There are numerous types of exercises that you can do at home, but there is one type that seems to be overlooked more than the others. These are Isometric exercises. The term ‘Isometric’ refers the type of muscle contraction that occurs during the exercise. There are three types of muscle contractions, Isotonic, Isometric, and Isokinetic. Isotonic contractions are the kind that we usually think of when we workout. For example, a set of 10 push-ups with no pauses is an example of 10 isotonic contractions. However, if there are any pauses throughout the movement these pauses are considered isometric contractions. So, an isometric exercise or contraction is one that involves no visible movement. The muscles are contracting against a resistance but not moving through a range of motion. I’ll explain isokinetic muscle contractions in a separate article.
Types of Isometric Exercise
There are two types of isometric exercise: Resisting Isometrics which involves holding a resistance, and Overcoming Isometrics which involve pushing or pulling against an immovable object. They’re both very related but depending on how you do them, they can yield different results. Resisting isometric exercises involve using a resistance that we can move, but instead choose to hold for time. A great example of a holding isometric exercise is the wall-sit. Back when I was just getting into working out, I did this exercise almost every day. It works very well too. Sitting against a wall with nothing to rest on forces the muscles to ‘hold’ us up in place. The resistance(which is our bodyweight) isn’t so heavy that we can’t lift it, but it wears the muscles out after a period of time. This type of hold is especially useful for building endurance, but can also work great for strength. If you choose to do holds for strength, it’s best to keep each repetition down to 15 seconds or less.
The Overcoming type of isometric exercise is very beneficial but can be very dangerous depending on the equipment that you’re using. Let’s say you that you want to increase your leg strength with isometric exercise. One way to do this is to set a barbell on a squat rack at the lowest position. Now add enough weight to both sides so that you will not be able to even budge the weight up. Get under the bar, in a perfect squat position, and push up against that resistance as hard as you can for 5 to 15 seconds. Then if you want, you can take the weight off, move it up, put the weight back on, and do it again. An isometric exercise performed in 1 to 3 positions is optimal. If you’re not careful, this can be very dangerous. A squat rack eliminates most of the worry, and proper form and concentration will take care of the rest.
Of course, if you’re working out at home, you probably don’t have a squat rack to use. You probably don’t even have weights, and that’s okay. A one legged squat done with or without extra resistance works the same way. The extra resistance can be as simple as an old milk jug filled with water. There are also other types of Overcoming isometric exercises that you can do by using the force of your arms and legs against each other. I’ll show you how to do those in the examples section.
Benefits of Isometric Exercises
The equipment needed for isometric exercises is minimal. In fact, there are several variations of isometric exercises that you can do using only your body. You can use barbells, squat racks, and even fancy machines if you want to, but you don’t have to. Isometric workouts can be very inexpensive, effective, and time saving. The variations of isometric exercises are limitless, and many can be done anywhere. On top of that, Isometrics have been shown to increase strength, size and endurance. It all depends on how you do them. It’s really not difficult to pinpoint how to get different results from different isometric exercises. All that really needs to be done is to apply the same principles that are used in Isotonic training. As a general rule, heavier resistance for short amounts of time builds strength, moderate resistance for moderate amounts of time builds muscle size, and light resistance for longer amounts of time builds endurance.
To get the most from an isometric workout, I believe that 3 positions of each exercise should be used. That is unless, you’re combining isometrics, and isotonics, which I’ll go over on another day. And finally, it is very important to stretch after an isometric workout. Static stretching, as well as dynamic, and active stretching are highly recommended. Below is a list of different isometric exercises, and links to the videos showing how to do the exercises.
Examples of Isometric Exercises Upper Body
Iso-Push
Iso-Pull
Straight Arm Iso-Push
Straight Arm Iso-Pull
Straight Arm Overhead Iso-Push
Straight Arm Overhead Iso-Pull
Bent Arm Overhead Iso-Push
Bent Arm Overhead Iso-Pull
