Isometric Exercises and Their benefits

Isometric exercise is a type of strength training. This exercise doesn’t change muscle length and joint angle while contraction compared to eccentric or concentric contractions called isotonic/dynamic movements. Isometrics are performed in static positions, preferably than dynamic by a range of motion.

There are two types of muscles contractions.

Concentric contraction occurs when your muscles become tense as they get short or while performing upper motions of bicep curl.

On the other hand, eccentric contractions are the muscles motion occur when they become tense after stretching, as in the down motion of bicep curl.

There is another kind of muscle contraction that happens and known by some people. It is called isometric contraction. It is the variety in which contractions includes the muscles tens up without moving it. These activity types happen simply flexing a muscle as tough as possible for yours. They can happen while retaining a specific pose such as squat which contracts muscles. It pushes against an object like a wall. This workout can be done with fitness equipment, but for the large workout, you don’t require equipment.

Neck Isometric Exercises

1.Neck Stretch

The neck stretches exercise target neck muscles.

How to do?

• Keep your both palm over your forehead and stand upright with your feet wide apart to shoulder width.
• Press your forehead to your palms and use them to resist the power.
• Hold this pose for 5-8 seconds and perform 3-repetitions.
• Keep your hands back of your head and press your head to your hands vice versa. Wait in this pose for 5-8 seconds for 3-repetitions. Do this for left side also.
• Keep your right palm on your cheeks sides. Press your hands in and use force to create resistance.

Repetitions

Perform 3-reps and 1-set.

Precaution

Avoid pressing your head too hard by pressing.

Isometric exercise for Abs strength

2.Plank

 

The plank is an isometric exercise. It targets the muscles of the gluteus minimus, transversus abdominis, gluteus medius, obliques, and adductor muscles of hips.

How to do?

• Take push-up position by keeping your arm straight, belly button in, abs engaged, and straight body.
• Be in this position for 10-15 seconds.
• Gently get back to the initial position and do it again.
• As you feel comfortable, increase your holding time.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Avoid putting more stress in the starting. Build your strength slowly.

3.Forearm Plank

The forearm plank is an isometric exercise. It targets the muscle of gluteus minimus, transversus abdominis, gluteus medius, obliques and adductor muscles.

How to do?

• You can begin with plank position by keeping your abs engaged and body straight. It is your starting position.
• Flex your arms and take down your body and reduce the weight over your forearms.
• Stay in the above position for 10-seconds. Increase the holding time as you feel comfortable.
• Gently come back to the initial point and do it again.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Avoid pointing your elbows out or in. Place your elbows close to your body.

4.Side Plank

Side planks come under isometric exercises. It targets the muscles of rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, obliques, gluteus medius and minimus, quadratus lumborum, and adductors.

How to do?

• Take a plank position with entire muscles tensed.
• Change your weight gently to your right side and maintain with one hand and one foot over the ground.
• Extend your left-hand level in the air and hold your left foot on the right one.
• Stay in the above position for 10 seconds. Do it again for another side.
• Gently come back to the start position and do again.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

If you find difficulty to extend your hands, put your hands on your waist while doing like a plank.

5.Isometric Push-up

The isometric push-up workout targets the muscles of abs, midsection, lower back, chest, and triceps.

How to do?

• Take a normal push-up position to begin and balance your body on your palms and knees. It is your starting position.
• Gently raise your body and hold it for 1-second before getting down.
• It may feel easy, but it can be challenging to stay in this position when your total weight falls on your knees and palms.

Repetitions

Perform 10-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Avoid putting stress in the starting. Develop your strength slowly.

6.Isometric Low Plank

Low plank is an isometric exercise for abs. It is a combination of push-ups and plank. It is an amazing exercise for people who wish to develop core strength, flat tummy, toned arms, and well-shaped shoulders.

This workout targets muscles of abs, lower back, glutes, triceps, and biceps.

How to do?

• Take a push-up position.
• Takedown your body and bend your elbows, keep chin straight and heads up.
• Gently push upper body upward as you straighten elbows to support your body from arms, palms, and shoulders.
• Stay in low plank position for 5-seconds.
• Takedown your body and stay in this position for 5-seconds.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Support your body in a good manner by your elbows and toes.

