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Carl Bergstrom

@carl_performance

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• Director of Performance, SC30
• Co-founder @cascaidhealth
• 18 yrs in pro sport.
Train for the season you're in.

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An isometric can look like standing still. A position, a timer, and a mind somewhere else. That version builds very little, because the stimulus comes from the effort, not the position.
There are two kinds. In a yielding isometric I hold a load and stop it from moving me. In an overcoming isometric I push into something that will not move and try to move it anyway. The joint stays still in both, but the tendon does not. The muscle shortens and stretches the tendon, so it is under real load the whole time.
What changes the result is intent. A review of 54 training studies found that fast force only improved when athletes moved fast or tried to. So against a wall my cue is to try to break it. Under a load it is to own the position. With body weight alone it is to squeeze and recruit on purpose. by @carl_performance

When I talk about isometrics, I’m really talking about producing force without letting the joint move, and once that idea clicks it changes how you look at a lot of the training you already do. A hold can look quiet from the outside, but inside that position the muscle is working hard, and there is nowhere for weakness or compensation to hide.

The way I separate the two main types comes down to what I’m asking the body to do. With an overcoming isometric, I’m the one trying to create movement against something that won’t give, so the whole session lives on intent and how much effort I can bring into the position. With a yielding isometric, the load is the one trying to create movement, and my job is to refuse it, staying in the range I chose while the weight keeps asking me to give a little more.

I like having both because they teach different things. Overcoming holds let me practice driving hard into a specific angle, which is useful when I want to feel what full effort in a sport position is like. Yielding holds teach me to stay organized and steady under a load that keeps testing me, and I can progress that load over time in a way that fits what I’m working toward.

Whichever one I choose, the angle still has to match the goal, and that is the part I’d encourage you to think about before anything else, because the right position with honest effort is where these become one of the most useful tools you have. by @carl_performance

The lateral wall push is one of my favorite exercises. It trains a position that shows up constantly in sports that don’t move in a straight line.

Think about a basketball player crossing over, a defender shuffling to stay in front, or a skater pushing off to the side. Each one needs to get into a strong angle and drive out of it, often many times in a game. Outside of a straight-line sprint, my sports rarely ask me to move only north and south. They ask me to move in every direction, and to be ready to push from the side at any moment.

That is the angle this exercise loads. Holding it and driving into it builds strength right where those moves happen, so the work in training lines up with what the game asks for. by @carl_performance

Isometrics and slow, controlled tempo work are the most honest training I know. When a drill asks for quick moves left and right, there is room to muscle through it or let another part of the body cover for a weak spot. A hold or a slow lowering takes that room away. There is no momentum to borrow and no speed to hide behind. I either produce force in that position or I don’t, and I can feel which one it is.

No one else needs to see this work. It is for you, and it keeps you honest with your own process. by @carl_performance

Isometrics are angle specific. The strength I build in a hold shows up most at the joint angle I held it in. So before I choose an isometric, I ask one question. What position am I trying to own?

If the goal is a lower, stronger defensive slide, I hold at the hip and knee angle of that slide. If it’s a sharper side start on the ice, I set up in the shape of that first push. Holding a tall, comfortable angle while hoping to get better deep in a stance leaves a gap between the work and the result.

What I like is how well this travels. An isometric needs no rack and no machine, just a position and intent. I can do it on a basketball court, on the ice, or on the range before I head out to the course. That also means I can pair a hold with the movement it serves. The hold tells the body where to be strong.

Give the angle real thought before you load it. by @carl_performance

Isometric strength is very angle specific. When I train a hold at one angle, the strength stays within about 10 degrees of it, and I don’t see that as a drawback, because it lets me put force exactly where an athlete is missing it.
When I have a choice between angles, I trend deeper, because holds at longer muscle lengths build more muscle and carry over better to dynamic movement. by @carl_performance

An isometric hold looks like nothing is happening. That’s what makes it easy to waste. The body is still, so the mind goes still too.

The hold only works when working inside it. Position comes first. I want a posture that looks like my sport and an angle that loads the range I’m actually trying to build. A random shape gives me a random result.

Then intent. Nothing moves, but I’m trying to recruit the muscle the whole time. Even a single-leg calf raise changes when I stop hanging out at the top and start driving through the muscle.

The timer tells me how long, but doesn’t tell me how hard. That part needs intention.

No intent, no results. by @carl_performance

An isometric is a muscle working while the joint stays still. Simple to do, and useful for more than one job.

With a sore tendon, a heavy hold in a pain-free range keeps the tissue loaded and can settle pain. Over time, it builds a stiffer, springier tendon. Driving hard into a fixed bar also trains me to reach high force fast, which is the heart of rate of force development.

In season, short holds keep strength and tendons topped up without the soreness. In the off-season, heavier holds build toward a bigger vertical or a harder push.

This month is a series on isometrics. I’ll dive into how I pick the angle, the duration, and the effort, and all things isometrics. by @carl_performance

Today is an anterior hip day. Split squats, single-leg squats, and single-leg iso holds.
Before any of that, I open up the front of my hips.

When the anterior hip is tight, it pulls on the pelvis. Then every single-leg rep starts from a position I didn’t choose. In a split squat, the back leg needs hip extension. If the front of that hip won’t let go, my pelvis tips forward to find the range, and the work leaks out of the hips and into places I don’t want it.

So I sequence four movements to restore hip extension first. Open the front of the hip, settle the pelvis, then load it. by @carl_performance

Comment ‘COIL’ and I’ll send you 3 DRILL VIDEOS to PERFECT your backswing!

🔥 Want to improve the way your hips move in your golf swing? Start by training how they rotate.

I was out on the range with world-renowned strength and conditioning expert @carl_performance , working through an exercise designed to improve both internal and external hip rotation.

Why does this matter for your golf swing? ⛳

Your hips play a huge role in how efficiently you can rotate, create space, and sequence your movement throughout the swing. If you struggle to access the range of motion you need, it can make it more challenging to move efficiently and consistently.

The goal isn’t simply to become more flexible. It’s to develop the ability to access, control, and use that range of motion athletically.

✅ The best part about this exercise? You can incorporate it into your gym routine, do it at home, or use it as part of your warm-up before heading out to the range.

Give it a try before your next practice session and pay attention to how your hips feel as you move through your swing.

Remember, improving your golf swing isn’t always about changing your technique. Sometimes, it’s about giving your body the tools to move more efficiently.

💬 Have questions about hip mobility, rotation, or how your physical capabilities influence your swing? Drop a comment or send me a DM!

Comment ‘NEWSLETTER’ and join my weekly newsletter for tips, drills, and insights to help you play better golf! by @carl_performance

This is a great series to get core activated and keep our rotation as a primary focus:

MB Spins - Squat position 3 x 10 each
MB t-spine rotation - stride position 3 x 10 each
SB squeeze - MB t-spine rotation 3 x 10 each by @carl_performance

Travel dump.

China. NY. Europe. Whistler. by @carl_performance