What Is Isokinetic Training? Benefits, Exercises and How to Get Started

Isokinetic training is a groundbreaking approach in strength and performance training that helps you hit your targets faster and more efficiently than conventional workouts. Most importantly, it lets you work out sore or painful joints gently and with low impact.

Think of it as a guided pace: you provide the effort, and the equipment controls how fast the movement can go. This helps a trainer or physiotherapist measure your strength and guide your exercises. Below, we’ll look at how isokinetic training exercises work, their benefits, and how they differ from regular strength training.

What is isokinetic training?

“Isokinetic” means that movement happens at a controlled speed. In isokinetic strength training, you use a specialised machine that controls your movement speed and adjusts the resistance to match the force you apply.

Simply put, Isokinetic training lets you exercise against resistance while a machine controls your movement speed. The ma chine adjusts the resistance to match how hard you push or pull. 

For example, isokinetic strength training may involve a knee exercise in which the machine controls how quickly your lower leg straightens and bends. If you push harder, it provides more resistance. If you ease off, it reduces the resistance so the movement can continue at the set speed.

Isokinetic training is not simply slow exercise. Moving slowly with a resistance band or dumbbell does not make an exercise isokinetic.

How does isokinetic resistance training work?

In regular strength training, the weight stays the same while the effort needed to move it can change. A dumbbell may feel harder to lift at one point in a movement and easier at another. Your muscles also produce force differently as your joints move.

An isokinetic training machine works differently. You choose, or your practitioner selects, a speed. The machine then controls the movement so you cannot move faster than that setting. It adjusts the resistance to match your effort. This is called accommodating resistance.

Isokinetic training is one of several approaches to strength training. Two other common methods are isotonic training, which involves moving against resistance, and isometric training, which involves producing force while holding a position without movement. The table below compares how the three methods differ.

Each type can have a place in a training plan. The right choice depends on your goal, experience, available equipment and, where relevant, advice from a healthcare professional.

What are the benefits of isokinetic training?

Isokinetic training benefits come from the way the equipment controls speed, adapts resistance, and measures performance. It can be useful in selected rehabilitation and sports settings.

It adapts resistance to your effort

The isokinetic machine adjusts resistance to match how hard you push or pull while keeping your movement speed controlled, which is one of the various isokinetic training advantages. This lets you focus on applying force throughout the exercise without moving a fixed weight at a set pace.

It helps identify and address muscle imbalances

Isokinetic testing can help identify strength differences between opposing muscle groups or between the left and right sides of the body. Based on these results, a qualified professional can develop a targeted training programme to address specific weaknesses. However, improvements depend on the individual's condition and training plan, and isokinetic training is not necessarily more effective than traditional strength training in every situation.

Controlled strengthening during rehabilitation

Controlled muscle strengthening during rehabilitation is one benefit of isokinetic training for athletes. After a knee injury, a physical therapist may use an isokinetic training machine to help train the quadriceps at the front of the thigh and the hamstrings at the back. The athlete can apply as much force as possible, but they cannot move faster than the machine’s set speed limit. This lets the therapist measure a person’s progress.

Better support for injured or painful joints

Isokinetic training may be useful in rehabilitation programmes for people recovering from joint injuries or managing conditions such as knee osteoarthritis. Because the equipment controls movement speed, a qualified healthcare professional can select appropriate training settings and adjust the exercise according to the individual's symptoms, strength, and stage of recovery.

Isokinetic training exercises and examples

Isokinetic training uses specialised equipment to control movement speed while adjusting resistance to match the force you apply. Depending on the equipment available, exercises can target different muscle groups and movement patterns.

Common isokinetic training examples include:

• Knee extension and flexion: straightening and bending the knee, often while seated.
• Shoulder rotation: rotating the arm inward or outward against resistance.
• Elbow flexion and extension: bending and straightening the arm.
• Trunk flexion and extension: bending and straightening the trunk on equipment designed for that movement.