Shoulders – Isometric Exercises

7.Hanging

Hanging is an isometric exercise. It targets muscles of shoulders, upper abs, lats, obliques, biceps, and triceps.

How to do?

• Take a pull-up bar or other bar kind of surface from which you can correctly hang.
• Hang on by holding the bar with your hands.
• Stay in this position for 10-15 seconds and lower down.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

It may feel difficult for beginners. Try to perform 2-reps first and slowly increase the sets and reps.

8.Shoulder Raise

Shoulder raise is one of the isometric exercises. It targets anterior deltoid and trapezius muscles, lats, and supraspinatus.

How to do?

• Take dumbbells in both hands and look straight front.
• Avoid bending your elbows. Lift your shoulders and be in this position for 10-15 seconds.
• Lower down your hand and relax.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Skip this exercise if you have old should injury.

9.Shoulder Extension

Shoulder extension is another isometric exercise. It targets the muscles of lats, triceps, and deltoids.

How to do?

• Stand straight by using wall support.
• Keep your elbows straight while extending your shoulders.
• Be in this position for 5-seconds and free yourself.

Repetitions

Perform 10-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Balance your back in a straight way while doing this workout.

10.Isometric Shoulder Press

The shoulder press in isometric exercise target the muscles of lats, rotor cuffs, biceps, and triceps.

How to do?

• Take 2-pound of dumbbells in your both hands and raise till your shoulder level.
• Bend your elbows to make your upper arms and forearms level to 90 degrees together. It is your starting point.
• Begin to squeeze one arm by firmly stretching your arm and then get it back to starting pose. Keep another arm static.
• Perform the same steps for other arms.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to 1-set on each arm.

Precaution

Support the 90-degree angle.

11.Internal Rotation for Shoulder

Internal rotation is an isometric exercise for the shoulder. It targets muscles of back, shoulder, upper arms, and forearms.

How to do?

• Stand straight with help of your elbow bent at 90 degrees. Keep a folded towel within your arm and the wall. It is your starting position.
• Keep your arm toward the wall as if you are twisting your forearms out. Put your elbow folded to your side.
• Relax, and do it again.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Make sure to have your back straight while doing the exercise.

Back Muscles Isometric Exercises

12.Warrior III

The warrior III exercise target your muscles of glutes, lats, obliques, shoulders, hamstrings, and quads.

How to do?

• Begin in Tadasana and gently move your weight to the right leg. It is your starting point.
• Begin lifting your left leg gently, flex front side at the same time.
• Manage your back straight and keep your spine also straight.
• Flex forward and raise your leg till your spine and let your raised leg aligned in a horizontal line.
• Maintain balance and keep this pose for 10-seconds.
• Gently take down your legs and do it again with other legs.

Repetitions

Perform 3-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Use a wall for balance if you feel challenging to balance your body.

13.The Bridge

The bridge is another isometric exercise. It targets muscles of obliques, gluteus maximus, erector spinae, gluteus maximus, obliques, and rectus abdominis.

How to do?

• Rest down by your back on the floor. Twist your knees and put your hands on your sides and set your palm and feet level on the ground.
• Maintain your body with the aid of your heels and palms. Gently drive your hip upward.
• Retain this position for 10-seconds before bringing down your body back to the beginning point.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Maintain your neck and head straight. Look upward while doing

Keep your head and neck straight. Look up at the ceiling while doing the Bridge exercise.

14.Back Stretch

The backstretch is an isometric exercise. It targets the muscles of obliques, lats, chest, shoulders, neck, and upper abs.

How to do?

• Stand upright by keeping your shoulders relaxed and put your hands on your side.
• Put your arms outside and keep your hands together.
• Stretch back your shoulder to pop out your chest and feel the stretch under your shoulders.
• Bend your elbows and get your hands near your belly button.
• Push back your shoulders and feel the contract in the middle muscles of the back.
• Hold the backstretch position for 2-seconds and leave.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Breathe out as you stretch your shoulders backward.

15.Towel Row

The towel row is an isometric exercise. It targets the muscles of glutes, rhomboids, biceps, and shoulders.

How to do it?

• Stand straight by keeping legs extended to your shoulder breadth.
• Hold edges of the towel in your hands.
• Turn your one knee and set it on the towel. It is your opening point.
• Raise arms close to your shoulders as you feel easy and feel the stretch in your arms, back, and glutes.
• Wait in this state for 30 seconds and release and start again.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps to 1-set.

