Flexing and Isometrics

When we see someone flexing in the gym, we usually associate that with vanity, self-love and we might even think something like"wow, what a douche bag".
Usually the most irritating people in the gym are the ones that are doing nothing but flexing in front of the mirrors.
But are they really doing nothing?By flexing a muscle, we are engaging that muscle into a form of tension.
Or in other words, flexing is an exercise.An isometric exercise to be precise.

Isometric flexing

Isometric as a concept is derived from the Greek language and it means "to have the same length" - or in other words there is no load reduction. Isometric exercises are activities in which there is no visible change in the muscle during the activity. For example, wearing a bag for a long distance, planking etc. Certain muscles, such as those that hold the lower jaw, keep a constant isometric tention even when resting and that's why they can generate so much force.

Similar actions have been investigated in detail. In 2001 researchers published a detailed outline of a 12-week study of isometric tension in nine healthy men who haven't trained in the last year.

All tested muscles resulted in a similar increase.

Isometrics show a small effect in the contraction of the muscle, yet they actually have a big effect on strength.

The study concluded that there was a direct correlation of the isometric exercises and the increase in strength, size and an improvement concerning the electrochemical reaction within the muscle in question.
So in other words, even though isometrics haven't been compared with the usual weightlifting style of training, the study shows that isometric training can bring results and be an effective workout.

However a comparative study of standard and isometric strength training was conducted, the authors identified strengths and weaknesses in both types of training.It seems that isometrics are better for gaining size, and conventional workouts are better for strength.The final conclusion of the authors is that the body adapts differently to both types training and one can't be completely replaced by the other, both should be implemented and worked in conjunction.

Flexing

The question is, can just flexing really be an effective workout?
I don't know of any studies on the subject, but there have been popular fitness gurus that support the claim, and in courage its practice.

I've heard of methods that aim to preserve muscle by flexing for minutes at a time.(for example you're on a vacation for two weeks and you're unable to workout)
The goal here is to flex your muscles through the day, you don't need to go into a most muscular pose, just contract the muscle.
And in theory that should slow down the process of losing muscle.

Posing for size

• Mike Kocsis recommends posing with heavy intensity - 40-50 minute sets(on stages), with 1-2 minutes rest. He recommends really focusing on form and trying to stop the shaking of the muscle in the flexed position. For him it is a complete workout that leads to both consumption of nutrients and cleaning and water loss from the cells thus giving them a better look. After that he recommends cardio.

Flexing between sets

• David Robson recommends flexing in between sets. He often refers to the quote of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who says he often posed between exercises and considered that it brings "benefits" to the workout. However both are looking at things from a bodybuilders standpoint, their focus is primarily on improving their presentation in front of the judges, in other words they are training to improve their poses first, and I'd imagine they care less about how much that could actually help them in other ways.

• Ivan Blazquez dives into something similar, he claims that some yoga exercises might have a similar effect.

Even if most of us have a bias against people flexing too much in the gym, we have to accept that it actually can be a valid addition to ones workout.

So it turns out that flexing isn't just that sometimes irritating thing that people do out of vanity and other similar reasons, it is an effective addition to a workout and it definitely can improve results.
So next time you get "caught" flexing, just say "It's a vital part of my routine".

And last but not least, have a nice day.