The exercises and settings depend on the equipment and the muscles being trained. Choose a suitable movement speed and range of motion, and increase the training intensity gradually as your strength and technique improve.

How to get started safely

If you are considering isokinetic training, start by identifying your goals. You may want to build strength, assess differences between muscle groups, or support recovery after an injury. Your goals and current fitness level can help determine whether isokinetic training is a suitable option.

Before starting, familiarise yourself with the equipment and its settings. Adjust your position and range of motion to suit the exercise, and select a movement speed appropriate for your ability. Follow the equipment instructions, maintain controlled movements, and stop if you experience pain or unusual discomfort.

If you want to track your strength progress, try to keep your position, range of motion, and movement speed consistent when comparing results. Changes in these factors can affect your measurements and make progress harder to assess accurately.

If you are new to exercise, you do not necessarily need an isokinetic dynamometer to build strength. Conventional resistance training with dumbbells, barbells, or weight machines can be a practical starting point. Isokinetic training may also be used in supervised rehabilitation programmes, but if you are recovering from an injury or surgery, consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting or changing your exercise routine.

A practical option for isokinetic training: Speediance Gym Nano

If you’re ready to bring isokinetic training into your routine, the Speediance Gym Nano is a good place to start. Its Isokinetic Mode lets you set a controlled cable speed for exercises such as rows, presses, and rotational pulls. That makes it useful for practicing steady, controlled movements for strength or sport-specific training.

The Gym Nano's Isokinetic Mode lets you set an exercise pace anywhere between 0.3 and 1.0 m/s. Once you choose a speed, it stays fixed, so the resistance matches your effort throughout the full range of motion. That keeps the muscle working at every joint angle instead of only at the easiest part of the movement. The steady pace also means the weight isn't thrown around by acceleration, which helps limit sudden loading on the joint and can lower the risk of injury. The slower speeds suit rehabilitation work, where controlled movement matters most.

The cable's range is a separate matter. It extends up to 5.1 m and reaches a maximum speed of 6.4 m/s at a 3.5 kg load, or 5.5 m/s at 30 kg. These figures describe the unit’s overall capabilities, while Isokinetic Mode controls the pace of whichever exercise you choose. That extra length and speed matter for sport-specific training, where long, fast pulls build rotational power for movements like a golf or tennis swing.

Gym Nano specifications

The Gym Nano also offers up to 100 kg of adjustable resistance and weighs 8.2 kg, meaning you can move it between suitable training setups. For rehabilitation exercises, a physiotherapist can help you choose the right movement, speed, and effort.

Frequently asked questions

Is isokinetic training suitable for beginners?

Yes. Beginners can use isokinetic training for general strength or sport training. You don’t need a special machine to start building strength; bodyweight exercises and light weights are also good options. A trainer can also show you how to use the machine and choose exercises that suit your training. If you’re training after an injury or as part of rehabilitation, ask a physiotherapist for guidance.

Does isokinetic training build muscles?

It can contribute to strength and muscle development when the programme provides a suitable challenge and progresses over time. However, muscle growth isn’t necessarily an isokinetic training advantage and doesn’t depend on using an isokinetic machine; other forms of resistance training can also help.

Can I use isokinetic training after an injury?

Isokinetic resistance training can help rebuild strength, but it isn’t necessary for every injury. Other exercises may suit your recovery just as well. Isokinetic training requires a specialist machine to perform various exercises, so ask your physiotherapist or a specialist whether it fits your injury and recovery stage before trying it.

How often should I do isokinetic training?

There is no single schedule for everyone. Frequency depends on your goal, the exercises and effort involved, recovery time, and any rehabilitation plan. Follow your clinician’s or trainer’s guidance.

Are isokinetic training machines portable?

Some isokinetic training equipment is portable. For example, the portable cable machine from Speediance weighs 8.2 kg and has a 5.1 m cable. You can move it between suitable training setups.