Everything You Want to Know About the TSC Squat
Timed static contraction exercise, or TSC, is one of the most productive, safe forms of strength training. I’ve been using the TSC method with myself and many clients with great success.
Many have gotten better results using this form of isometrics over any other exercise method previously used.
Of all the TSC exercises, I believe the TSC squat is the very best. It is combination of overcoming and yielding isometric.
One thing I like about it is that there is very little mechanical work taking place, thus virtually no wear and tear on hips and knees; yet, the metabolic demand and cardiorespiratory demand is as high as any exercise I’ve ever done.
I think the lack of mechanical stress is a boon for athletes engaged in combat and contact sports, or any recreation or sport where the legs are in heavy use. I find personally that I recover more easily after a TSC squat workout than if I were to do SuperSlow squats, for example.
One of the nice things about this combination of yielding and overcoming isometrics: there is no doubt as to whether you’ve achieved momentary muscular failure. You literally come to a point where you are unable to hold up your own body weight within a 90 second interval. This is a mentally demanding exercise, and you must lean on willpower in order to make the full 90 seconds.
All TSC exercises are intrinsic, as opposed to extrinsic; meaning that all mental activity is focused on contracting the muscles meaningfully. There are no distracting externals, like weights lifting up and down, counting repetitions, or repetition cadence.
I avow that if you have only one lower body exercise to do, the TSC squat is a great pick.
Getting the Most From Your TSC Squat
Here are some tips for getting the most from your TSC squat.
Unless you are very flexible and can easily do a full squat to the floor, I highly recommend placing a footstool, or low chair, beneath the butt.
A lot of people become frightened of falling over backward as their legs begin to give out, and rightfully so.
For safety, a short, sturdy stool allows the trainee to slide down the wall without anxiety.
I recommend lightly holding onto something to steady yourself. It could be a counter, chair back, or heavy table.
An open door, holding onto the doorknobs while facing the door edge, also works well.
A big mistake, and a common one, is attempting the TSC squat with the top of the thighs parallel to the floor. You will never make it through the full 90 seconds and your time under load (TUL) will be greatly diminished.
It’s well known that the best TUL is 60 to 99 seconds, and the lower body seems to respond to slightly longer TUL, at least mine does.
The best position is the knee/shin angle at 90 degrees, with the thigh/torso angle about 45 degrees. Feet are flat, hip width, heels pushing down into the floor.
Knees should track over the first and second toes. Center of the kneecap runs plumb to the index toe.
It’s important to neither allow the knees to collapse inward, nor bow outward.
It’s ok to somewhat turn the toes outward, though I keep my own feet parallel.
There is a tendency to lean forward. This should be resisted, which is why I advocate holding onto something in order to maintain an upright posture.
How to Pace the Effort
Many people underestimate this exercise, and its difficulty, and they go out of the gate too hard.
For this reason, I like to divide the TSC squat into five segments, each segment lasting between 15 and 20 seconds, and I watch a visible timer, usually on my iPad or iPhone. Another option is using a metronome and counting the beats in your head.
The first twenty seconds, I go light effort, with slack in the strap.
The next twenty seconds, I keep the strap taut, but not at high resistance.
The next twenty seconds, I apply moderate resistance against the strap.
The last twenty seconds, I divide into two, 10 second segments. I go hard, and then very hard.
In the final 10 seconds, I go as hard as I dare.
Believe me: at the end, your legs will be toast; however, you can always go a few seconds longer if you’ve identified that you haven’t exerted yourself enough.
If you’ve done it right, at the end of the time, your legs will give out and you’ll sink down into the stool.
If you find that you are simply not strong enough to perform a freestanding TSC squat, a very effective variation is the wall sit, using the strap. The friction of the wall slightly supports the body weight, making an easier exercise.
Strap Placement Tips
Now, some tips for getting strap placement with the TSC squat.
I have used every type of strap I know for this exercise, and my favorite is the Flexvit band, which I acquired in Germany.
The reason I like it is because it has numerous loop options. There are many comparable straps, so if you live in the USA you needn’t import a Flexvit band.
For many, the Flexvit is too narrow and bites into the hips, so a wider strap is better, like the Forearm Forklift, or the SuperSlider Pro lifting strap. (No affiliate links.)
For you martial artists out there, oftentimes the most convenient time to strength train is right after training, and I’ve many times used my BJJ belt for this exercise. The key is making sure that the belt doesn’t slip from beneath the feet during the exercise, and the best way to do this is to be sure the ends of the belt are secured beneath the heels of the feet.
It’s best to sit down while positioning the belt, and make sure the belt is placed low on the hips, as it tends to slide downward as you exert force, thus negatively affecting the knee angle.
Final Thoughts
I’m convinced that if you only did the TSC squat, calf raise, and hi going style deadlift, you could achieve your genetic potential for muscular size and strength in the lower body. I’d add in the shin flex, for ankle stability and balance. That’s is, if the exercises are applied correctly.
If you have any questions, send them in.
You can watch the Full VIDEO Instruction ~ Here~
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ubM6IOVoHAZswQWB6qga8OO31kcX2v4G/view?usp=sharing