Precaution

Sit upright while performing this exercise.

Isometric Exercises for Strengthening Legs

16.Wall Sit

The wall sits exercise to target the muscles of quads, calves, hamstrings, and lower back calves.

• Stand straight with the back opposite to a wall. It is your starting exercise position.
• Bend your knees and take down your body similar to squatting and stay in this pose for 5-7 seconds and free yourself.
• Increase the position holding time slowly.

Repetitions

5-reps to complete 1-set.

Precaution

Balance your back opposite to wall till you complete the exercise.

17.Isometric Quads

The isometric quads workout target quadriceps or the muscles of the front part of the thigh.

How to do?

• Lie down by keeping flat your back.
• Put one leg straight, and one knee bent and the foot should be level to the ground.
• Put a cushion or rolled towel below your straight knee of the leg. It is your starting point of isometric quads.
• Once you relax your knees, lift it to make a twist and be in this post for 5-seconds.
• Relax it back on the towel or cushion and do the same steps with your other knee.
• Perform this exercise with each knee.

Repetitions

Perform 15-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Lie down on a level and firm surface.

18.Ankle Press

The ankle press exercise targets the muscles of calves and peroneal muscles.

How to do?

• Lie down with your back and take a pillow within your ankles. It is your starting point.
• Press the pillow as much as possible to touch the other ankle.
• Stay in this position for 10-seconds.

Repetitions

Perform 15-reps 1-set.

Precaution

Avoid using any hard object which can injure your ankle.

19.Weighted Calf Raises

This exercise helps to target the muscles of glutes, calves, and arms.

How to do?

• Stand upright and take a dumbbell in your every hand by your side by the arms straights.
• Elevate your feet from the ground and support yourself above the balls of your feet. Wait in this pose for 10-seconds.
• A different version of this workout is to continue performing calf raises while taking the weight in both hands.

Repetitions

Perform 10-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Use weights of your holding ability that should be not less or more.

20.Isometric Knee Exercise

The isometric knee exercise targets your muscles of quads, knees, hamstrings, calves, and adductors.

How to do?

• Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out before you.
• Keep one leg straight and bent the other knee. Place the foot flat on the floor.
• Keep a rolled towel underneath your straight leg’s knee.
• Drive your knee down as hard as possible. This will engage away at your quads.
• Stay in this pose for 3 seconds, rest, and repeat many times.
• Bend your straight leg and drive your heel to the floor.
• Be in this position for 3-seconds, rest, and repeat.
• Now, keep your both feet level on the ground, and the knees bent.
• Utilize a belt (non-resistance band) and attach it nearby your thighs.
• Push your both legs out. Maintain for 3-seconds, relax, and repeat.
• Press a medication ball and hold it within your knees.
• Press in your legs with the goal that you feel the burn in your inner part of thighs.
• Hold it for 3 seconds, rest, and repeat.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

In case of not having a towel or medicine ball, you can use a pillow for doing the workout.

21.Static Lunge

The static lunge is another isometric workout. It targets muscles of hamstrings, quads, glutes, and lower back.

How to do?

• Stand with tensed muscles in the body by engaging your core and shoulders back muscles.
• Split and get your left leg behind in a lunge.
• Take yourself down into a deep lunge without touching your flexed knee to the ground. You can go down until you are one inch above from the ground.
• Stay in the above pose for ten seconds and do it again for another leg.
• You can hold a heavy dumbbell in both hands to enhance the workout.

Repetitions

Perform 10-reps 1-set.

Precaution

Perform this exercise gradually and avoid overtraining. It will prevent injuries.

22.Squat Hold

The squat hold exercise targets the muscles of glutes, quads, adductors, hamstrings, and lower back.

How to do?

• Perform this workout by standing straight by keeping your leg apart to your shoulder width.
• For doing a center squat, lower yourself into a squat position and pause when you reach the center of your length similar to sitting on a chair. Stay in this position for ten seconds.
• For doing a deep squat, get down into a complete squat to the floor with knee lifted to your chest and keep your butt inches away from the floor.
• Keep this pose for 15-seconds.

Repetitions

Perform 10- reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Keep your back straight while doing squat and avoid overshooting feet.

