry if you are a woman who is looking for an ideal way to get into shape. If you choose isotonic exercise, you won’t bulk up, even if you do it for long periods of time. Women typically don’t have the body type to bulk up.

Get More Out of Your Exercises. Go PRO!

Sign Up

Is Isotonic Exercise Better Than the Rest?

The question of whether isotonic exercise is better than isometric has been debated time after time and the reality is that there is really no clear cut winner. What it really comes down to is what your goals are. Before you commit to one form of exercise or another, you need to understand and define your goals.

If you want to be a bodybuilder, then isotonic exercises are not going to be your thing. However, if overall fitness is what you are looking for then isotonic exercises are going to be the perfect fit for your bodybuilding workout plan. If you are an athlete or if you are looking to improve your physical condition, then this form of exercise should dominate your exercise routine.

The truth is that isotonic exercises are best used in combination with other exercises.

While many people have the opinion that it is either isotonic or isometric exercises, the truth is that those exercises are excellent when used in combination with each other. In addition, it is always best to employ a fair amount of cardiovascular work as well as ample stretching before and after each workout in order to avoid any potential injuries you might encounter while working out.

With any weightlifting exercises, whether they are isotonic or isometric, always proceed with caution. You should push yourself to lift more and up the intensity of any workout, but there is a fine line between pushing your body hard and causing undue injury to yourself.

If you are lifting weights and you are lifting to the point to where you are unable to maintain proper form and technique then you are lifting too much. Back off the weight amount until you can lift the weight properly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many days a week should I exercise?

Three to five workouts a week is recommended for best results.

How do I create my own weight training workout plan?

You can either sign up for an Exercise.com PRO membership or enlist the help of a personal trainer!

What is proper weight training form?

In order to learn proper weight training form, meet with a personal trainer so that they can walk you through the proper technique needed for a wide variety of lifts and exercises.

Sign up for an Exercise.com PRO plan for access to a wide range of isotonic and isometric workouts that you can do in order to reach your goals.

Learn more about Exercise.com Fitness Business Management Software.

Schedule your demo today.