No discussion about dynamic tension can be had without mentioning Charles Atlas. There is a large body of material out there on the ‘net so suffice it to say 1) Charles Atlas did NOT get his physique by following the program he sold 2) He did work with other individuals to develop and market this system based upon his success in body building. The reason why I mention him is that he popularized the notion that great physical results can be achieved in less than 15 minutes a day without any equipment.
The outstanding question, does dynamic tension work, is one that is somewhat difficult to analyze. There has been very little study on this notion of dynamic tension. The main reason being is that there is very little to distinguish the dynamic tension we speak of in this article versus more conventional training such as weights or resistance bands. Essentially, the muscle contracts against a resistance. The muscle itself should not be able to distinguish what is causing the resistance.
That being said, there are some distinguishing features of dynamic tension that can be used to our advantage. Since there is no real weight, the weaker muscles are no longer a limiting factor, nor is there a risk of injury of too heavy a weight. A very illustrative example is that of the barbell curl. When one curls a barbell, the weight is born by the legs as well and the back muscles are recruited to stabilize the body. These things do not occur when the dynamic tension version is performed. Here, the arm curls against the straightening motion of the other arm. Basically the bicep must resist the tricep of the other arm. Since there is no actual weight, there is no load put on the legs or strain on the back. One can do exercise comfortably sitting in a chair, even watching TV during the process. The challenge to overcome, as with any exercise, is ensuring proper technique.
The main problem with ensuring proper performance in dynamic tension is the load or resisting force (in weight training terms, the amount of weight). Since there is actual motion of the limbs, clearly, the force in the direction of the motion is greater than the opposing force. It does take some concentration to ensure that the load is sufficient to stimulate improvement in strength. If one gets distracted, it is possible to reduce the force on both sides to a point where the exercise no longer stimulates any gains. The resolution to this problem; is to remain motivated enough to provide sufficient force to make the exercises effective.
Looking at the second question, is dynamic tension effective as weight training? One must look at two aspects of the question. Is it as effective in a direct comparison and how well does each method fit into ones lifestyle.
In a direct comparison, dynamic tension should in fact be indistinguishable since the muscle itself can not tell the difference between a weight and any other kind of resistance. Dynamic tension may lack the total effect of weight training, in other words, exercise given to the supporting muscles. Invoking the SAID principle (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands), we can conclude that certainly dynamic tension will not be effective as weight lifting, in helping us lift weight. If that is not our specific goal, it need not be a drawback. Moreover, this lack of effect on the supporting muscles, may actually enhance it‘s effectiveness as an isolation exercise (where the exercise is isolated to specific to muscles). This is because greater load can be put on the targeted muscle without having being limited by the strength of the supporting muscles. Similarly, this can also reduce the risk of injury from using too much weight. The ability to use a greater load allows for greater exercise effect in less time. Given this analysis, one may conclude that for strictly muscle conditioning results, dynamic tension CAN be as effective as and possibly more so than weight training.
On a larger scope, dynamic tension may be more advantageous due to its convenience and less risk of injury, time and equipment involved. It certainly is worth trying. Now that we have some grounding in the theory and history of dynamic tension, we can explore what dynamic tension exercises to perform.
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