Arms Isometric Exercises

23.Wall Push-up

The wall push-up targets the muscles of shoulders, triceps, lats, and chest.

How to do?

• Keep your hands on the wall to shoulder-width separated.
• Incline toward the wall, holding your body on toes, and put your palms on the wall.
• Push as hard as possible for 15-seconds and relax.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Hold your back straight while performing this exercise.

24.Isometric Towel Curls

The towel curls target the bicep muscles.

How to do?

• Use a long towel and grip the two its ends of it in your hands. Hold the lower segment of the towel with one of your feet.
• Pull up the towel and feel the stretch in arms.
• Hold the stretch for 3 seconds, rest, and repeat.

Repetitions

Perform 10-reps of 1 set.

Precaution

Balance your back straight and bend your knees slightly while performing this exercise.

25.Body Weight Triceps Push Extensions (Resisted)

This workout mainly targets the muscles of triceps.

How to do?

• Stand upright to do bodyweight triceps by putting your feet at hip-width.
• Uplift your hands above your head and keep together.
• Elevate your right arms and flex your left arm to resist your right arm.
• Press as hard as you can to feel the stretch in recipes and hold it for 10 seconds. Then rest and do again for other hands.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Let your shoulder relax and engage your core while doing triceps push up the extension.

26.Barbell Isometric Curls

The isometric exercise of barbell curls targets the muscles of biceps, forearms, shoulders, and triceps.

How to do?

• Take a barbell and stand upright with your feet wide enough to shoulder width. Keep your core engaged.
• Raise the barbell till your hands stretch your shoulders.
• Stay in this position for 20-seconds and sense the contraction.
• Rest and take down the barbell to the starting point.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Use weight according to your strength, neither too light or heavy.

27.The Glutes – Isometric Exercise

Hip Adduction

The hip adduction exercises target the muscles of the lower back, adductors, and glutes.

How to do?

• Lie down using your back, bend your knees, and put your feet level on the ground.
• Hold a pillow in between your thighs.
• Push it as much as possible and make sure to have equal pressure on both sides.
• Free your thighs without making the pillow fall.
• While pressing and making free, make sure to breathe properly.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Lie on a fully flat and firm surface.

28.Chest Squeeze

The chest squeeze exercise targets the muscles of pectoralis minor muscles, and pectoralis major.

How to do?

• Keep your legs apart to hip-width and stand straight.
• Keep your palms close and press.
• Hold chest squeeze position for 10-seconds.
• Lift your leg and balance and stay for 10 seconds.
• Takedown your right leg and raise your left leg and hold again for 10-seconds.

Repetitions

Perform 5-reps of 1-set.

Precaution

Make sure to hold your back straight while performing this workout

Benefits of Isometric Exercises

Fight with age-linked muscle loss

Aging causes to effect on muscle loss. Aging also causes you to lose toned look with muscle mass. As you enter at the age of 40, your muscles will start to lose their flexibility, and mobility, it is that problem that no one like to experience. There is another ability of body that is amino acid digestion, which gets slow down with aging.

Performing good exercise and good food helps to slow down your aging process and helps muscles to recover fats.

Isometric exercises play an important role in building muscles strength and good endurance. This exercise is the best way to regain or keep your muscle strength, mobility, and endurance as you age. Performing these types of exercises are essential for older age which everyone should consider as soon as possible.

Muscle Activation

Isometric exercise provides great benefit for muscle activation. Muscle activation means the recruitment of muscle’s motor units and the more motor units you choose, the stronger and better muscles you will have.

According to recent studies, the more isometric exercises you choose to 5% higher of these motor units than any other kind of workout.

Doing intense isometric workout helps to use 95% of your muscles as opposed to around 88-90% that another workout use.

After doing long term workout, your muscles will stay active to their real potential and use as much as possible while engaging any physical activity. It will also train your muscles permanently to use its total potential. Performing isometric exercise recruit essential motor units and help to gain stronger muscles to work hard.

Muscle Rehabilitation

Isometric exercise helps to benefit muscle rehabilitation. After doing a vigorous workout, muscles will take time to recover. Especially if you had any muscles or joint injury. Muscles also take more recovery time after any surgery. However, that doesn’t mean you have to rest all the time without doing anything.

