If you’ve ever held a plank, then you’ve also done an isometric exercise. Show Simply put, isometric exercise is any type of exercise that holds the body in one position. The muscles are contracted but do not change length as you hold the position. For example, when you hold a plank, you’re contracting the muscles in your core, legs, and upper body to hold you up while remaining in the same position. However, isometric exercises remain controversial for their strength and muscle building benefits. This may have you wondering if they’re worth adding to your workout routine. This article tells you all you need to know about isometric exercises and lists eight exercises for you to try. Isometric exercises are exercises in which your muscles are engaged, but they are not changing length. Contrarily, in an exercise like a biceps curl, where you lift and lower your hand as the elbow bends, the biceps muscle gets shorter when your hand moves toward your shoulder and longer as you straighten your arm back out. Isometric training is a way to categorize exercises that recruit muscles and exert tension without actually lengthening (eccentric contraction) or shortening (concentric contraction) the muscle. In an isometric contraction, your muscle is engaged, but it’s not changing size (1 , 2). This form of exercise involves no movement and instead focuses on holding your body in a position for a set period of time. It’s a stagnant way of placing a demand on a desired muscle or group of muscles without muscle or joint movement (1, 2, 3). The type of resistance can come from your own body weight (gravity), holding an object, or weighted exercise equipment. Isometric exercises are ideal for those with limited workout space, people recovering from an injury, or anyone simply needing a change in their typical fitness routine (1, 2, 3). In fact, isometric exercises are commonly added to rehabilitation programs, since they can add tension to the muscles with limited joint and muscle movement. This allows a person to rebuild strength and muscular endurance in an injured area while protecting it from further damage (1, 2, 3). Though, since the muscular contractions in these moves are limited, they should only serve as a complement to a more dynamic exercise regimen, unless your physical trainer has advised otherwise. Summary The process of building muscle is known as muscular hypertrophy. It occurs when a muscle undergoes mechanical and metabolic stress, which leads to increases in muscle size and strength. This stimulates a rebuilding process to make more muscle cells and create bigger muscles (4, 5). Most research suggests that the type of muscle contraction matters when it comes to building muscle (6, 7, 8, 9). In particular, eccentric (muscle lengthening) and concentric (muscle shortening) exercises appear to stimulate muscle hypertrophy most effectively, as they put more demand and stress on the muscles (6, 7, 8, 9). While isometric exercises do put stress on working muscles that can promote gains in muscle strength, some research suggests they’re not as effective at building muscle size compared with eccentric and concentric training (10). This is easy to visualize if you think of exercise modalities. A body builder who regularly lifts and moves heavy weights will likely have larger muscles compared with a yoga enthusiast who holds fixed poses during their yoga routine. While you might not bulk up with isometric exercises, they’re an excellent way to build muscular endurance, the ability to sustain exercise for a period of time. They can also promote muscular strength, defined as the muscle’s ability to exert force against resistance (10, 11). Isometric exercises are also great for establishing better mind-body connection, allowing you to recruit your muscles more efficiently (10). What’s more, isometric exercise may be a better option for people who wish to avoid delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), since less muscle damage occurs. Further, isometric exercise puts less strain on the joints, which may be beneficial for those recovering from injury (2, 10). Also, isometric exercises usually require little to no equipment and can be performed almost anywhere, making them easy to add to your workout routine. If your goal is to build muscle, it’s probably better to focus primarily on eccentric and concentric training. But, you can still incorporate isometric exercises at the end of your workout to promote muscular endurance and build strength. Summary If you’re looking to add some isometric exercises to your workout routine, give these a try. 1. Wall sitWall sits focus on improving the strength in your thighs, specifically your quadriceps muscles. Equipment needed: none Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes
To maintain this position, you’ll feel your thighs becoming tighter and more fatigued. Experiment with going back and forth between driving your weight down through your toes and your heels. Driving down through your heels will target your glutes, while driving down your toes will target your quadriceps. Just be sure not to let your knees go out past your toes, and when you put weight on your toes, don’t put too much pressure on the knees. 2. High plank holdThe high plank hold is an effective way to engage many muscles in your body. Equipment needed: none; yoga mat optional Muscles worked: abdominals, quadriceps, glutes, muscles of the arms, chest, and shoulders
3. Side plankThe side plank is excellent for engaging your obliques, located on the sides of your midsection. Equipment needed: none; yoga mat optional Muscles worked: obliques, spinal stabilizers, quadriceps, glutes, serratus anterior, shoulder stabilizers, hip abductors
If you’d like a bigger challenge, try the side plank on with the bottom arm straight. 4. Low squatTechnically, you can make most exercises isometric exercises by holding your body still during the the contraction. Here’s what we mean, using the squat as an example. Equipment needed: none Muscles worked: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
5. Overhead holdOverhead holds challenge the muscular endurance of your shoulder girdle. Equipment needed: light to medium weight required (Start with a 5 to 10-pound plate, dumbbell, or kettlebell, or even just two cans of soup. Increase the weight as needed.) Muscles worked: upper trapezius, shoulder girdle muscles, triceps, core
Increase the challenge by standing on one leg while holding the weight. 6. Glute bridgeThis exercise will quickly become a favorite for anyone looking to improve the strength of their backside. Equipment needed: none; yoga mat optional Muscles worked: hamstrings and glutes, core muscles
7. V-sitThe V-sit helps you work on your core stability while also developing core strength. Equipment needed: none; yoga mat optional Muscles worked: abdominals and hip flexors
8. Calf raise and holdThe calves are commonly forgotten, but are important to keep strong. Instead of doing normal calf raises, moving up and down, in this exercise you’ll hold the top position of the calf raise. Equipment needed: none, a wall for support optional Muscles worked: calves (gastrocnemius, soleus)
For an added challenge, try doing this on one foot. Then switch sides. Summary Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your isometric exercises:
If an exercise doesn’t feel right for you, then it’s probably best to skip it. If you’re recovering from an injury, always listen to the advice from your physical therapist, doctor, trainer, or other healthcare professional. Summary If you’re looking for variety in your workouts, you may want to try adding in some isometric exercises. These exercises are designed to hold your body in a position for a set period of time, which can help build muscular strength and endurance. They’re ideal for people who are seeking low-impact exercise, have limited space, are recovering from an injury (under the advisement of a healthcare professional), or are looking for a different kind of fitness challenge. Always remember that these exercises can be adjusted to suit your current level of fitness. For example, if 20-second planks are too challenging, bump it down to 10 seconds and then build up as you get stronger over time. If you’ve been bored with your exercise routine, isometric exercises might be just what you need. |