[This is a guest blog by Gaby Smith. Gaby Smith completed her MS in Exercise Science at Northeastern University and is participating in the Athletic Lab Mentorship Program. Gaby is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and holds certifications with U.S. Soccer, USAW, and USTFCCCA.] Without a doubt, strength training will improve strength. Resistance training adaptations include increased muscle mass, tendon quality, strength, power, range of motion, and improved voluntary activation (Oranchuk et al., 2019). Dynamic movements that incorporate the stretch-shortening cycle make up the majority of most strength training programs; however, isometric training also has many reported benefits. Types of Muscle Contractions Concentric muscle contractions occur when the muscle shortens while generating force to overcome resistance. An example of a concentric contraction would be a bicep curl: as the bicep contracts, the arm bends at the elbow, and the weight moves towards the shoulder. Eccentric contractions result in the elongation of a muscle while the muscle is still generating force. Eccentric contractions occur when resistance is greater than the force generated by the muscle. Voluntary eccentric contractions include the lowering of a heavy weight raised during the concentric contraction, while an involuntary eccentric contraction may occur when a weight is greater than the force generated by the muscle. Isometric contractions generate force without changing the length of the muscle. Although there is no net movement, the forces generated during isometric contractions are potentially greater during concentric contractions (Reed and Bowen, 2008). It should be noted that although isometric contractions are characterized by the lack of change in muscle length, the muscle actually slowly shortens, while the tendon lengthens. This muscle shortening coupled with tendon lengthening results in no net movement (Smith). Types of Isometrics [...]