It is for sure; your muscles require some rest but also to reach healthy and stronger muscles you need to give training to your muscles regularly. Isometric exercises are an excellent way to rehabilitate your joints and muscles gently without putting any strain. Isometric exercise is specially designed for the people who are in the stage of recovering the joint problems.

It is because isometric exercises don’t require the joint movement. Therefore, you can strengthen your muscles while preventing risk for your joint. The isometric workout is ideal for those people who have bone issues or aged people who cannot perform the intense workout.

Strengthen muscles

The best benefit of isometric exercise is muscle strengthening. It helps to improve your muscle size and strength level. It increases muscle tension while performing the isometric exercise and assist in strengthening it. When your muscles remain tense for a longer time, there are different chemicals and compounds, which remain in your muscles and make it grow.

If muscles are tensed for a longer time, there will be low blood flow, and the muscles growing factor remain under the muscles walls and increase muscles growth. It is discovered that several contractions will boost your muscle strength. It also manages to keep the contraction for more time to boost the muscle mass.

Do the isometric exercise that bends your muscles and pushes against a non-movable object. Therefore, it helps to strengthen muscles with least effort and movement. Continuous isometric training can work of muscles by 5% per week and increase up to 40% in 10 weeks.

Getting Old Sticking Points

Another best part of isometric exercise is that they assist in weightlifter to get sticking points of their past. As isometric exercises target on one particular portion of your muscle, they also strengthen one portion. It was earlier thought that these exercises only train the specific portion of the muscle that can be flexed, yet that is not the reason. According to studies, the isometric exercises train your muscles nearly 20 degrees on both sides of the exact portion of the muscle that is contracted.

Isometric exercise is more useful for weight lifters. Lifting weight requires stretching and contracting muscles. Out muscles, even just one muscle is different in its size and strength from one end to another end. While lifting weights, muscles’ weak section cause weightlifter to feel a sticking point. A sticking point refers to the point when a weight lifter force muscles to extend or contraction, that is a point he cannot complete.

Doing isometric exercises helps to focus on a specific part of the muscle and increase its strength. It also gets past to inaccessible sticking points.

Take less time

The next benefit of isometric exercise is that they don’t need more time to complete the exercise. There is exercise like bodyweight training, cardiovascular exercises, and weight lifting takes more time to get the result. Performing isometric exercise provides a great result for muscle growth without taking more time that could take more time for other workouts.

No Need for Equipment

Another best benefit of isometric exercise is that this exercise does not require any tool or equipment. You can do these workout with only your body parts. These workouts can be done by shifting your muscles together, such as pressing palm together very hard. Isometric exercise can be performed with a wall, chair, tree, floor, and just with your body.

You can easily train your body without equipment and boost your strength. It will save your expensive gym membership and exercise tools cost.

Do Anywhere

Isometric exercise can be done anywhere. You can do the isometric exercise at home, park, gym or in the office. As you don’t require any equipment, it helps to perform versatile. Even sitting in your office change and bending your abs considered as an isometric exercise.

Targets All Muscle Groups

The next benefit of isometric exercise is that it targets all muscle groups. Since isometric exercise requires pushing your muscles opposite to non-movable object, it means you can give training to every muscle of your body. As long as you get a firm thing to push against, which can also be yourself, you can easily train your muscles. You can also train a specific part of the muscles in the body.

Increased Flexibility

Isometric exercise also helps to build your flexibility. There are several isometric exercises such as squat which amazingly helps to give you a hugely flexible range of motion. As you squat, your body and gravity also work as resistance to your leg muscles. Therefore, it considered as an isometric exercise.

As you squat down, lowering yourself as low as possible will help to improve your flexibility for longer hold position. Extending your muscles to build your flexibility at a certain level helps to make you more flexible and mobile.

Increased Mental Health

Isometric exercise helps promote mental health. Like other exercises, isometric exercises let your brain react in several ways. Physical activity lets your brain to release a specific chemicals endorphin. Without endorphins, a person cannot be happy and nearly empty sacks of flesh consisting of anxiety and depression. Physical exercise, for the purpose we will not get in to, release those endorphins and make you feel happy.

These chemicals are essential in the brain, which releases the feelings of joy, happiness, elation, and good feeling.

However, people who experience anxiety and depression find a different level of comfort in exercise. Performing isometric exercise can help to relieve anxiety, depression, and other mental issues linked with agony, sadness, and stress.